Raspberries prefer growing in cooler climates, making them a popular small fruit crop, among many local gardeners. There is no comparison to the taste of eating a fresh, locally grown raspberry to other raspberries that can be purchased in stores. Raspberries are a fragile fruit and do not transport very well, which is why growing your own raspberries is certainly worthwhile.

Raspberries can be grown very successfully in the Prince George area, if given the right conditions and planting varieties that are hardy for our area (zone 3 or lower). Always plant good quality, certified, disease free plants as you want to start off with healthy plants.

Raspberries grow best in a sunny location. They like a well drained soil, high in organic matter such as peat moss or aged manure, and it should be slightly acidic with a pH of 5.8-6.5. Before planting the raspberry canes make sure that the area is clean of all perennial and annual weeds as raspberry plants can last and produce for many years. Some gardeners prepare the area a year in advance, keeping it weed free, if the area has a lot of weeds. Raspberries are planted in rows 3-4 meters apart with the canes spaced 50-100 cm apart. When planting the canes, keep the roots moist as they dry out very quickly, so keep the roots wrapped in burlap if they are not being planted immediately. Plant the canes to the same depth or slightly deeper as they were in the container, and then water them in immediately. To promote early root development and encourage good cane growth cut the canes back to 13-15 cm. Keep the soil evenly moist until the plants have become established. Supports can be made by placing poles down the middle of the row and running a wire on either side of it to help keep the canes in place and help prevent fruit from touching the ground. This should be done before you plant the raspberries. Newly planted raspberry plants should be left alone for the first year so that they can become established. First year canes will only produce leaves and feed the roots.

To keep plants healthy, cultivate the soil around the canes to keep weeds down, improve soil aerations and control the width of the row. You don’t want the rows to become too wide as this will make it harder to pick the berries and will reduce air circulation around the plants. From the time the plants are in bloom till the berries are harvested it is very important to keep the plants well watered. Insufficient soil moisture will reduce the fruit yield and because raspberries have a shallow root system it is important during dry spells, to give the plants 2-3 cm of water per week during the ripening time. Don’t keep the soil too soggy as this can cause the roots to rot which will result in the plant dying.

Raspberry fruit is ripe and ready to pick when the fruit has reached its mature size, has good colour and is easily removed from the receptacle. The receptacle (centre part) should be left on the plant which is why the picked fruit has a hole in it.

By the third year after planting the raspberry canes, the canes should be producing lots of fruit. Raspberries have a good perennial root system and biennial canes. In the first year the new shoots come up and complete their physical growth, only growing leaves, then go dormant through the winter months. These are the canes that will produce the fruit next season and then die. The old fruit bearing canes from the previous season are removed the following spring, along with any weak or spindly canes, leaving only 7-10 of the strongest canes to grow.

Raspberry varieties that are available and grow well in our area include:

Boyne: Originated in Manitoba in the 1960’s it has proven itself over the years. It is an early season variety and is very productive. The canes are tall and spiny and the plant produces lots of suckers. The flavourful fruit is dark, slightly soft, and has a soft skin. It a a good berry for canning and freezing.

Heritage: Late season, ever bearing variety, that produces large yields with a smaller summer crop and a larger fall crop. The brightly coloured, firm, fruit has good flavour and is ideal for freezing. The canes are tall, rugged, with prominent thorns.

Fall Gold: Very similar growth habits to Heritage except it produces yellow/gold raspberry fruit.

–Jos

Jos van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Home and Garden centres in Prince George:

• Highway 16  West at Kimball Road
• Highway 97 North at  Northwood Pulpmill Road