Raspberry Bushes

One of my earliest childhood memories is that of my grandmother making raspberry jams from scratch. The smell of raspberries mixed with vanilla beans and sugar used to fill the air, making me want to eat it hot off the stove. Growing your own raspberries so that you can make jams or delicious desserts is quite a good idea. If you have a backyard that receives an adequate amount of sunlight, it can be done. Preparing the soil is essential if you want to get a good crop. The ideal soil for planting raspberry is moist but well-drained soil. They can grow even in sandy or dry soil but the harvest will not be so good. You also have to maintain regular pruning so that the bushes can thrive.

How to Grow Raspberry Plants

Raspberry bushes can thrive in most conditions, but to get a good harvest you need to plant them properly. Prepare the spot where you want to do the planting, by raking the soil with a spade and removing all weeds. Make sure that you dig the soil adequately as this will help the roots to grow deep inside the soil. Add some organic manure to the soil to make it more fertile. You also need to check the pH of the soil. Ideally the pH of the soil should be between 5.8 and 6.5. If you find that the pH of the soil is lower than this, then you need to add lime to the soil to raise the pH. The next step in planting raspberries is to decide on which variety you want to plant. I would suggest that you go with the everbearing variety is it grows prolifically and you will get a good harvest.

Dig the soil up to a depth of six inches and plant each raspberry seedling 2-3 inches apart. When you have a bigger plot of land for gardening, you can grow raspberries in rows just like strawberries. For planting raspberries in rows, you need to keep a distance of around 8-10 feet in between the rows. Water the raspberry seedlings every second day or every day if the site receives 6-8 hours of the afternoon sun. Once the seedlings begin to grow into thick bushes, you might need to provide it with support like a trellis. Installing a trellis around the raspberry bushes is a good idea as it provides support to the plant when it is laden with fruits.

How to Care for Raspberry Plants

Planting the raspberry bushes is not enough to give you a good harvest. You need to take good care of them too. Raspberry bush care consists of using a good quality organic manure. Avoid chemical fertilizers that are high in nitrogen as fruiting season approaches, as this will hamper the growth of raspberry fruit. Raspberry plants require a high level of moisture and you need to make sure that the roots of the plant does not dry out in the harsh summer months. So water them without fail. For raspberry bush pruning, cut back the canes up to an inch from the ground, after they have been harvested.

You can also grow raspberries from seeds. For this you will need to propagate the seeds in a small patch of land. When the seedlings develop after a few weeks, you can do the transplanting, by planting these seedlings in their permanent location in the garden. With proper care of raspberry plants, you are sure to be rewarded with a good harvest.