Reasons You’ll LOVE Growing Raspberries

Ah! So juicy, delicious, and nutritious!

• • Irresistible Flavor – Raspberries offer a burst of delightful sweetness and tartness that is hard to resist, making them a rewarding treat to enjoy fresh or in various culinary creations.
  • Easy to Grow – Raspberries are relatively low-maintenance and can be grown in various climates, making them a great option for both experienced gardeners and beginners.
  • Abundant Harvest – With proper care, raspberry plants can produce a bountiful harvest, providing a plentiful supply of fresh berries throughout the growing season.
  • Nutritional Benefits – Raspberries are packed with essential vitamins, antioxidants, and dietary fiber, contributing to a healthy and balanced diet.
  • Versatility in Uses – From adding them to smoothies, desserts, and jams or simply eating them fresh, raspberries offer endless possibilities in the kitchen.
  • Aesthetically Pleasing – The vibrant red color of ripe raspberries and their lush green foliage add a touch of beauty to any garden or landscape.
  • Sustainable Gardening – Growing your own raspberries allows you to embrace sustainable practices, reducing food miles and promoting environmentally friendly gardening.
  • Fun for the Whole Family – Raspberry cultivation can be fun and engaging for all ages, providing an excellent opportunity for family bonding and learning about nature.
  • Pollinator Attraction – Raspberries attract bees and other beneficial pollinators to your garden, supporting overall biodiversity and ecosystem health.
  • Sense of Accomplishment – Witnessing the growth and success of your raspberry plants, from canes to ripe berries, is a fulfilling experience that brings a sense of accomplishment and pride in your gardening efforts.

Things to Know About Growing Raspberries

Ah! So juicy, delicious, and nutritious!

• • Picking – Raspberries are perfect for picking and eating straight off the stem and for use in jams, pies, tarts, smoothies, and drinks: This explains the versatility of raspberries as a fruit that can be enjoyed fresh from the plant or used in various culinary creations.
  • Nutritious – Fresh raspberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, supporting the immune system and fighting infections: This highlights the nutritional benefits of raspberries, specifically their high vitamin C content, which aids in bolstering the immune system and helps protect against infections.

There are two types of raspberries with specific growing requirements:

• • • Summer-fruiting raspberries develop fruit on last year’s growth and bear one crop per season, usually in summertime (June or July): This explains the characteristics of summer-fruiting raspberries, which produce fruit on canes grown in the previous year and yield a single crop during a specific season.
    • Everbearing raspberries (fall-bearing or autumn-bearing) produce berries on new canes. They bear a fall crop and can produce fruit the following summer: This describes everbearing raspberries, which produce fruit on new canes and offer both a fall harvest and the potential for additional fruiting in the subsequent summer.
  • Growing a mix of both types allows for an extended harvest period –  Cultivating both summer-fruiting and everbearing raspberry varieties in the garden can provide a more extended period of harvesting fresh berries.
  • All raspberry varieties are self-fertile – Only one bush is needed to produce fruit: This point explains that raspberry plants have both male and female reproductive structures, enabling them to pollinate themselves and produce fruit without requiring multiple plants.
  • Bees are the best pollinators for raspberry plants – They typically start producing fruit one year after planting: This emphasizes the importance of bees in pollinating raspberry flowers and enabling fruit formation. Additionally, it indicates that raspberry plants typically bear fruit a year after planting.

Start Raspberry Bushes with Raspberry Canes

How to Grow Raspberries 

Raspberry Variations

Red raspberries are the most popular, but there are also other varieties!

• • Red Raspberries: The most common and widely cultivated type, with bright red color and a balance of sweetness and tartness.
  • Black Raspberries: Smaller and sweeter than red raspberries, with a distinctive black color when fully ripe.
  • Purple Raspberries: A hybrid between red and black raspberries, showcasing a unique purple hue and a delightful combination of flavors.
  • Yellow Raspberries: Less common but equally delicious, these raspberries feature a beautiful golden-yellow color and a milder, sweeter taste.
  • Golden Raspberries: Similar to yellow raspberries, these have a golden color and are slightly sweeter than their red counterparts.
  • Heritage Raspberries: Known for their rich, classic raspberry flavor, heritage varieties are older cultivars that have been passed down through generations.
  • Everbearing Raspberries: These varieties produce fruit on new canes throughout the growing season, offering a continuous harvest from summer to fall.
  • Summer-Bearing Raspberries: These raspberries bear fruit on canes that grew in the previous year and typically produce a single crop during the summer.
  • Dual-Cropping Raspberries: A combination of everbearing and summer-bearing characteristics, these varieties offer two separate harvests per year.
  • Thornless Raspberries: These raspberries have fewer or no thorns, making them easier to harvest and manage.
  • Each raspberry variation has its unique flavor, appearance, and growing characteristics, allowing gardeners to choose the types that best suit their preferences and growing conditions.

Raspberry Bush Pests and Bugs 

Raspberry bushes can be susceptible to certain pests and bugs.

