Planting Raspberries and Other Soft Fruit Bushes

7th February 2010, by Dan Walford

There’s still time to plant bare rooted fruit trees and soft fruit bushes whenever the soil is not frozen solid.

Raspberries are attractive and prolific and if protected from bird damage will provide a good crop that freezes well. You can, find summer fruiting varieties such as ‘Malling Admiral’, autumn fruiting varieties such as ‘Autumn Bliss’ and some new varieties such as ‘Galante’ that will fruit in the autumn on new canes that will provide another early-season crop the following year.

Raspberries will crop for 10 to 15 years without needing replacement, so you will need to prepare the soil well before planting.

A rich moisture-holding soil is vital for success so incorporate plenty of organic matter using a soil conditioner, compost or manure. This will help the canes produce a good well-flavoured crop. As these plants are shallow rooted, dig all organic material into the top 30 cm (1ft) of soil and give a base dressing of fruit and vegetable plant food before planting. Don’t plant too deeply, but use the old soil mark on each cane as a guide to get a similar soil level in its new home.

To ensure your new canes are firmly supported, you will need to install some posts at each end of the row and strain some wire tautly between them. It’s a simple job to keep your raspberries tidy by tying each new cane to the wires at suitable intervals.

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