Raspberries!

[JJJessee]

O School, while true raised bed maybe a bit of an over kill for a raspberry, it may be a good way to keep encroaching grasses or to keep a nice layer of mulch contained. I would make this bed about 18" wide and no more than 4" deep. If you let them, raspberries will become large cluster of difficult to reach berries in just a few years if you do not manage(remove) any sucker that attempt to escape that 18" width. Let them do as the please within that 18", but first or scecond week of April when the root suckers have just barely started to leaf out, remove them with a shovel. This is prime time to start another row or give to a friend.

They will be most productive, easiest to pick, and manage if you erect some trellis lines. I would put a pair on each side of the bed -one at 6' and one at 3-4'. In February( or before bud break) when you are cleaning out the dead canes, tie the new canes to which ever line the will reach. I also cut the back to just a few inches above the line. And if a crown has produce a lot of fruit canes I remove the weak ones. They will just take energy from the good strong canes and decrease ventilation. Brutal, I know. As you are tying them to the trellis space out the canes for maximum air and light penetration.

2' seems close to me but I don't grow Heritage. I grow Encore Red and Black Jewel at about 4' between plants. My rows are closer to 8' and even that gets close come harvest time.



picture's worth a thousand words

[drew51]

Originally Posted by Old School

I just purchased 5 Heritage Raspberry plants from Jung Seeds. They say to space them 2 feet apart. I have Black walnut trees nearby in the back yard. Thinking of planting them in a 4x4 raised bed with 4 plants a foot from each corner and one plant in the middle of the bed (like a 5 on a dice pattern). Does anyone have any thoughts about this plan

2 feet apart is just about right. In a couple years they will be a solid row of canes. No worries with the Walnut as far as Juglone is concerned. Unlike tomatoes brambles are not affected by it. They can tolerate some shade too, as long as they get about 5 hours of sun. Some do better in shade than others.
It's best to put in rows, as they need support, else berries will be on the ground. Rows should be 2 feet wide. In a 4z4 they will fill every inch of it, and the sanes in the middle will not get enough light. They will also grow out of the bed and all over as far as 8 feet away from other plants.Suckers can go that far. Thye usually don't but can. I have had it happen a few times.

[drew51]

Just to show how they grow, here the back row (to the right) are raspberries spaced at 20 inches apart. Really too close, 4 feet is a little far for me I guess 3 feet would be pretty good!



Here they are 2 years later. {photo this time taken from the other side, so the raspberries are far left.


Another photo

[drew51]

Some closeups!
Black raspberry Allen. I expect the plant to produce about 1000 berries this year. last year with 3 canes it produced 300 (canes pictured) it grew 9 canes for this year's crop.


The cultivar Polka. These are great! Big, tasty!


I try to grow various colors