What do rasberry plants need?

[Nathansdad]

What kind of soils and sunlight to rasberry plants prefer? I'd like to plant some this fall but don't want to waste my time if I don't have the right conditions.

[Borch]

Ours are planted in full sunlight in black dirt and they have been very productive. Once you get them started and they get established they will spread.

[Steve Bakken]

I've had them at every place I've ever lived. they're not too fussy. they like sun and some occasional fertilizer, but they'll survive about anywhere. We've even got them at the cabin up by Bemidji, and that's all sand up there. BTW, has anyone had any experiences with mowing them down in the fall? Seems like I heard somewhere that this is good for them.

[wishing for walleyes]

They really like to multiply.

[KEN W]

I've had them at every place I've ever lived. they're not too fussy. they like sun and some occasional fertilizer, but they'll survive about anywhere. We've even got them at the cabin up by Bemidji, and that's all sand up there. BTW, has anyone had any experiences with mowing them down in the fall? Seems like I heard somewhere that this is good for them.

Depends on if they are everbearers or not.If they are june bearing.....you would be cutting off next year's crop.What kind do you have?

June bearing have 1 crop in July.They are bi-annuals.Berries form on second year canes.

Everbearers have berries on the top half the first year and the bottom half of the cane the next summer.

I have Redwing from the U of M.They are everbearers.The new green canes have berries on the top half of the new green canes.Then next summer let them leaf out and cut off the tops that bore fruit the past year.Pick the fruit off the bottom half in July and cut off the old brown canes at grouind level.With these you get berries twice and are not overwhelmed.

[Rip_Some_Lip]

How fast do they spread? I transplanted several plants this summer and I think only 5 plants made it due to lack of water after they were cut before I got them. A few of them actually produced a few berries so I smeared them into the dirt with my foot in hopes that will start a few more.

[KEN W]

They will widen the row a foot or so each year.I always cut them off and keep them in a row that I can reach in from both sides.New green canes will continue to come up.Raspberries can become a tangled up briar patch if they aren't cut off after bearing fruit in July.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG3191.html

[BobT]

It depends.

I recently looked into this because my neighbor has agreed to let me get a start from his patch of tame berries and I thought it strange that they planted theirs out in the open. Growing up on the iron range I only saw wild berries in wetter soils along edges where they don't really see full sun all day. I did a little research and this is what I learned. Wild raspberries prefer morning sun and moist soil. Tame raspberries prefer open sun and better drainage. I also found some wild ones on my property and they were growing on the east side along the edge of my grove so they only get morning sun.

[Quetico]

I am really reluctant to plant raspberries around any sort of maintained landscape. They get aggressive and spread in to your lawn very quickly. Raspberries are tough to control.

[Nathansdad]

How many plants should a person put in for a good rasberry patch?

[BobT]

My neighbor started his tame patch five years ago with about a half-dozen stems. Today, they have to keep mowing it back to control the size to an area about 15' x 15'. They do seem to be very prolific. Can't wait to get my own patch going!

[solbes]

In the spring of '08 I planted strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and apple trees at our property up north (Walker, MN area). The apple trees got eaten by deer and the blueberries have not really taken off, despite being acidified. The 3 raspberry transplants (bare roots) have taken off very nicely. They had about 7 or 8 large shoots this spring, so we should have some nice raspberries next year. The year after I will be trying to contain. Strawberries have had tons of runners so I will have lots of those next year also. The apple trees are being replaced by Gurneys with their lifetime guarantee, which I am very appreciative of.