How to Grow Jewel Black Raspberry Plants

Perform a soil test in a sunny location to ascertain the pH. Raspberries prefer a pH of 5.6 to 6.2. If your soil is more acidic than this you will want to amend the soil with ground limestone. Ideally your berry bed should be amended a year prior to planting. Mix in the amount of limestone the package recommends for the square footage and pH level.

Spread 4 to 6 inches of compost out on the bedding area one or two weeks before planting the berry bushes. Till it in to a depth of 8 to 12 inches. Rake the bed smooth and remove any weeds, rocks or debris. Add a balanced fertilizer -- a 10-10-10 garden type works well --at the rate of 25 lbs. per 1,000 square feet. At least a week before planting, till the soil again.

Dig holes in late April or early May that are twice as wide as the spread of the roots of the bushes but just as deep as the nursery planting. Space the plants 4 feet apart in rows that are 8 to 12 feet apart. Spread the roots outward. Back fill and compress the soil, and water to compact it.

Cut back the canes to 4 to 6 inches from the ground. Hammer in 3- to 4-foot tall stakes at either end of the rows of raspberries and run wire from each corner all the way across. This forms a support for the berries as they get taller.

Mulch around the base of the black raspberry plants. Leave a 1/2 inch space free of mulch directly at the stem to allow air circulation and prevent rot. Give each plant 1 or 2 inches of water weekly. Set a small dish near them to collect water and check how much they are receiving.

Fertilize in early spring with 20 lbs. of 10-10-10 fertilizer for every 1,000 square feet. Remove stray canes and suckers as they appear. In earliest spring remove the canes that fruited the previous year. For a fall crop, remove all the canes in early spring and allow a fresh batch to grow over the summer.