How to Plant Raspberry and Blackberry Bushes

Bush fruits such as raspberries and blackberries are popular for their hardiness and low maintenance. Both produce a lot of fruit, and that fruit can be used in many different ways. Both kinds of berries are wonderful fresh from the bush, good for baking and excellent for preserving as jams or jellies. If you live in an area suited for growing raspberry or blackberry bushes--generally, USDA hardiness zone 2 or higher--a well-planted and cared for group of bushes can produce berries for up to a decade.

Spade or trowel
Hay or mulch
Berry plants

Instructions

- 1
  Select a proper planting area. Raspberry and blackberry bushes need at least eight hours of sunlight daily and grow best in slightly acid, well-drained soil. Also, your berry bushes should be planted at least 300 feet away from any wild berry plants.
- 2
  Decide when to plant your bushes. Spring planting is generally best for raspberries and blackberries, unless you live in the far southern U.S. Fall planting works well in those areas.
- 3
  Visit a local nursery to find bush varieties that are suitable for your climate and soil conditions.
- 4
  Prepare your planting area by cultivating the soil and removing grass or weeds.
- 5
  Dig a 4-inch-deep hole for each plant. Plants should be spaced 3 feet apart. If you're planting more than one row of bushes, the rows should be 5 to 8 feet apart.
- 6
  Set your plants into the holes with the top of their roots slightly below soil level. Cover the roots with soil and pack it down gently, then fill the rest of the hole with loose soil.
- 7
  Cover the ground around the plantings with straw or mulch to reduce weed growth, and keep the plants well-watered and fertilized while they're getting established.

Plants That Bear Fruit in the First Year

About Variegated Barberry Bushes

Growing Berries