
Raspberry
Raspberry: plant 50 cm (20 in) apart in the row and 150 cm (59 in) between rows, 1 plant per 3 squares. Good neighbours: Chives, Garlic, Marigold.
Key facts
| Spacing in the row | 50 cm (20 in) |
|---|---|
| Between rows | 150 cm (59 in) |
| In a 30 cm (1 ft) square | 1 plant per 3 squares |
| Sun | Part sun, 4–6 hours a day |
| Root depth | 40 cm (16 in) |
| Height when grown | 160 cm (63 in) |
| Crop rotation group | Herbs, flowers and perennials |
| Support | Climbs: give it a trellis or teepee |
Planting
| How it is started | From a bought plant |
|---|---|
| When to plant | Outdoors before the last frost; soil at least 8 °C |
Care
| Takes transplanting | Only with care, keep the root ball |
|---|---|
| Hardening off | 10–14 days |
| Life cycle | Perennial |
| Cold tolerance | Takes a light frost → hardy, takes hard frost |
| Soil | Rich, with compost, free draining, pH 6–6.5 |
| In a pot | 30 L, 40 cm (15.7 in) |
| Watering | Water when the soil is dry two fingers down; at flowering, while fruit sets |
| Feeding | Moderate; in spring, after harvest |
| Support and training | Wires or a frame; prune, tie in as it grows |
Harvest and planning
| Days to first harvest | 1–2 years, from planting |
|---|---|
| Ready when | The fruit has its full colour |
| Harvest window | Picked again and again, 4–8 weeks |
| Typical yield | 1–2 kg per plant |
| Botanical family | Rosaceae |
| Watch out for | Cane blight, birds, grey mould |
| First crop after | 1–2 years |
| Pollination | Fruits on its own |
Good neighbours
◐ good with a condition · Why, with the sources →
Plan Raspberry in your garden
Open the free planner, drop Raspberry onto a bed and see how many plants fit.
Start Planning Your GardenSowing and harvest
| Plant out | Oct–Nov |
|---|---|
| Harvest | Jul–Sep |
My dates for this crop
Give the date once and this page, the sowing calendar and the planner all follow it.
- Not recommended
- Marginal
- Conditional
- Favourable
Months for a temperate climate: about a month later in the north and a month earlier in the south. Give your own last frost date for exact dates.
From the same family
Plants of the Rosaceae family share diseases and pests, so they follow each other in the rotation only after a break.
Grown much the same way
Crops that need about the same room and care, from another family.
Sources
The values on this page marked as checked come from these sources: spacing, sowing depth, germination, soil, timing and safety notes, each against the source named here.
- Cornell Guide to Growing Fruit at Home — Cornell Cooperative Extension for: soil; checked 2026-10-31
- Growing Backyard Fruits — University of Illinois Extension for: soil; checked 2026-10-31