7 points that matter when buying a raspberry plant

How about a small orchard on your balcony or terrace? Raspberries also grow great outdoors, but they also feel at home as container plants. The juicy-sweet fruits are just waiting to be picked.

We present 7 points that matter when you want to buy a raspberry plant.

can you provide a suitable location for the raspberry?

Raspberry grows both outdoors and in sufficiently large pots. In a sunny location, the fruits become particularly aromatic and sweet. However, the raspberry also feels comfortable in a bright, but rather half-shaded location. A wind-protected location keeps more heat and is especially pleasant for the plant.

Outdoors you can plant it alone, but also very nicely in a group or in rows with other raspberries. In the pot it should stand alone, so that the roots have enough space.

 
Is the raspberry suitable as a houseplant?

Raspberries need bees, bumblebees or other insects for pollination. Without pollination, the flowers will not be fertilized – and no fruit will develop. As is almost always the case in the garden, the larger and more diverse the insect party, the larger and more numerous the fruits will ripen. So, unfortunately, you can’t grow a raspberry plant indoors.

 
How much space does a raspberry plant need?

That depends on what kind of variety you buy. There are rather small varieties that have been bred especially for keeping in tubs. But also normal sized varieties like our raspberry Heidi grow in a pot – it just has to be a bit bigger. You can start with a newly purchased plant with a pot that holds a good 25 liters of soil. This is the case, for example, with a pot with a diameter of 35 cm and a height of about 30 cm. Every few years, repot the raspberry plant into a larger pot. Allow it plenty of space and slowly increase to a soil volume of about 40 liters. A pot with a diameter of 40 cm and a height of 35 cm holds about 40 liters. This is how much space you will need on your balcony or terrace after a few raspberry years.

In the open ground, the raspberry will not be transplanted once it is established and therefore needs sufficient distance from its neighbors from the beginning. It should be 40 – 50 cm.

Do you have a good location and enough space? Great, the first step is done to buy your own raspberry plant.

can you bring the raspberry well through the winter?

The good news is that raspberry plants are hardy. They can tolerate low temperatures and don’t need extra protection outdoors. The exception: if you planted your raspberry in the fall, you can give it an extra thick layer of mulch around the roots during its first winter. You can also cover the soil around the plant with pine greenery.

Raspberry plants in pots need frost protection to prevent damage to their roots. The soil in the pot can freeze quickly. It is best to protect the entire pot sufficiently from low temperatures, for example, with special fleece or jute fabrics. For ground-level terraces, it is also useful to place the pot on a wooden or polystyrene board, which will protect against ground frost. And a layer of mulch on the soil is always a good idea.

where best to buy the raspberry plant?

The classic source of supply for plants of all kinds are nurseries and garden centers. These farms raise their own plants and take care of them professionally. Plants in hardware and plant stores or even supermarkets and discount stores also come from large nurseries, wholesale nurseries or other plant dealers.

The closer you are to “the source” when buying, the better it is, of course. A raspberry plant in a hardware store may have already gone through many stops, but at least it is cared for on site by professional staff. Unfortunately, this is not the case with plants in supermarkets or discount stores.

 
Buy raspberry plant: Nearby or online?

There is no simple answer to this question. Even with local retailers in your area, the berry bushes may have already traveled a long way via several middlemen.

In general, you should only buy plants from suppliers who seem trustworthy and reputable – and who of course know something about plants.

how much it costs to buy a raspberry plant?

How expensive is a raspberry, usually depends on the size, quality and variety of the plant. Raspberries that are still very young and have only developed a few thin shoots are naturally cheaper. Most often, they are also offered in smaller pots, because the root ball is not yet so large.

By quality is meant whether the plants are healthy and robust. In addition, plants from conventional and organic cultivation can be distinguished.

In addition, there are many different cultivars, which differ in taste, size and color of the fruit or winter hardiness. The most important characteristic in a raspberry is whether it is a summer or fall raspberry or a combination. For summer raspberries, the main harvest time is in July, while autumn raspberries can be harvested from August to September.

Our raspberry Heidi is a mixture of summer and autumn raspberries, so the harvest time is significantly longer.

which variety is best for you?

