How To Care for Raspberries

Raspberry plants like full sunlight. Plant raspberry canes in early spring or late fall, spacing them about 2-3 feet apart in rows. Mulch around the plants to retain moisture and suppress weeds. Everbearing raspberry canes will live for 2 years. In year one, they are called primocanes, and they will produce berries in the fall. In year two, they are called floricanes, and will produce 2 crops of berries in late spring and fall. After the 2nd crop in year 2, you should prune floricanes away as they will die back and turn brown. The root of the plant will continually sprout new primocanes each year, and will send out underground runners to grow new primocanes away from the main plant.The canes will tend to grow tall and then bend over from the weight of the berries. In order to keep your raspberry patch contained and easier to pick, you can trim primocanes to a height of 2-3 feet in October/November after their first crop.