Raspberries crop happily grown in rows or up a support in a small space
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| Tie raspberry canes to wires
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'Raspberries fruit on one-year-old canes and it is important to keep these vertical and in place to prevent them falling over when the crop gets heavy.'
Raspberries are among the most popular soft fruits. If you choose the right varieties, they can be harvested throughout summer and autumn and can either be grown in rows or fitted into a small space growing up a vertical support. For the summer-fruiting varieties, we use both methods at Barnsdale Gardens and grow raspberries in rows on our allotment, and a small group of six canes in the ornamental kitchen garden up a supporting frame tucked into a sunny spot.
Raspberry canes
Raspberries fruit on one-year-old canes and it is important to keep these vertical and in place to prevent them falling over when the crop gets heavy. The easiest way of achieving this is by tying them to strong galvanised wire stretched between round fencing stakes in a straight row. The stakes are usually 2.4m (8ft) long with 45-60cm (18-24in) knocked into the ground, with an extra angled stake in position to support the end posts. The middle supporting posts thus do not need
extra support.
In order to ensure the raspberry canes are well supported, three lengths of galvanised wire are attached every 60cm (24in) up the posts. Ensure the wires are as tight as possible before using U nails to attach them to the middle supporting posts. Tie the fruiting canes to the wires, and leave the canes that grow during that fruiting season untied until the raspberries have been picked.
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| Raspberry plants supported by wires
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The same cycle is then employed at the end of the fruiting season in each of the subsequent years. The raspberry canes that have fruited are cut down to ground level whilst the new canes that grew during the summer can be tied onto the supporting wires, ready to fruit during the following summer.
For small spaces
If there is only a small space available, a cheap and easy-to-construct frame can be used. We made ours from 5 x 2.5cm (2 x 1in) timber, with the central piece 1.8m (6ft) out of the ground. To achieve the required support two 60cm (2ft) lengths of wood are screwed horizontally on to the vertical piece so that they make a cross. Each of these crosses is positioned at 60cm (2ft) spacings up the length of the vertical piece. Thin galvanised wire can then be attached to the corners of these crossed sections so that as the canes grow they can be directed into the supporting triangles.
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| A vertical frame for a small space
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| Take care when cutting out fruited canes
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At the end of the fruiting season take extra care when cutting out the fruited canes as the only obvious distinction between fruited and new canes is that the fruited ones will look older and browner, as well as still showing where the raspberries have been harvested.
Autumn varieties
Supporting these is less complicated as they are often grown in a bed, not in rows, and are therefore self-supporting. However, the outer canes do have a tendency to flop, so these may need support.
A simple system of four posts, one in each corner of the bed and a single strand of wire enclosing the whole bed of canes, will suffice. These autumn varieties produce raspberries on canes produced in that season so once the crop has been harvested, in late autumn, all these canes can be cut right down to ground level. If only a small space is available they can be grown using the same method as for summer fruiting raspberries.
Look further
Nick and Sue Hamilton run
Barnsdale Gardens in Rutland, Leicestershire, formerly owned by the late Geoff Hamilton.
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