Everbearing Raspberry Bush Planting & Growing Instructions

Planting and growing an everbearing raspberry bush in your garden will produce sweet fruit summer long. Want to learn how to grow an everbearing raspberry bush? Read on to learn how to plant and care for a bare root raspberry bush.

WHAT ARE EVERBEARING RASPBERRIES

There are two kinds of raspberries.
SUMMER RASPBERRIES

Summer raspberries produce fruit on 2nd year canes. In the first year, new growth produces new canes, but do no fruit grows. During the 2nd year, those canes produce fruit and then the cane dies.

EVERBEARING RASPBERRIES

Everbearing raspberries are different. They start growing new first year canes in early spring. And by late summer of the first year, they produce a nice crop of berries. Then, on year two, they produce another, smaller crop of berries on the old, second year canes in late spring or early summer. 

Because every garden has 1st and 2nd year canes, everbearing raspberries will have two crops…one in early summer (probably a smaller crop) and then another one in late summer on the new canes.

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WHY GROW EVERBEARING RASPBERRY BUSHES?

Everbearing raspberries are great because they self-pollinate and produce two crops each summer. Everbearing means it produces a moderate crop of berries in June or July and then a heavy crop in September until the frost. The large, dark red raspberries are great for canning, freezing and (my favorite) picking right off the vine and eating fresh.

WHERE CAN I BUY RASBERRIES?

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THE HERITAGE RASPBERRY PLANT:

Heritage is a popular everbearing raspberry variety!  

• Produces ripe raspberries in the summer and again in the fall
• Bears fruit the first year
• Blooms pink in April and May
• Is self-fertile, but planting multiples will ensure a better crop

After the raspberry is unpacked, soak it in water for 3-6 hours just before planting.

My daughter, Chloe loves to help me in the garden. This was a fun project for us to work on together.

The whole gang decided to come out and help us plant our raspberry bush.

TO PLANT AN EVERBEARING RASPBERRY BUSH YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING:

• Knife
• Shovel
• Garden knife or trowel
• Bare root plant
• Mulch
• Loose, well drained soil
• Fertilizer 

HOW TO PLANT AN EVERBEARING RASPBERRY BUSH:

• Pick a spot in your yard that gets full sun with well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter. Rasberries do not like “wet feet.” 
• Don’t plant it where you have previously planted vegetables or fruit plants the previous year and make sure to plant it at least 300 feet away from other raspberries.
• The width of the hole should allow you to spread roots. If you are planting multiple raspberries, dig holes 2′-3′ apart. If you are creating several rows, dig holes 6′-8′ apart.
• Clip off any dead roots and spread them in the hole.
• Shovel dirt back in the hole and amend the soil.

The plants are rather shallow rooted, so moisture needs to be at the surface. Give each plant 1″-2″ of water. Do not let soil become dry to a depth of 6″.

A weak liquid nitrogen fertilizer may be applied at planting. Keep fertilizer 3″-4″ away from the base of the plant to avoid burning the roots.

Mulch the first year to keep the weeds down and increase the crop yield, but do not mulch after that unless the soil is very sandy.

CARING FOR YOUR RASPBERRY PLANT

After a new planting, the key to heavy yields is to carefully care for and maintain your plants. The best way to do that is to do some basic maintenance in the fall and spring and regularly water as well. This will lead to berries that produce a heavy yield and have good flavor! 

WATERING GUIDELINES

Water is important as the young plants become established. Give them about 1″-2″ per week during growing season and up to 4″ per week during harvest. Water in the morning before the hottest part of the day. The plants are rather shallow rooted, so soil moisture needs consistently at the surface.

FERTILIZING RASPBERRIES

If you plant your berries in rich organic soil with old manure, you may not need to apply a fertilizer to your soil. However, if your soil needs amended, you should fertilize your newly planted raspberries 10-14 days after they go in the ground. Initially, add 2 ounces of 5-10-5 fertilizer around each plant on the soil surface. And in the second and subsequent seasons apply 10-10-10 fertilizer in late March. Don’t add fertilizer in the late summer or fall or it may stimulate new growth and prevent them from hardening off for winter. 

PRUNING RASPBERRY CANES

Do You Cut Back Raspberries?

Raspberries do need to be cut back but the timing is important for everbearing varieties if you want to have a double-crop in the summer. 

First Year Pruning: To have 2 crops, first-year canes ( new primocanes) should be left unpruned. They will fruit in the fall on the first year canes. The following summer, if left uncut, they will fruit again as 2 year old canes. 

For only a fall crop, mow all the canes down to 2″-3″ after the fall harvest during late fall or late winter.

Annual Pruning: A well pruned raspberry patch will be healthier and have better fruit production because of better distribution of light, air movement, and pesticides.

Everbearing second-year canes should be removed after fruiting in the spring.

Be careful not to injure the developing young first-year canes that will bear fruit in the fall.

Dispose of all the canes to eliminate the spread of disease and insects. During growing season, remove any plants with misshapen leaves, berries that are too small and broken or rubbing canes.

HOW MANY YEARS DOES IT TAKE AN EVERBEARING RASPBERRY TO PRODUCE FRUIT?

Everbearing raspberries can produce fruit the very first year they are planted. Often while a plant is getting established, that first year crop is small. In subsequent years, you can expect to have an early summer crop (on 2nd year primocanes) and then a larger fall crop in late August or September. 

HOW TO PICK RASPBERRIES

To give your berries a longer shelf-life, harvest in the morning after the dew has dried. Ripe berries will detach easily from the plant. Place the berries in a shallow contain to avoid crushing.

Don’t wash the berries until you are ready to use them. Of course you can pick them and enjoy them for fresh eating right away! 

The storage life of red raspberries is 2-3 days when refrigerated.

WHAT ARE OTHER TYPES OF RASPBERRIES?

While all raspberries are either summer or everbearing, there are many different raspberry varieties under each type. There is the true red raspberry, but also black raspberries, yellow raspberries and even purple raspberries! 

The techniques to achieve healthy plants are similar for all types of plants. But home gardeners enjoy the option to try berries with different flavors. 
Find the best varieties for your zone!

WHAT ARE THE EASIEST TYPE OF RASPBERRIES TO GROW?

Fall-bearing, otherwise known as everbearing, raspberries are the easiest to grow because they require very little if any staking to keep the canes upright. Other varieties require staking to keep the canes from falling all over the ground! 

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