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Fresh raspberries are a delectable summertime garden treat. They are delicious in jams, cakes, custards, crepes, and many other mouth-watering culinary delights. Growing your own garden-fresh raspberries is enjoyable as well as economical.
There are many varieties of raspberries to consider growing. The website article entitled "Raspberries for the Backyard Fruit Planting", written by Gary Gao and published by The Ohio State University, provides the following information on several varieties of raspberries.
Black Hawk is a summer-bearing, late-season raspberry. This delicious variety produces average to large sized black fruits. Black Hawk is a hardy cultivar and a prolific bearer of fruit.
Brandywine is a good cultivar for homemade jam and jelly. This tart, purple variety produces an abundance of large, purple-red raspberries. Brandywine is a late-season raspberry that outgrows most black varieties.
Latham is a summer-bearing, mid-season red variety that withstands cooler temperatures. It produces a moderate size crop of small raspberries. Latham raspberries are beautifully colored and quite delicious.
Liberty is a summer-bearing, mid-season red raspberry. It produces fruits that are of average size. This cultivar is very productive, and the abundance of raspberries it produces freeze will for later use.
Royalty is a late, summer-bearing purple raspberry. This prolific grower produces sweet, tasty berries that are big and full of flavor. They are especially tasty fresh from the vine.
Redwing is an ever-bearing, mid-season red cultivar. This variety produces large fruits that are tender and rich with flavor. Redwing is considered a moderate producer.
Heritage is an ever-bearing, late-season red raspberry. This variety produces abundant crops of average size, firm raspberries. This raspberry has a rich red color, and it freezes well for later use.
Fall Gold is an ever-bearing, early yellow raspberry. This tasty variety produces moderately-sized crops of average sized, tender fruits. The flavor of Fall Gold is superb.
"Raspberries for the Backyard Fruit Planting" recommends planting raspberries in a well-draining, prepared location that is rich in organic material. The recommended pH level should be from 5.8 to 6.5. Also, raspberries require between six and eight hours of daily sunshine. The same article recommends planting early in the spring rather than in the fall. It goes on to provide the following recommendations for spacing raspberry plants in the garden. It says purple varieties should be in rows that are twelve feet apart with three feet between plants. Black raspberries require ten feet between rows and two and one half feet between plants. Yellow and red cultivars need ten feet between rows and two feet between individual plants. It is suggested that additional space is provided in fertile locations.
The website article "Refreshing Raspberries for Home Grown Goodness" written by Ronald C. Smith, Extension Horticulturist, and published by North Dakota State University, advises against planting raspberries in locations where tomatoes or potatoes have been grown. This is because raspberries may contract an infection known as verticillium wilt. Invasive weeds can also pose a problem, and weeds should be pulled on a regular basis. The same article says bindweed, quackgrass, and thistle, which are all considered invasive, should be removed from the area before planting.
The September 2000 addition of the newsletter "Plants & Pests", in the article entitled "Pruning and Propagating Raspberries", which was written by B. Rosie Lerner, Purdue Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist, provides the following information on pruning raspberries. It says the canes or stems of raspberry plants are considered biennial. This means the first year of growth is foliage, and the second year blooms and fruit are produced. The proper pruning of raspberries according to their type is important for the growth of healthy foliage and quality fruits.
Purple and black raspberry plants should be pruned after all of the berries have been picked. The fruit producing canes can be encouraged to branch out by snipping them off approximately three to four inches from the top down.
Yellow and red summer-bearing varieties need to have the fruit bearing stems cut off at ground level. This should be done when all of the summer berries have been picked. If a large autumn crop is desired, do not prune during the summer. When spring arrives, the raspberry canes should be mowed down to ground level.
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