ᐅ Raspberries in the garden: What are your experiences?

Hi,
I am planning to plant raspberries in my garden for the first time soon. A suitable spot would be about 80cm x 120cm (31 inches x 47 inches). I think I can plant three, maybe four plants in this area. I am leaning towards autumn-bearing raspberries because they seem to be less susceptible to diseases and insect infestations (especially maggot eggs).

According to my research, the main issue with raspberries in home gardens is the spreading rhizomes (root runners). This causes raspberries to spread almost like weeds in the garden. If you plant them in a container (for example, a 90-liter (24-gallon) mixing bucket or a terracotta pot on the patio), the yield is reportedly much lower—unless you use specific varieties bred for balcony growing, of course.

I am now considering creating a small mound bed or earth berm to avoid installing a rhizome barrier. Raspberries have shallow roots, so the rhizomes usually spread only about 40–50cm (16–20 inches) deep.

My question is: What experiences have you had with raspberries or your raspberry patch? Did you install a rhizome or root barrier, or did you skip it? Would you do it the same way again?

Raspberries, like blackberries or currants, are practically weeds. They grow uncontrollably and are very difficult to eradicate. I’ve been trying to get rid of a blackberry bush for two years now – it keeps sprouting again because I missed some root fragments somewhere (but with my home renovation, I’ve had more important things to focus on).

One plant is enough for an 80cm x 120cm (31.5 inches x 47 inches) space.

So you would rather not plant raspberries or blackberries again?

We have 8 m (26 feet) of raspberries along the garden fence. My wife simply cuts back all unwanted new shoots to ground level in early summer and before winter.

For designer gardens, where everything needs to grow in perfect rows, this probably wouldn’t work. You’re aware of the drawbacks, and plastic in the soil won’t help you much in the long run either. Nature always finds a way 😉

The great thing about raspberries that grow like weeds is that in just a few years, you can make a lot of delicious jam. =)