Growing raspberries successfully along the Front Range is a matter of providing the right growing culture. This includes choosing varieties that are suitable for our climate, selecting a spot in full sun and amending the planting site soil with organic material. Whether you choose summer bearing or fall bearing, raspberries are a good choice for your edible garden. Raspberry varieties that will do well in our climate include:
‘Latham’ (Rubus idaeus), a summer bearing red raspberry (floricane).
‘Nova’ (Rubus idaeus) a hardy, midseason summer red raspberry. Blooms on second year canes (floricane).
‘Fall Gold’ (Rubus idaeus), an everbearing yellow raspberry, produces its best crop in late summer into fall.
For prolonged harvest, consider planting a mix of summer and fall bearing varieties.
Raspberries are members of the Rose family. They are often called caneberries, because they fruit on woody stems called canes. The roots of raspberry plants are perennial, but the canes have a life cycle of two years. The first-year cane is called a primocane and consists mainly of vegetation, though some varieties such as Fall Gold will bloom on primocanes. Floricanes appear in the second year of the cycle. Floricanes will produce fruit before they die back in the fall. Once established, raspberries will have both primocanes and floricanes, during the season. For most varieties planted now, there will be no harvest as all the canes will be primocanes. The second year, a new set of primocanes will emerge and the floricanes will produce berries.
You can plant raspberries anytime you're transplanting container-grown plants with well-established root systems, such as this one. Avoid planting during the hottest part of the day. It’s better to plant in the evening or on a cloudy day. Choose a spot in the garden that receives full sun and is sheltered from strong winds. Avoid planting where potatoes, peppers and tomatoes have grown in the last three years. These crops may have been infected with insects and diseases that can affect raspberries.
Prepare the soil with locally produced amendments such as Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost. This will improve soil structure and help lower pH. Remove the raspberry plant from its container and position it at the same level it was in the container. Backfill with amended soil, creating a basin to retain water around the plant.
Fertilize raspberries at planting time with organic Happy Frog Fruit and Flower. Feed again one month later. In subsequent seasons, feed in spring and again in one month and two months. Water thoroughly, then apply two to three inches of natural mulch to help retain moisture. Mountain Magic Soil Pep is a good choice.
Pruning raspberries is an important part of the growing, fruiting process. Without pruning, you’ll see a reduction in the amount of fruit produced. Summer-bearing raspberries bloom on canes that grew the season before (floricanes) or old wood. Canes need to overwinter to produce a crop. They should be pruned right after they fruit. Late summer and fall fruiting raspberries bear on the current season’s growth (primocanes). Primocanes are pruned in late fall or early spring. A fresh set of canes will emerge in the spring. Remove weak, damaged and diseased canes at any time.
All varieties of raspberries will benefit from some type of support system. An existing fence or a post and wire trellis will work. Set two to three post spaced along the length of the raspberry bed and string two or three levels of wire or garden twine between them. Tie off canes individually to the horizontal wires or garden twine. This will keep canes upright and fruit off the ground as well as facilitate harvesting and maintenance.
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