Raspberries: 10 Tips

Known as aggregate fruits because each berry is made up of groups of smaller seed-containing fruits, called drupelets, around a hollow center, raspberries are among one of our favorite flavors in the garden.

1. The raspberry’s scientific name Rubus idaeus means "with red fruit." The rasperry is a member of the rose family.
   
   
2. Raspberries can be cultivated from hardiness zones 3 to 9; they prefer full sun.
   
   
3. Since around 4 A.D., the leaves of raspberries were made into teas and various parts of the plant were used for throat gargles, morning sickness remedies, digestive cures and the like. Today, new research suggests that eating red raspberries may prevent cancer, according to Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission.
   
   
4. One cup of raspberries, according to USDA nutrition data, boasts daily values of more than 50 percent Vitamin C, 12 percent Vitamin K and nearly 10% Folate and Magnesium, among many other vitamins and minerals. One cup also contains 32 percent of your DV dietary fiber. (Don't forget to try this recipe for raspberry streusel squares.)
   
   
5. Some raspberries are heartier than others. In general, red raspberries are the hardiest type, followed by purple raspberries, black raspberries and blackberries, says the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.
   
   
6. Planting Caution: Do not plant raspberries where tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, or eggplant have been grown within the past four years, because these crops carry a root rot called Verticillium that can also attack raspberries, says the University of Maine.
   
   
7. Raspberries may also be classified as summerbearing or everbearing, says the Ohio State University Extension Office. Summerbearing cultivars produce one crop in the early summer, while everbearing cultivars can produce up to two crops a year, one crop being produced in the spring and the second crop in the fall.
   
   
8. Consider trellising your raspberries. Even with a few raspberry plants, if you use a trellis, you may get higher yields because longer canes can be grown, reports Oregon State University, which offers some raspberry trellising tips on this page. Find more trellising tips>>
   
   
9. Raspberries in raised beds? According to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, you can give it a try. It says raised beds are recommended if soils are wet or heavy. Raspberries may be short-lived on sites with poor soil drainage. A typical raised bed should be 10 to 12 inches high and 4 to 6 feet wide at the base, though this may be adjusted for your own particular site and soil conditions. Soil temperatures in raised beds may exceed the optimal and should be monitored. Light irrigation of the soil can keep soil temperature down.
   
   
10. Dave’s Garden website advices the following for propagating raspberries:
    
    • By dividing the rootball
    • By dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs (including offsets)
    • From herbaceous stem cuttings.