Raspberry, Everbearing

Raspberries are shipped as dormant bare-root canes and for best results, it is important that they be planted promptly upon arrival. If you are not able to plant them upon arrival, keep them in the bag and store in a cool 4-10°C (40-50°F) degrees, dry, dark location for a day or two. If the roots and medium in the bag are dry, mist them with water to moisten.

• Once you are ready to plant, remove the canes from packaging and separate the canes. Soak the cane roots in a container of water for up to two hours. This is an important step especially if the cane roots are dry.
• Raspberries will grow in most any type of soil, preferably well draining. Avoid planting in a wet area as they do not like to stand in water. They will produce best when planted in full sun - the more sun, the more fruit.
• Prior to planting, soil can be amended with compost or well-rotted mature to improve fertility and drainage. Loosen the soil to a depth of 30 cm (12") before planting. After loosening the soil, this is a good time to mix in 5-10 cm (2-4") of well-rotted manure, or compost.
• Dig a hole the the width and depth to accommodate each root plus allow some space for the roots to spread out. Each planting hole should be approximately 1 m (3') apart. This allows each mature plant to have its own space to grow and set fruit.
• Place a cane in a hole and back-fill with soil in and around the plant's roots, so that the topmost of the root has 2.5-5 cm (1-2") of soil covering it. Firm the soil down to remove any air pockets that may have formed around the roots. Water thoroughly.
• To make planting easier and quicker, you may want to plant the canes in a trench, rather than separate holes.
• After planting, prune the bare-root canes back to about 5 cm (2") above the ground. This step encourages the roots to send up new growth during the growing season. The plants will send up new growth as suckers or basal shoots from below the ground. In addition to buds on the cane, you should see new sprouts emerge up through the ground from the root system.
• Water needs: Generally raspberry plants require 2.5 cm (1") of water per week to be healthy. This can come from rain or self-watering. Deep and less frequent watering is best to promote long roots. More frequent watering may be required in drought-like conditions. Do not water every day. Newly planted raspberries need to be encouraged to send out new roots and they will do that in search of moisture.