If you don’t have a raspberry patch of your own, or you simply want to add new canes to your existing patch, here’s a great how to guide on raspberries.
If you decide to buy them in bulk as I did, they will look like this. Basically a bunch of roots.
You can place an order online or simply go to your local feed or hardware store to pick some up. Individual canes run about $1-4 depending on the variety. 3 years ago I placed an order for 100 Cascade Delight canes I purchased from Spooner Farms in Puyallup, Washington.
Once I got the canes home, I created 7 rows of raised beds each about 8″ high. I filled the rows with a mixture of old compost and topsoil and covered the roots with about 2″ of dirt. I then planted the canes about 1′ apart {the experts say plant them 2′ apart, but I’m a rebel}.
My raspberry patch has 7 beds with each bed about 12 feet long. I left 2 feet between the rows for walking. I also installed 6′ posts at the end of each row and stung string {you are suppose to use wire} at 3′ and 5′ heights.
The first spring I planted raspberries, I also planted onion starts along the rows.
This is a picture I took of my raspberry patch last summer. As you can see the neighborhood kids are barely able to walk between the rows of foliage and berries. Wowza! What a difference 3 years makes.
What do we do will all the berries we harvest? We eat them fresh, make jam and then typically freeze the rest to use throughout the year in desserts and smoothies.
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