06/07/2024
June 6, 2024
I have set as a goal to acquire some black raspberries for the Garden of Weedin’. I raised a lot of raspberries when I was younger and want to have some more again. I like black raspberries because to me they have a stronger raspberry flavor. The way I figure it, I should be able to have 4 raspberry plants. I will plant them in planters and support the canes with tomato cages. I will start out with a variety of June bearing raspberries known as “Jewel Black”. I have raised them before and found them to be reliably good producers of shiny black berries.
Having looked at a couple of sources for raspberry plants, most of the Jewel raspberries are out of stock for this year. Raspberry plants also are pretty high for single plants, ranging from $12.00 to $24.00 per plant making buying 4 plants prohibitive. But, having raised raspberries extensively in the past, I know a way to get free raspberry plants in as little as a year. I will simply “Tip Layer” current season canes to get new plants free. I will simply buy one plant and root more to get the number of plants I want.
Growing Raspberries
(Growing instructions from Jung Seed and Nursery)
Planting tip: Be sure to soak the roots of your plants for 8-24 hours prior to planting. Space plants about 2' apart in rows 6-8' apart. Plant roots only as deep as they were grown in the nursery, or just covered. After canes are set, cut "handles" or stems back to about 2-3" above the soil. Keep the soil moist with 1" of water per week (2-3 gallons every other day). Do not rely on rain events to provide enough water to establish new bare root plants.
Pruning Summer Bearing Raspberries: After plants are established, cut out all 2 year old canes immediately after harvest and also thin out all of the weaker canes. In spring, before new growth starts, thin out remaining canes, leaving only 3-4 of the largest canes per 1 foot of row. Tips may be cut back, but not too much or you will reduce your crop.
Pruning Fall Bearing (Everbearing) Raspberries: The preferred and most popular method is to cut back canes at ground level in the fall after a killing frost. This will eliminate a summer crop, but will produce an earlier and larger fall crop. If a more continuous supply of berries is preferred, cut canes to 2.5' while dormant. Remove these canes the next summer after fruiting.
