Can Strawberries and Raspberries Be Planted Together?

Growing Conditions

• Strawberries and raspberries both thrive in deep, sandy, loam soil with good drainage. For optimum growth, the soil pH should be between 5.6 and 6.2. Strawberries prefer a soil pH of around 6.2 but will survive in the pH range of 5.0 to 7.0. Raspberries prefer 5.6 to 6.2. Both fruits grow best in sunny locations that receive at least six hours of sunlight daily. Both strawberries and raspberries need frequent watering and benefit from irrigation, as they have shallow root systems. However, neither strawberry plants nor raspberry canes grow well when their roots are waterlogged.

Planting Raspberries

• Cultivars of raspberries include black, red, yellow and purple raspberries as well as thorny and thornless bushes. Place raspberry canes 30 inches apart and in rows about 9 feet apart, as raspberry bushes spread out. Remove any old canes from new plants, as these are the primary source of disease. Water the new plants well but do not fertilize them for several weeks. Apply fertilizer only in the early spring and use it sparingly, as too much easily injures the plants. Water the canes in the morning after the dew has dried. Do not let the plants sit in water overnight, as this will cause root rot.

Planting Strawberries

• Cultivars of strawberries vary widely in their tolerance of cold temperatures and susceptibility to disease. Earliglow, jewel and lateglow cultivars are all cold tolerant, give good yields and produce firm fruit. The easiest system to arrange strawberries is in a matted row. Place the plants in the ground as soon as the soil warms, on a cool and cloudy day. Set the plants 12 to 24 inches apart in rows 48 inches apart. Cover the plants with soil to just below their crown, and water them well. Mulching the plants with bark or straw keeps the weeds down and retains moisture. Fertilize with 10-10-10 fertilizer 10 weeks after planting and again in early fall before the flower buds form. Cover the strawberry plants when overnight frost threatens.

Growing Together

• While both strawberries and raspberries like the same growing conditions, there are a few physical challenges to consider when growing them together. As both of the fruits prefer sunny locations, be careful not to plant the strawberries where they will be in the shadow of the raspberry branches. Inadvertently stepping on any low-growing strawberry plants placed between the tall raspberry canes is another hazard. The runoff from watering the raspberries may accumulate around the strawberry plants and produce a soil that is too wet for their health. In addition, raspberries should be picked daily for the freshest taste, and the constant harvesting activities may disturb any strawberry plants nearby.