Locations for Growing Raspberries

Location and Soil

• Raspberries like fertile soil that is able to hold a moderate amount of water, but the soil needs to drain well. Avoid planting them in locations where rain collects. Waterlogged soil can slowly kill the plants by depriving their roots of oxygen and encouraging fungal diseases; flooding can suffocate raspberry roots in as little as 24 hours. To improve the ability of the soil to hold air and water and help it drain, mix in 2 to 3 cubic yards of manure or rotted compost to each 100 square feet of soil the summer or fall before you plant your raspberries. If you have heavy clay soil, amend the soil with manure or compost and plant them on a raised bed 6 to 10 inches high.

Location and Climate

• Although they can tolerate some shade, raspberries grow best in full sun. If you live in a colder part of the raspberry growing range, locate your plants to protect them from severe cold. Cold air often collects in pockets at the bottom of hills. If you can, plant them on a gentle slope. This lets cold air drain down the slope and away from the plants. If you plant them on top of a hill, wind can damage them.

Locating Rows

• Raspberries grow suckers from their roots. If you don’t control these suckers, they will spread and weeds will grow among them. The more profuse the suckers, the harder the weeds are to control. Locate your rows of raspberries so you can easily till on both sides of the plants to eliminate suckers and the problems associated with them.

Locations to Avoid

• Do not plant raspberries where other cane berries, eggplants, peppers, petunias, potatoes or tomatoes have grown in the previous three years. These plants all have some diseases in common with raspberries. To reduce the chances of your raspberries contacting viral diseases, plant them at least 300 feet from wild blackberries or other cultivated cane berries.