Your Backyard Garden: Growing Raspberries

There's nothing like freshly picked fruit. The fruit you'll find in the grocery store pales in comparison to the taste and texture of fruit you've just harvested. You also have the satisfaction that you've grown it yourself. Buying raspberries at the grocery store can also get very expensive. With a little loving care, a small raspberry patch will provide you with a substantial amount of fruit during the summer.

In the wild, raspberry plants usually grow in fields or forest clearings. Plants prefer full sun, but will tolerate partly shady conditions.

Raspberries come in black, red, and purple varieties, with red being the most popular for home gardeners. You can buy canes appropriate for your region in a local gardening center. You can also try transplanting canes from an existing bed.

Raspberries are usually planted when the weather is cooler in the spring. They grow best in a well drained area, as they don't do well if the soil is too wet. Work the soil well, including a generous amount of mulch and organic matter. Cut the canes back to six to eight inches, and plant about three feet apart. Don't plant the roots too deep - cover with three inches of sandy, well-mulched soil.

Let the raspberry canes establish themselves during the first year. Cut or pinch off any flowers so that the plant's energy is directed at strengthening the cane.

Raspberry canes produce flowers every spring, with their fruit ripening in the summer. Keep the plants watered and fertile well in the spring and summer, but not in the fall. This allows the canes to harden to survive the winter ahead.

Some gardeners prune the raspberry canes to the ground before winter, while others allow the plants to remain tall. Pruning allows for lateral plant growth, making the raspberries easier to pick. Pruning also allows for new cane growth, and allows you to discard any canes with pest or insect infestation. Experiment with your canes to see what works best in your geographical area.

After the first year, plants can be harvested. When the fruit is bright red and falls off the plant on touch, the raspberries are ready to pick. Gently pull each fruit, being careful of thorns.

Adding compost and organic material in the spring to your raspberry patch will fertilize the plants every year. While you apply the organic material, remove any weeds or foreign material (it's more difficult to weed later in the season when the canes are larger, as well as their thorns).