The first step in your journey towards backyard raspberries is learning whether your climate can accommodate them.
These jewel-toned berries thrive in zones 4 through 8, though some varieties are heat-resistant enough to work in zone 9.
You’ll need a space that gets full sun for maximum berry potential, and most varieties need ample access to pollinators like bees and other insects.
From a maintenance perspective, raspberry canes require minimal care once they get established. They only need to be pruned annually for optimal fruit production, and you’ll need to wait at least a year for your first harvest
Raspberry canes need consistent watering for their first year of life. Drip irrigation works best, or you can plan to give each plant 1”-2” inches per week during the growing season, and as much as 4” inches during harvest time.
How to Prune Raspberry Canes
You’ll maximize your raspberry production bypruning away old caneseach year to make space for the newer ones that produce fruit. The best time to do so is in the early spring when the plants are still in dormancy.
The alternative is to cut one-year-old canes down to the level of the top support wire while cutting down the two-year-old canes to an inch above soil level. The remaining canes will then start fruiting in July, and new canes will grow from the base of the older ones and produce a fall crop. This is the preferred method for summer-fruiting varieties.
Ways to Use Your Raspberry Harvest
Some initial work upfront this season to learn how to start raspberry canes will pay you back in premium quality berries for at least a decade. In upcoming years, your greatest challenge will be determining how to use the bounty.
Once you tire of eating them fresh—if that’s even possible—here are other ways to put up your harvest.
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