Here it depends on how much space you have available for the raspberry. For a very small balcony that will accommodate other plants besides a raspberry, a dwarf variety is advantageous. These are also satisfied with smaller pots. Note, however, that such cultivars just remain rather small in height and should not be shaded by other plants or balcony parapets.

With a little more space or outdoors, almost all varieties are suitable. There are raspberry varieties that grow taller than others and are a bit “rampant”. These you have to tie up then in any case. Our raspberry Heidi also grows a little taller, but branches out little, so that a few bamboo sticks are enough to support it.

what accessories do you need for your raspberry?

Spade or shovel

For an outdoor raspberry plant, a spade is handy to be able to plant it. For a planting in a pot, a small shovel will do.

Soil

In a pot, the raspberry can be placed in a regular potting soil. Make sure that it is a humus-rich, nutrient-rich and peat-free soil. You can also mix in some compost (soil).

Depending on your garden soil, you can place the raspberry plant directly into the garden soil. However, if the soil is very heavy and clayey or, on the other hand, very light and sandy, it is better to buy suitable potting soil and mix it well with the soil in your garden.

Pots or tubs

For your raspberry plant in a pot, of course, you need a suitable planter. Our Bloomify raspberry requires a pot that is about 35 inches in diameter. It is imperative that the pot has at least one drainage hole so that excess rain and watering water can drain away.

There are pots made of different materials. The classic clay pot looks great, but unfortunately, depending on the exact material, it is prone to frost. Also, the raspberry roots in it can easily be damaged by frost. For pots made of plastic, you should go for recycled material. Be aware that black plastic pots can heat up in the sun and cause heat damage to the roots. There are also pots made from natural materials like wood or bamboo. Our Bloomify planter, for example, is made of woven sea grass.

Drainage material

In order for the soil in the pot to dry better after watering or a rain shower, it is advisable to spread a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot. For this you will need, for example, expanded clay balls or coarse gravel.

Fertilizer

You can feed your raspberry plant with mineral or organic fertilizers. We clearly recommend organic fertilizers. These are better for the environment and also have a long-term effect. For example, you can mix the soil with compost (soil) and a slow-release fertilizer right at planting time.

Mineral fertilizer, for example liquid berry fertilizer, on the other hand, must be given regularly.

Garden shears, watering can & Co.

Older raspberry canes bear less or no fruit. In order to always be able to harvest many raspberries, old shoots must therefore be removed so that new ones can grow back. This works best with sharp secateurs.

Very practical is a watering can, with which you can regularly supply the raspberry plant in the pot with sufficient water. In the open field, the rain is usually enough, only in dry summers you need to water the berry bushes additionally.

If winter is approaching, it is recommended to use garden fleece, jute fabric or similar materials to wrap the pot thickly.

after purchase: how to care for your raspberry plant.

A newly purchased raspberry plant will either need to be planted out or repotted. It has usually been in the same soil for a while, which is low in nutrients, and its roots need more space. You can place the root ball in a bucket of water overnight. This will allow the roots to soak up water, making it easier to grow.

It is advisable to always protect a newly purchased raspberry from the blazing sun for a few days, as in many cases it is not yet used to it and sunburn will quickly occur on the leaves.

The raspberry loves it when you mulch the soil around the plant. This protects the roots, which run shallowly under the soil, from frost in the winter and from drying out in the summer. Mulching works not only outdoors, but also for container plants. You can mulch the raspberry with some bark mulch, straw or lawn clippings, for example.

The raspberry plant is a heavy grower and depends on regular fertilizer applications to grow vigorously and bear fruit. You can give your raspberry an organic slow-release fertilizer or amend the soil with compost as soon as you plant it.

Keep a close eye on your raspberry in the early days. You should look for warning signs of waterlogging and pest infestation. Moving always means some stress for a plant, which makes it more susceptible to pests.

Conclusion – buying a raspberry plant made easy

Now you know what matters when you want to buy a raspberry plant. In addition to a suitable location, a humus- and nutrient-rich soil and, if necessary, a sufficiently large pot are very important. We hope that we have been able to provide you with all the important information about buying a raspberry plant.

If you would like to learn more about the raspberry, then take a look at our knowledge text!