Raspberries for a fruit-filled summer

Abowl of sun-kissed raspberries, served with a dollop of clotted cream, is one of the delights of high summer. Thankfully, this soft fruit crop is relatively easy to grow, thriving on most soils, apart from those which are constantly wet or shallow and chalky. Now’s the ideal time to plant as most varieties are available bareroot, as well as pot-grown stock.

Raspberries are divided into categories based on the time that they fruit, which also determines how you manage and prune them. If you’ve space then you can select varieties from each fruiting period, namely early (late June-July), mid (early-mid July), late (mid JulyAugust) and autumn (mid AugustOctober), to provide continuity of supply, or just go for the period you prefer. In recent years, genetic dwarf varieties such as ‘Ruby Beauty’ have been developed that are ideal for small gardens, used in borders, as a low hedge or to grow in pots.

Choose a sunny or lightly shaded location for best results, ideally orientated north-south to avoid shading.

Prepare the ground by removing perennial weeds and digging in plenty of organic matter and adding a general balanced fertiliser.

Raspberry canes need support, so prepare a framework of stout galvanised wires set at 60cm (2ft) vertical intervals. You can also plant them through a landscape fabric to keep down weeds (see tip box 2). Position the canes at 45-60cm (1½-2ft) intervals, tie in the stems to the wires and water the plants in. Leave current canes to bear fruit later in the year.

Summer-fruiting types fruit on the previous year’s new growth so cut down stems of these varieties after harvesting, thinning to the strongest five in spring. Autumn varieties fruit on growth made the same year (primocane) so remove old stems in February as new growth emerges.