Soil Requirements for a Raspberry Plant Transplant

Drainage

• Raspberry plants require plenty of moisture in order to do well. When transplanting them, the soil should be well-watered ahead of time. At the same time, the soil must be able to drain well so that the plants don't sit in water, since this can cause root rot and will kill the plants. Both heavy clay and sandy soils should be avoided. Heavy soils do not drain well enough, and light soils do not retain adequate moisture.

Fertilizer

• The soil for raspberry plant transplants should be well-fertilized prior to planting. Well-aged compost mixed into the soil helps both the drainage and soil fertility. A commercial fertilizer, such as 12-12-12, also can be used. If the soil is not fertilized prior to the raspberries being planted, fertilizer can be added after the canes have been in the ground about two weeks. Fertilizer can be added to the soil around each plant but should not be placed closer than 3 inches to the plants.

Weeds

• The soil should be free of all weeds, since these will compete with the new transplants and may cause them to fail. Weeds must be removed prior to planting, preferably by tilling or hoeing. The soil has to be kept free of weeds through continued removal of all unwanted plants. Planting cover crops, such as rye grass, and using mulch around the plants help to stop weeds from growing. An appropriate herbicide can sometimes be used as a last resort.

Soil Organisms

• Raspberry transplants should not be planted in soil that has had potatoes, strawberries, tomatoes, eggplant or peppers in the previous three to five years. All of these are susceptible to verticillium wilt, and this disease may be lurking in the soil, waiting for an acceptable host. Raspberries can get this disease from the soil for years after all infected plants have been removed, so it is important to be sure that the soil is disease-free before planting. Waiting several years gives the organisms a chance to die off so that the new plants won't become infected.