How to Plant Raspberry Canes: Top 10 Essential Tips

I planted a stick.

Okay, it’s technically called a bare root raspberry “cane”, but I’m telling you it looked like yours truly paid $8.99 for a stick.

The tag, however, informed me that this cane was indeed going to produce pints of lush, red melt-in-your-mouth berries. So, I simply dug a hole, and the kids and I stuck the cane in the ground. I walked away as smug as could be thinking, ‘that was easy.’

Five years later: It was too easy. Since then I’ve learned there is a little more to planting raspberry canes.

Top 10 tips for planting raspberry canes and growing raspberries

1. Choose the right type of raspberry

From bright, eye-catching reds and sweet golden honey yellows to striking blue-blacks and plump luscious purples, there’s literally a rainbow of choices. If you’re like me, you will want to plant them all! Check out my simple guide to help you decide which of the raspberry types will best suit your unique needs and location.

2. Soak your cane before you plant

Soak your cane for a couple of hours before planting – especially if the roots seem dry. Place the roots in a bucket of water for a couple of hours (not more than six) to keep the roots from drying out while you prepare the planting hole.

3. Choose the right location

Raspberries don’t need the best soil (they will grow in most kinds) but avoid a wet area, as well as a windy spot, as raspberries do not like to stand in water nor dry out.

4. Warning – Raspberries spread

Now the directions on the tag of my original raspberry cane said you should plant red raspberries 3 feet apart in rows 8 feet apart. I scoffed a little at this thinking – my stick doesn’t need that much room.

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! Red raspberries do indeed spread – A LOT. Red raspberries spread away from the original planting site by sending up new canes called ‘suckers’ away from the original root crown. So don’t…ahem…put a red raspberry cane say, for a random example, as a border in the middle of your planned vegetable garden area. But who would be stupid enough to do that anyway?

So this was my original cane…

And this is my raspberry bush one year later.

In one year! I was amazed. Maybe you are too, but any real farmers out there are now rolling their eyes and laughing because I didn’t realize raspberries need to be pruned. (See tip #8.)

5. Give it light

Raspberries don’t need full sun (raspberries do just fine in partial shade) BUT you will get more raspberries if you plant them in full sun.

6. Compost

Spread a couple of inches of compost to the TOP of the soil after planting raspberry canes. This helps add nutrients to the soil and hopefully improves your raspberry yield.

7. Mulch it

The base of the raspberry should be mulched to insulate the roots during winter and keep the weeds away. Raspberries have shallow roots so weeding must be done carefully. Better to put down mulch.

8. Don’t forget to prune

Prune summer raspberries after fruiting by cutting out the old canes and leaving the new ones to grow on. Fall fruiting varieties are cut to the ground in early winter or as soon as they are done fruiting.

Pruning only takes a few minutes and increases your yield, but I didn’t do it. Hence the “wild” look of my bush. You may also notice that my raspberries are planted in front of a fence. How the heck did I think I was going to harvest the berries on the other side?

9. Regular watering is key

Get your raspberries off to a great start by watering them one inch per week from spring until after harvest.

10. Give support

I didn’t even know raspberries required support until I saw how tall they grew. Many varieties will actually grow as tall as you. A trellis or a fence can help hold up your canes and make picking much easier.

Raspberries are the easiest fruit to grow

Thankfully raspberries are very forgiving and despite all these errors, I was able to harvest a few pints of fresh raspberries. In fact, I’m told these are the easiest fruit to grow.

So, if you have any unused plot of ground that may be covered in grass that you hate mowing, planting raspberry canes is your answer. One year after planting, you’ll be harvesting delicious little red gems you can then use in the following pie recipe.

Unfortunately, I didn’t. A little raspberry goblin gobbled all the raspberries off my bush before they could even make it into the house.

Oh, you thought I meant one of the kids? No, it was me. Sadly, I had to buy raspberries. (Insert hanging head here.) But next year, after pruning my bush, I promise I’ll be making jam and pie with homegrown berries and hopefully you will too.

How do you choose the perfect raspberry cane?

From bright, eye-catching reds and sweet golden honey yellows to striking blue-blacks and plump luscious purples, there’s literally a rainbow of choices. If you’re like me, you will want to plant them all! Check out my simple guide to help you decide which of the raspberry types will best suit your unique needs and location.

Do you want to learn more about planting raspberry canes and growing raspberries?
Check out the book Homegrown Berries.

So, what do you think? Will you try growing raspberries?

Want more growing tips? Check out my previous posts:
– the easiest organic vegetables to grow
– how NOT to plant a fruit tree
– how to grow microgreens
– how to grow huge lemons indoors

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Pie

Crust:
See Grain Free Pecan Crust recipe

Filling:
2 12.3-ounce shelf-stable package firm silken tofu (you can also use the refrigerated tofu too, but it is easier with the silken)
2 1/2 cups 70% dark chocolate chips (dairy-free for those with allergies)
1 tsp coconut oil

Sauce:
3 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

Step one:

Melt 2 cups of chocolate chips with a teaspoon of coconut oil over low heat, stirring constantly.

Step two:

Puree the tofu with the melted chocolate in a blender until it has reached a smooth consistency. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. I use a Vitamix blender to handle this task and yet I still have to stop the blender every so often and give it a stir. Blend, stir and repeat several times until you get a fabulous creamy texture. Note: If you use the refrigerated tofu, you’ll need to add about a 1/4 cup of water.

Step three:

Chop the remaining chocolate chips and stir them in for a little crunch in your pie. As my daughter says, “it’s funner in the mouth”. And who doesn’t want to have a little party in their mouth?

Step four:

Once the pie crust has cooled, spread the chocolate tofu mixture on top of the crust. Then place the pie in the freezer for about an hour to set. Sometimes I’m too hungry and I eat the pie right away. In this case, use frozen raspberries. The warm pie and frozen sauce are the perfect combination. Simply puree the berries and scoop a dollop on top of your pie.

Step five:

If you have managed to keep the pie in the freezer for an hour, puree the raspberries to create a sauce and then warm over low heat. Pour a heaping spoonful over individual pie servings.

Enjoy!

So what did you think of the pie? Are you going to order a raspberry cane? I’d love to hear how you made out. Simply leave a comment below.

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