I was talking with a neighbor lady and told her we were picking abundant raspberries (in September), and she said, “What!! You’re getting raspberries now? What kind are they?”
I learned about the Heritage ever-bearing raspberry in a Miller Nursery catalog (Miller is now part of Stark Bros.). The catalog states,
“After 30 years, it still remains one of the most outstanding ever-bearing red raspberries on the market today. Heritage produces vigorous upright canes which do not require staking. The fruit is of superior quality. Berries are large, bright red, firm, and we at Miller’s recommend heritage for eating right out of the patch, freezing and/or jams and jellies. The summer crop matures here from July 1st and the fall crop begins ripening Sept. 1st and continues until frost. The fall crop is of exceptional quality, often better than the first.”
Basic Raspberry Facts
Raspberries are relatively easy to grow and with proper care can bear fruit for decades! Though raspberry bushes are naturally inclined to grow in cooler climates, the plants now come in many varieties suited to a range of planting zones.
The Heritage Ever-bearing raspberry bears a light summer crop and a much heavier fall crop.
Most raspberries are self-fertile, meaning you’ll get fruit with only one variety. They’re best pollinated by bees, and will start producing fruit a year after planting, so there is not much waiting for a crop!
All raspberries will need pruning annually. Raspberries are perennials, however it’s important to realize that their canes which bear the fruit live for only two summers. During the first year, the new green cane (primocane) grows vegetatively. The cane develops a brown bark, is dormant in winter, and during the second growing season is called a floricane. The floricane produces fruit in early to mid summer and then dies. New primocanes are produced each year, so fruit production continues year after year. It’s your job to prune out those dead canes each year.
Note: Since I really don’t like to prune, we decided to mow or bushhog them (or cut them down to 8″ with hand clippers) in mid-November once the last crop’s in. We do forfeit the next year’s early summer crop, however, we get HUGE amounts of raspberries from September 1st right up till frost!
Planting Raspberry Starts
- Raspberry plants can be purchased as dormant, bare-root plants or as potted plants. Plant bare-root transplants in the early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. Plant potted transplants in the spring after threat of frost has passed.
- Pick a site with full sun to produce the most fruit. The plant will grow in part shade, but harvests will be meager.
- Your site needs rich and well-drained soil, great air circulation and a bit of shelter. Avoid a wet area, as well as a windy spot, as raspberries do not like to stand in water nor be dried out with hot winds.
- Prepare soil with 2-3 inches of compost or aged manure a couple weeks before planting. (A good rate is about 2 ½ cubic feet of compost per 50 square feet.) Till or lightly work into the soil well before planting.
- Plant far from wild growing berries, otherwise risk the spread of pests and diseases to your garden.
- Before planting, soak the roots for an hour or two.
- Dig a hole that is roomy enough for the roots to spread.
- Whether you’re planting bare-root or potted plants, keep the crown of the plant 1 or 2 inches above the ground.
- Space red raspberry plants 3 feet apart.
- Heritage ever-bearing raspberries do not need a trellis or fence.
Well, I kind of went hog-wild, planting 12 starts 4 feet apart. It has been a challenge to keep them all picked, b/c they are heavily loaded with berries from September on. We have been inviting friends to come pick which does 2 things. It is a way to give back to friends, and it keeps the bushes cleaned of over ripe and decaying berries. This insures every berry you pick is of excellent quality!
For minimal to no weeding: Scatter out several bales of fresh straw thickly around the bases of the whole patch to keep out weeds and keep shoes free of mud when picking. You may NEVER weed if you straw heavily every several years. It also holds in moisture (and they need a good bit).
Below is our third year patch (of those original 12 plants) in late May. We cut it down to 8″ each preceding November, so there are no tangled vines to deal with and no sorting out what are old canes and new canes. That is a big relief to me!
We all enjoy time together picking berries for cobblers, raspberry sorbet and fresh out-of-hand eating!
Fresh from the raspberry patch and ready to be washed and frozen or made into jam. I think today I will just freeze them as it is getting late, and I need to get dinner ready for my crew!
Such a pretty emerald passenger! He must have liked my kitchen…he didn’t want to leave.
Just a little fun before getting to work. Meet Mr. Rasp Berry. He is my favorite redhead, and I think he said to tell you “Hello!”
When you grow your own red raspberries, you also have a natural supply of red raspberry leaves which are a powerful female herb useful for pregnancy and delivery as well as female balancing.
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Thanks for reading!
The Weekend Homesteader says
I love raspberries! I am working on my own raspberry bed at the moment. After this great testimonial, I’ll definitely keep this variety in mind.
Sarah Mendenhall says
Oh wow, you weren’t kidding about the abundance of berries! What a delicious blessing. I like how I recognize all of your “berry pickers” 🙂
amanda says
These sound so wonderful! I would love to get some. I just don’t seem to do a very good job gardening these days! 🙂
Blessings,
Amanda
Andrea says
What a beautiful bounty of berries! Mr. Berry is berry funny!
chubskulit says
Thanks for the invitation Jacqueline. Wow those looks sweet! Wish I could pick some myself hehehe.
Faythe @ GrammyMouseTails says
Those berries look so yummy! we have wild black berries around our yard, but they did poorly this year 🙁 I never get enough to freeze, but have fun munching and maybe adding to breakfast or a bowl of ice cream. I just got back from visiting my son and grandsons, so I rushed to get up my WW post, I hope it is inspiring, I thought it was when I snapped it! then I need to catch up on email… !
Barb S. says
Oh, Jackie, my mouth is watering! How wonderful!
Jen says
I have ever-bearing raspberries as well. This is the first full year of harvest and even though I only have one plant I find tons of berries each day that I go out and pick! This is one of my prized garden goodies (the other would have to be my sunflowers — now pretty dead and past their prime.) Thanks for visiting us at Real Food Freaks. We have a blog carnival on Fridays called Freaky Friday. Come and visit!
Amy says
Mmm – these raspberries look delicious! Your pictures remind me of picking raspberries all along my grandmother’s backyard when I was little.
Melissa says
Hi!! I am so fascinated by the idea of gardening but have never actually done it! I live in Colorado and have always assumed it would be too hard to grow anything here because of the harsh/dry weather. Do you know if these raspberries would grow well here? And is it too late in the year to plant them now? Thanks for all of your input and for your wonderful blog!
Jacqueline says
Melissa,
Call up your local county co-operative agent and ask if they think it’s possible. My gut tells me they will do fine, but if it is very dry, you will need to give them 1″ /week unless it rains. Mulching heavily with straw cuts down drastically on the watering. I don’t want to advise from the Midwest. I’d love to know what you find out…good luck!
Joelle says
Wow! This is so encouraging! I planted 5 raspberry plants last year (three of which are Heritage!) and it seems like it will take forever until we have this kind of harvest! I have find memories of picking raspberries at my grandparents house. They had a small patch that always yielded buckets! Your patch looks wonderful! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Jacqueline says
Joelle, I am so glad you invested in a few plants! I think you may even get a few handfuls this fall 🙂
Amanda says
I want to plant raspberry bushes!!…do cut them completely down in the Fall? And they grow back intk those beautiful bushes in the Spring? Would love fresh berries
Jacqueline says
Hi, Amanda. You can do it (cut down to 6-7″ stubs) in the fall or very early spring before much new growth occurs. I will do mine tomorrow if it is warmer… Have fun 🙂