How to Grow & Train Raspberries

Plant the raspberry plant in fertile soil that drains well, with a pH value that falls between 5.5 and 6.2. Ensure the planting site receives full sunlight every day. Space plants 1 1/2 to 2 feet apart within a row, with rows 8 to 10 feet apart.

Fertilize each plant with 1 lb. of 10-10-10 fertilizer for every 100-square-foot area, one week after planting. Repeat application a month later. Afterwards, feed the raspberries 2 to 3 lbs. of a 10-10-10 fertilizer two times a year, during March when buds swell and in mid May.

Irrigate the plants once every week to receive 1 to 2 inches of water. Although moderately deep-rooted, raspberry plants require watering during the summer months where rain does not fall. Use a soaker hose instead of an overhead watering system that encourages fruit rot when the weather is cloudy and cool.

Mulch the plants using organic options including grass clippings, straw or wood chips that retain moisture and keep roots cooler. Spread a 2- to 3-inch-thick layer around the plants, spaced slightly apart from the main stem to prevent rot.

Install a trellis to support growing raspberries. Push a 7-foot-tall, 6-inch-wide end post 10 to 12 inches deep at each corner of the row. Pound 7-foot-tall, 3-inch-wide posts every 25 feet within the row. Extend two parallel lengths of 12-gauge wires between the posts, 54 inches above the ground. Also extend two parallel lengths of identical wires between the posts, 30 inches above the ground.

Train the new shoots, or primocanes, to climb the trellis wires. Secure the canes to the lowest wires using elastic ties. When they grow further, tie them to the upper wires with ties.

Prune damaged canes of red (summer-bearing) raspberries in spring. Also cut primocanes that extend the 1 1/2- to 2-foot row width. Space the remaining sturdy canes 6 inches apart, thinning canes in between. Clip fruiting canes down to soil level after the summer harvest.

Clip off 3 inches of black or purple (fall-bearing) raspberry canes in end spring with pruners. Cut lateral branches of black varieties down to 1 foot and of purple varieties down to 1 1/2 feet. After the last harvest,cut the canes down to soil level.