Not only are raspberries delicious and healthy, but you can also grow them in your backyard so you can enjoy fresh in season raspberries. And because they freeze for up to a year, you can enjoy them any time during the year. Here are some tips for growing raspberries.

Ideal Condition: Raspberries thrive in a cool summer, cold winter, and rainfall during growing season.

Varieties:
• Bababerry – everbearing red raspberries, needs a little winter chill, withstands heat well.
• Cumberland – large black raspberries
• Fallgold – everbearing yellow raspberries
• Heritage – everbearing red, small raspberries
• Jewel – large black raspberries, crop comes earlier than usual, disease resistant
• Latham – summer-bearing red raspberries, crops comes later than usual, cold hardy

Plant Site: Choose a sunny area with good air circulation. Soil should be rich and well drained and enjoy some afternoon shade.

Support: These keep the raspberry canes supported while growing. They should be 5 feet tall. You can use either 2 wires or 4 wires from support to support. If you use 2 then you will need to tie the canes to the wire.

Planting:
• Bare-root plants should be planted in early spring. Container grown can be planted at any time except for in the summer heat.
• Plant in slightly raise mounds 2-3 feet apart in rows 6-10 feet apart.
• As canes grow, cut them to 5 or 6 inches tall.
• Remove canes that grow more than 1 foot away from the supports or rows.
• Cut withering canes 6 inches below their dying tips to prevent disease.
• Keep soil moist and fertilized. Remove weeds regularly.

Pruning:
• Canes grow to full size in the first year and bear fruit in the second year. Do not prune in the first year.
• Prune early during the second spring to 5 – 5 ½ feet. Cut more for week or dying canes.
• After harvesting the raspberries, cut the canes to the ground. The one that did not bear fruit will bear fruit next season so do not prune.

Harvest: Pull ripe berries gently. They should come off easily.