Raspberries sing out "summertime!" as soon as you pop one in your mouth. Just the thought of enjoying a bowl of fresh raspberries straight from the garden is enough motivation to plant and cultivate these delicate, sweet gems.

But raspberries are also considered a super-food, as they are high in fiber and contain vitamin A, folate, antioxidants, and numerous minerals. Their juice is a rich source of vitamin C, and even their little seeds contain nutrient-rich vitamin E. In fact, preliminary medical research suggests potential health protection against several human diseases with a likely benefit of regularly consuming raspberries against inflammation, pain, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, allergies, age-related cognitive decline and degeneration of eyesight with aging.

Raspberries are also really easy to grow--in fact, your biggest challenge may be to keep your patch from growing too large, as raspberries will produce many new canes each spring (just weed out anything you don't want or need). Finally, raspberry flowers can be a major source of nectar for honeybees and other pollinators, a vital key to keeping any garden healthy and happy.

Growing raspberries successfully takes carefully choosing a variety suitable to your area, adopting a stable trellis system for the berries each year, and proper attention to their growing needs (water, drainage and feeding). With a good foundation in place, you'll enjoy your raspberry patch for many years.

Rasperries bear fruit on two-year-old wood, except for the ever-bearing raspberries that also fruit on first year growth. These are also called two crop raspberries because they bear a late summer or fall crop on the first year growth and a second crop the following spring on the two-year-old wood.

Different types of wood? What's that all about? Ok, it may help clear up a lot of confusion about raspberry culture if one remembers that after flowering and fruiting, any cane that bore fruit dies back to the crown. All the new growth will rise out from primary buds just below the soil line. In fact, after you've picked all the fruit off of the cane, it's advisable to cut back that cane, to limit pests and diseases that may afflict the plant while it is dormant.

Now here's the good news: raspberries will thrive in most locations and soil types, but good drainage is desirable with most varieties--just give them some room to ramble because they do like to spread out. In fact, raspberries tolerate very cold temperatures much better than blackberries, in terms of cold-hardiness. If you are not blessed with rich, deep soil that drains well year-round you can build a raised bed, filling it with a mixture of good garden soil and about one-fifth sand, peat, and well-rotted manure. If you have acidic soil, you will also need to amend it to increase alkalinity, because raspberries prefer a soil pH of around 6.0. (If you are unsure, our helpful garden pros can help you determine your soil pH and how to adjust it.)

The optimum time to plant raspberries is in spring after the danger of frost has passed, which is happily the best time to find plants, though you can transplant healthy raspberry plants anytime throughout the summer. Spring plants will establish better, however, and may give you a small crop their first summer.

Most berries like being fed at blooming time, with a follow-up feeding in early fall after the plants have finished fruiting. Just use a well-balanced fruit food. They prefer staying moist in summer, and should be watered regularly if rainfall is insufficient. If you are using a raised bed, this will hold water while still allowing for proper drainage. A good rule of thumb is "damp in summer--dry in winter."

The new canes that grow out each spring will not bear fruit until the following summer when they are two years old. After harvest, the two-year-old fruiting canes will start to die back and should be removed as close to the ground as possible without injuring the new canes.

Most raspberry growers use some supportive structure for their patch. Substantial trellises or pergolas made of wrought iron or sturdy wood are popular choices, but anything that can bear the (surprising) weight of the fruit that grows at the end of the canes is all that is needed. The simplest approach is planting canes against a fence or wall that receives lots of sunlight, using strings or 16 gague wire tied to staples at either end of the row to hold the canes up off of the ground. In mild climates, berries can be trained to stakes or trellises in late summer or early fall, after the fruiting canes have been removed. In colder climates, the canes should be left on the ground over winter--making them less likely to be damaged by cold--and trained to the trellis after their spring pruning. The ideal time to "spring train" is after the danger of freezing weather and before the leaf buds begin expanding.

We have many raspberry plants in stock now, which grow well in our area. Raspberries are healthy to eat, easy to grow, and they taste delicious....what are you waiting for? We have all the tools and materials you need to plant your own raspberry patch so you can enjoy the taste of summer in your own backyard.

Spring is the time to fertilize your permanent plantings. Most ornamental trees, bushes, lawns and ground covers will respond well to fertilizer right now. In good years, abundant spring rains green up the hillsides and bring out wildflowers, gardeners don't have to water as much, and salts are leached out of our soils. On the other hand, heavy rains also wash soluble nutrients, especially nitrogen, down to lower levels--sometimes out of reach of roots. In that case, fertilize the basic landscape with a complete granulated fertilizer high in nitrogen. If you have a straggly ground cover that's never quite covered the ground, a sprinkling of granulated fertilizer as soon as the weather warms will do wonders. Water it in thoroughly or apply it when the weatherman says that it's going to rain.

This doesn't mean you should simply fertilize everything in sight. Many plants fall into the broad category of specialty plants because they require special handling. Some specialty plants, including cacti, succulents, and native plants, have little or no need for fertilizer. Others, like azaleas, ferns, roses, fruit trees, and vegetables have unique requirements. Ask one of our knowledgeable garden center experts about the best amendments for your own garden's individual needs.

There are other exceptions, too. Old overgrown gardens in rich soil sometimes become virtual jungles, feeding on their own refuse. To fertilize a garden when there's no sign of nitrogen deficiency--like stunted growth, yellow leaves, or disease--may simply contribute to more growth. Growth requires constant pruning, and once invasive plants have become established, you will wish you had never planted them at all. Feeding them would make their growth even more unrestrained.

Plant new permanent specimens. Spring is one of only two optimal planting times each year, when gardeners plant almost anything grown in the permanent landscape, such as trees, shrubs, vines, and ground covers. The other is autumn. Planting in fall is traditionally considered to be just a bit better than planting in spring, but after a year or two you'll never know the difference. Now through early summer is the time to look your garden over: objectively look at its strengths and weaknesses; replace troublemakers you don't like; and add permanent specimens where needed. Choose drought-tolerant plants over heavy water users if you can, and be sure to group plants according to their needs for water, sun shade, and soil type. Before purchasing any plant, research its requirements and growth habits.

We would be happy to help you select the best plants, amendments, and fertilizers for your specific landscape. You'll be on your way to building a better garden this year!

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Our 100% natural, completely organic peat-based formula includes Alfalfa Meal, Worm Castings, Kelp Meal, and Bat Guano. The extra absorbent, fine-textured blend keeps tender roots moist and aerated between waterings. And it's abundant essential plant nutrients promote quick growth and long-lasting health for all types of container plants.

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