How to Plant Black Raspberry

Preparation

• 1

  Select an open planting site with full sunlight and well-drained soil. Make sure the site gets six to eight hours of sunlight per day. Black raspberries prefer sandy loam soils rich in nutrients. Choose a sloped location or ridge to promote proper runoff and irrigation.

• 2

  Test the acidity level of your site's soil. Black raspberry plants thrive in soil with a pH of 5.6 to 6.5. Contact your county's cooperative extension office for information about pH levels or help testing the soil. Apply a thin layer of ground limestone to soil if it is too acidic.

• 3

  Apply manure or compost to the soil. Till the soil regularly for a full season before planting black raspberries. Use 25 lbs. of manure or fertilizer for every 1,000 feet of soil.

• 4

  Acquire black raspberry canes from your local nursery. Observe the depth at which they are planted at the nursery.

Planting

• 5

  Plant 4-foot tall wooden posts at the planting site in rows. Secure the posts by hammering them into the soil. Leave a space of 2.5 feet between each row and a space of 10 feet between rows.

• 6

  Dig planting holes at your site around the base of the posts in the early spring season. Plant the canes at the same soil depth as they were planted at the nursery. Position the canes around the posts. Pack soil around the roots firmly by hand.

• 7

  Wrap a wire around the canes, securing them near the top of the post with a loop. Run a wire between the posts, attaching the loops of the posts to each other.

• 8

  Water the roots immediately after planting.