• • Raspberry Aphids (Amphorophora agathonica): These small, soft-bodied insects feed on raspberry plant sap, causing leaves to curl and distort. They can also transmit plant viruses.
  • Raspberry Fruitworm (Byturus unicolor): The larvae of these beetles feed on ripe and developing raspberry fruit, leading to damaged berries.
  • Spotted Wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii): These invasive fruit flies lay eggs in ripening raspberries, and their larvae feed on the fruit, causing significant damage.
  • Japanese Beetles (Popillia japonica): The adults of these beetles feed on raspberry leaves, while their larvae (grubs) can damage plant roots.
  • Raspberry Crown Borers (Pennisetia marginata): The larvae of these clearwing moths bore into the canes, weakening and eventually killing the raspberry plants.
  • Raspberry Sawfly (Monophadnoides rubi): The larvae of these sawflies feed on raspberry leaves, resulting in skeletonized foliage.
  • Spider Mites (Tetranychus spp.): These tiny arachnids feed on the undersides of raspberry leaves, causing stippling and discoloration.
  • Raspberry Cane Borers (Oberea bimaculata): The larvae of these longhorn beetles bore into the canes, causing cane wilting and dieback.

To manage raspberry pests, it’s essential to monitor your plants regularly for signs of infestation. Early detection can help prevent pest populations from getting out of control. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices, such as using physical barriers, natural predators, and organic insecticides, can be employed to control pests while minimizing environmental impact. Additionally, maintaining good garden hygiene and providing optimal growing conditions can help enhance the plants’ resistance to pests and bugs. If the infestation becomes severe, seeking advice from a local agricultural extension office or a certified garden expert can be beneficial in implementing appropriate control measures.

How to Harvest and Prepare Raspberries

This is the fun part!

• • Harvesting – Pick ripe raspberries directly from the plant, gently pulling them off the stem. Ripe raspberries are plump, vibrant in color, and easily detach from the plant.

  • Cleaning: Rinse the harvested raspberries under cool, running water to remove any dirt, debris, or potential pests. Be gentle while handling the berries to avoid bruising.

  • Drying – After rinsing, gently pat the raspberries dry with a paper towel or use a clean kitchen towel to absorb excess moisture.

  • Storage – If you don’t plan to use the raspberries immediately, store them in the refrigerator. Place the dry raspberries in a single layer on a paper towel-lined plate or in a shallow container, then cover with plastic wrap or a lid. Stored properly, raspberries can stay fresh for a few days.

  • Serving – Raspberries can be enjoyed on their own as a healthy snack, or you can incorporate them into various recipes. They are excellent additions to fruit salads, yogurt, cereals, and smoothies. Raspberries are also popular in desserts like pies, tarts, cakes, and jams.

  • Freezing –If you have an abundant raspberry harvest and can’t use them all immediately, freezing is a great option. Spread the clean, dry raspberries in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze them until firm. Then transfer the frozen berries to a freezer-safe container or bag. Frozen raspberries can be used in smoothies, sauces, and baking throughout the year.

Remember to handle raspberries gently to avoid bruising and preserve their delicate texture. Enjoy the sweet and tart goodness of raspberries in various ways to savor their delightful flavor and nutritional benefits.

Use Your Fresh Raspberries In Our Dairy-Free Desserts

Can you say yum! 

• • Dairy-Free Peppermint Chocolate Mousse – Peppermint mousse parfaits are a delightful and indulgent dessert, combining the rich and creamy texture of chocolate mousse with the refreshing burst of peppermint, creating a truly wonderful and irresistible treat.
  • Ultimate Dairy-Free Cannolis – Vegan cannolis are a delightfully exquisite dessert, boasting a harmonious blend of crispy, flaky shells and lusciously creamy fillings that captivate the senses and offer a truly blissful indulgence.
  • Rustic Hand-Cut Sugar Cookies – These themed vegan sugar cookies are versatile and easy to make. They will please even the harshest baked goods critics!
  • Dairy-Free Greek Yogurt Dessert– This Vegan Greek Yogurt Dessert is fresh, healthy, and not too sweet. It’s a visually interesting and beautiful dessert and is one of my personal favorites!

If you decide to try any of these recipes, please let us know by leaving a comment below

Learn How to Grow More Fruits & Vegetables in Your Home Garden

Simple, easy-to-follow guides for beginner gardeners. 

• • How to Grow Colorful Watermelon Radish – Watermelon radish is an heirloom variety of the Chinese daikon radish. It gets its name from the bright pink and green coloring. 
  • How To Grow Sweet, Burtsy Tomatoes – Growing tomatoes is like having your own little edible treasure hunt in the garden. 
  • How to a Huge Crop of Cucumbers on a DIY Trellis – Grow the most bountiful crop of cukes!
  • How to Grow Early Spring Peas – When I think of Spring, my mind drifts to snap peas growing in the garden.
  • How to Grow Bountiful String Beans – Grow long, plump, snappy sting beans every time!
  • How to Grow Swiss Chard – Sturdier than spinach and more delicate than kale, Swiss chard is a nutritional powerhouse and colorful and beautiful!
  • How to Grow Collard Greens – The large green leaves of the collard green stand out in the garden. Earthy and slightly bitter in taste, they are a personal favorite! 

Click here for many more beginning how-to posts, including lettuce, corn, squash, and more!