Container Gardening with Raspberries
Growing raspberries in containers is a great option for those with poor garden soil, shady backyards, or very little garden space. The great thing about container gardening with raspberries is that you can place the pots in any sunny corner without worrying about the soil. What kinds of raspberries grow well in containers? In theory, any berry bush you can plant in the backyard can grow in a container. However, shorter, more compact plants that stand upright without support are easier to work with. If you want ease, look for raspberry plants at your local garden store marked “ideal for containers.” If you don’t care about putting in extra effort, select any cultivar that catches your eye. You can grow both summer-fruiting berry bushes and fall-fruiting varieties in pots. The former ripens in June through August and requires support; the latter ripens between August and October and grows upright.
How to Plant Raspberries in Pots
When you start growing raspberries in containers, you want to select a container at least 24 inches (61 cm.) in diameter. If the container isn’t big enough, the plants are not likely to flourish. In addition, their cold hardiness diminishes and the plants might be killed by cool weather that wouldn’t impact canes planted in bigger pots. Learning how to plant raspberries in pots is not difficult. Fill your pot with a soil-based compost to stabilize the plant. The “John Innes No. 3” mix works well for this. Then position six canes around the container, pressing the compost around them. Water them in well. The most important part of raspberry container care is regular irrigation. You need to make sure that the soil/compost mixture doesn’t ever get bone dry. Raspberry container care also includes feeding your plants. Dose them with a high potash fertilizer according to the label directions. This will encourage abundant fruit to grow.
