Call 800.287.0274 (in Maine), or 207.581.3188, for information on publications and program offerings from University of Maine Cooperative Extension, or visit extension.umaine.edu. I find the simplest of all soft fruit to grow are autumn-fruiting raspberries. If only a fall crop is desired, cut all canes off at the base before growth begins in spring. Applications of barnyard manure or compost and repeated tilling for a full season can be substituted for cover cropping. A good rate is about 3 1/2 cubic feet of compost per 100 square feet. They're rather large (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long), iridescent green and bronze, with a row of little white tufts along their sides. VIDEO: Different Varieties of Raspberries, Part 1 (YouTube), VIDEO: Different Varieties of Raspberries, Part 2 (YouTube). Medium-large fruit, prone to crumbling, with fair flavor. He recommended using a simple potting mix, ma… Before growth begins the following spring, cut back all side branches so they are 12 to 18 inches long. © Resistant to most cane diseases. Organic fertilizer sources such as compost, manures, sul-po-mag, and rock phosphate may be used in place of synthetic fertilizers. Disease resistant. This encourages the canes to form side branches, or laterals, which will bear the fruit in the following year. Very hardy. Leaving dead canes in the planting will encourage the spread of diseases. All types of raspberries require support to prevent the canes from wind damage, bending over, cracking, and getting out of control. Today, a new generation of modern berries is on the scene. Floricanes are woody and brown; they are the second-year growth. Small in size, but big on flavor, they'll even grow in pots on balconies. Heat tolerant. Vigorous, erect plants. Sturdy, vigorous, nearly thornless upright plants produce a late season crop of large, sweet, firm berries. Success: Mid-to-late ripening. It’s easy to tell first-year canes from second-year canes. A chicken wire fence will help prevent rabbit damage. Do not plant raspberries where tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, or eggplant have been grown within the past four years, because these crops carry a root rot called Verticillium that can also attack raspberries. March— For red and yellow raspberries, cut canes back to 4-5 feet tall before growth begins. Viruses can be readily transmitted into a planting through infected plants, and there is no way to cure the plants once they are infected. The more bees working your plants, the more fruit you will harvest. It's important to keep the canes controlled and supported to prevent this. Do not plant raspberries where tomatoes, potatoes, peppers… Bumblebees, honeybees, and other wild bees are excellent pollinators of brambles. Very good for freezing. Prelude: Very early ripening, good quality fruit on vigorous canes. Good air movement helps leaves dry faster, which reduces disease problems. It’s worth marking the fruiting canes during the summer so you can distinguish between these and the new season's canes (new season's canes are lush and green). In New England, we want varieties that will mature their crop before the first fall frost, Handley pointed out – eliminating some popular everbearers. A couple inches of compost mixed into the soil prior to planting will create a high quality planting site. High yielding. Check leaves for raspberry sawfly. It is best to split the application, applying half of the recommended amount in mid-April and the second half four to six weeks later. Prune your plants regularly to promote healthy new growth and reduce the spread of diseases. Winter injury can also occur after winters when the temperature fluctuates between mild and extremely cold. Pruning of fall-bearers may be adjusted to allow for both a fall and following summer crop, or to take just the fall crop. Diseases can be limited by planting certified disease-free plants, destroying wild or abandoned brambles near the garden, and removing weak and diseased plants in established plantings. Choose a planting site that is in full sun. The white drupelets will be flavorless, but there is no harm in eating them. In his presentation entitled "Raising Cane: Winter Raspberries for Northern Climate", Dr. Pritts introduced a system for planting tissue-cultured, summer-fruiting raspberries in 1-gallon pots. Again, remove canes that have emerged outside of the desired 12- to 18-inch row width. The planting site needs rich and well-drained soil, great air circulation, and shelter from wind. Since floricanes die in the middle of summer, yellow and dying leaves on floricanes after June is considered normal, but yellow leaves on primocanes may indicate a problem. High yielding, large, round, reddish purple fruit that is soft, with good flavor. Looking after the crop. See Pest management for the home raspberry patch (PDF) for detailed information on insects and diseases that affect raspberries in Minnesota. Red and yellow raspberries produce many new canes from the base of the floricanes and from buds produced on the roots that become underground stems or stolons. The plants will fruit on new growth. Heat can also cause berries to ripen faster than you can pick them, which can attract insects. Raspberries are ready to pick when they easily separate from the receptacle or core. Remove all canes that fruited following the harvest. Simply mow all the canes down early each spring. Firm the soil around the roots and water the plants. Large, bright red, super-sweet berries on vigorous, upright canes. For specific pest identification and management techniques, contact your University of Maine Cooperative Extension County Office. After the last harvest, cut all canes that have produced fruit to ground level and remove them. Raspberries should be fertilized each year in the early spring (mid-April). University of Maine, 5741 Libby Hall, Room 103, 4-H Camp & Learning Center at Bryant Pond, 4-H Camp & Learning Center at Greenland Point, 4-H Camp & Learning Centers at Tanglewood & Blueberry Cove, Insect Pests, Plant Diseases & Pesticide Safety, Affiliated Programs, Partners & Resources, Non-Discrimination Statement & Disability Resources, Register for Workshops, Classes, & Events, University of Maine Cooperative Extension County Office, VIDEO: Different Varieties of Raspberries, Part 1 (YouTube), VIDEO: Different Varieties of Raspberries, Part 2 (YouTube). Place traps for spotted wing Drosophila and check the traps regularly throughout the growing season. Try not to wrap the roots around in the hole. Raspberries grown in Minnesota have relatively few insect pests and diseases. Do not mow summer-bearing canes if a crop is desired that summer. If gray mold has been a problem in past years, and weather is favorable for disease development, spray fungicides on fall-bearing raspberries during bloom. Second-year canes die shortly after fruiting. Purchase disease-free plants from a reputable nursery. Raspberries can be grown successfully in most areas of Minnesota. In the late winter or early spring, before the buds break, remove all of the old canes that fruited the previous year. Black and most purple raspberries produce primocanes only from the buds at the base of the floricanes. Find more of our publications and books at extensionpubs.umext.maine.edu. Prune and remove any infested canes. Red raspberries are readily adaptable throughout New England, but black and purple raspberries and blackberries lack the hardiness to be grown north of well-sheltered sites in southern Maine and New Hampshire. After fruiting, cut all canes that have carried fruit down to soil level. Trellises also make pruning simpler by encouraging new cane growth in the middle of the row, rather than just along the outside edges. Only the most vigorous canes, those with the greatest height and basal diameter, should be left in the row.