Can You Grow Raspberries in a Pot or Container?

Container Selection

• The container must be large enough to allow the raspberry bush room to grow. The container for a single bush should be a minimum of 15 inches in diameter, with larger containers also acceptable. The bottom of the container should be porous or contain holes that water can drain out of, as standing water around the roots of raspberries can damage plants and slow growth.

  The container, soil and adult bush will most likely be heavy and awkward to move, so first placing the container in its final location will make planting easier.

Soil Preparation

• Since the soil is most likely being added to the container specifically for the raspberry bush, this makes it easy to adapt the nutrient and acidity to exactly what the raspberry needs. Soil pH should be between 5.6 and 6.2, which can be raised from the normal potting soil content by adding limestone. Bushes also require a nutrient content that includes equal amounts of the three macronutrients: nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. This can be achieved through a combination of potting soil and organic fertilizer such as manure.

  There is an advantage to planting raspberries in the soil of a container. There is less chance that the soil will be contaminated with insects, fungal diseases or bacteria. Raspberries can be particularly vulnerable to verticillium wilt, which can lay dormant in previously used garden soils for years before infecting newly planted bushes.

Container Placement

• In order for raspberries to reach their full potential, they require long hours of direct, full sunlight. Depending on the landscape and layout of the home, the porch may or may not be the best place to keep a raspberry container bush, as the house can block some of the most direct afternoon sunlight.

  Avoid positioning containers beneath overhangs as well. Not only will this shield the bush from much needed sunlight, but it will also protect it from the rains; raspberry bushes require moist soils without standing water around their roots.

Support

• When planted in the backyard in rows, raspberry bushes do best when supported by some type of trellis. In containers, the same rule applies.

  Supports prevent the bushes from growing too heavy and breaking under their own weight, a danger that can be most evident when the weight of growing berries begins to bend branches. In a container, supports can be done creatively so not to take away from the theme of the landscape or the overall look of the porch. A latticework trellis can be placed along one side, supporting the bush while still allowing sunlight through. If the container is large enough, a post can be added next to young bushes with ties added as the bush grows.