How to grow Raspberries

Growing raspberries in your backyard can be very satisfying if you have the space for this fast growing fruit. I recall the first time I purchased raspberry plants on-line from a nursery - I didn't know what to expect. One day they arrived by snail-mail Canada Post and upon opening the package I discovered 15-20 sticks about 12" long with small roots at one end! At the time I had a large garden so I tilled a section about 3' x 24' with my Troy 8 HP garden tiller. Needless to say I was very optimistic!  I planted the  "sticks" about 2 feet apart in the soft soil and mulched them with some left over straw. Over the summer the sticks sprouted green leaves and started to grow....and grow....and grow. It soon became apparent that raspberry plants are fast growing and spread their roots underground. The next spring I tilled each side of the plants to keep the plants from spreading more and they took off producing hundreds and hundreds of beautiful raspberries. It was magical!

Since my first experience with raspberries, we have moved to the city and space is at a premium but the thought of growing raspberries was always on my mind. Then one evening around the BBQ with friends Val and Gerry, they mentioned "we have a ton of raspberries in our small backyard" and that got me thinking.......

Two years ago I picked up 4 small pots of raspberries at Home Depot with my intentions of planting them immediately.  Not so. As time went on the plants sat at the back of my garden shed in the shade where I watered them occasionally. Winter arrived and I forgot about the plants until the following spring when I found them fallen over and partly covered with snow. They looked like dead sticks in a pot! With nothing to lose, I righted them and kept them watered until I saw a small green sprout! They were still alive! 

As the ground began to thaw I dug a trench for the new "tenants" - removing grass and stones behind my shed, a space that I don't use or see. I mixed in some farm manure compost with the native soil a planted them about 2' apart. During the first year they grew but did not produce any fruit. 

The following spring the plants took off and looked very healthy but it wasn't until August a second generation of growth shot up 3 feet and produced a massive amount of berries. We are now in mid-September, the weather is still nice around mid 20 deg C, and we are picking raspberries.

I would recommend a dark-red berry called "Boyne"  that's Canadian, eh? Originated in 1960 at the Morden Research Centre in Manitoba as a cross between Chief x Indian Summer varieties, it is hardy in zones 3 to 6 and is a great producer of large fruits. It likes full sun if possible and should be fertilized after planting and in early summer.

I use compost "tea" - a mixture of farm compost and water that has been steeped.  This organic fertilizer will provide your plants with a healthy dose of nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, magnesium and other nutrients to keep your plants green and productive. Grow raspberries, my friend.