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What To Sow
Too late from seed

Can I sow raspberries now?

Not from seed now. A sowing started today is unlikely to beat the autumn cold; use this page if you are already growing raspberries, or choose something still in season.

Best next action
Choose another crop to sow now
Already growing it? See when yours will be ready →See what to sow in July→
Still worth sowing:carrotsbasilpeas
Hardy — can tolerate frost

When to plant
raspberries in the UK

Plant bare-root canes in winter for the cheapest option. Summer varieties fruit on last year's canes, autumn varieties on this year's — the pruning is completely different. Once established, a row of raspberries will produce for 10+ years.

Type
Hardy — can tolerate frost
To harvest
52 wks
Spacing
40 cm
Min soil
5°C
UK average answer

Can I sow raspberries now?

Not from seed now. This is outside the usual UK sowing window for raspberries.

Status
Too late from seed
Best next step
Wait
Usual window
Outside the usual UK sowing window

What I'd do now: This is not a good sowing moment on the UK average; use the calendar to choose a crop with an open window.

For the broader month view, see what to sow in July, or use the UK sowing calendar. For more detail, read the fruit growing guide.

Your dates

When will your raspberries be ready to eat?

Put in the day you actually sowed — the harvest date moves with it. Tuned to your saved location where available.

Work out your own dates

Set the day you sowed (and planted out, if you did) — your harvest date is below.

Using the UK-average last frost · 15 April · add your postcode to tune it

Sow15 April
Ready to eat from14 April
Not sown yet? The standard dates for raspberries
Using the UK-average guide. Enter your postcode below to tune these dates to your patch.

Plant out

From around 4 Mar

6 weeks before last frost on the UK average

Transplant seedlings to their final position

Harvest

~52 weeks from sowing

Space plants 40cm apart

Get raspberries seeds

Seeds at Thompson & MorganSeeds at Sarah RavenSeeds at Suttons

Some links are affiliate links — if you buy through them, a little goes towards the allotment shed, at no extra cost to you.

How to grow

What raspberries need

Sun or light shade. Rich, slightly acidic soil. A post-and-wire support system. Mulch annually with compost.

Spacing

40cm

40cm between plants

These are larger plants — give them plenty of space for air circulation.

the varieties

Varieties worth growing

Autumn Bliss

common

Produces so many raspberries you'll run out of bowls by August. An autumn-fruiting variety you cut to the ground in February and it comes back every year. The lowest-maintenance fruit you can grow.

in the kitchen

Raspberry fool

Crush half the berries with a fork, fold into softly whipped cream, then ripple through the rest whole. Serve in glasses. The most elegant thing you can do with five minutes and a punnet of raspberries.

find the seedsThompson & Morgan→Suttons→
Autumn Bliss— full guide →

Glen Ample

common

Big, firm, summer-fruiting berries on spine-free canes — which means picking doesn't require protective clothing. One of the best commercial varieties, grown because the berries are large, the yields are heavy, and nobody gets hurt harvesting them.

in the kitchen

Raspberry jam

Equal weight fruit and sugar, juice of a lemon, boil to setting point. That's it. The jam that fills the kitchen with the smell of summer and makes toast worth getting up for in January.

find the seedsThompson & Morgan→Suttons→
Glen Ample— full guide →

All Gold

uncommon

Golden-yellow raspberries that taste like apricot-flavoured sunshine. Sweeter and less acidic than red varieties, and the golden colour means birds are less interested (they're looking for red). An autumn-fruiter that's as beautiful as it is productive.

in the kitchen

Golden raspberry and white chocolate trifle

Layer golden raspberries with sponge, custard, and folded white chocolate cream. The golden berries against the cream is gorgeous, and the sweeter flavour works perfectly with white chocolate where red raspberries would fight it.

find the seedsThompson & Morgan→Suttons→Sarah Raven→
All Gold— full guide →

Tulameen

uncommon

Large, conical berries with an intense raspberry flavour that's often described as the best-tasting raspberry available. A summer-fruiter from Canada that does well in UK conditions and produces berries so flavourful they make you question every raspberry you've eaten before.

in the kitchen

Raspberry sorbet

Blitz berries with sugar syrup and a squeeze of lemon, churn in an ice cream maker or still-freeze, breaking up the crystals every hour. The intensity of Tulameen means the flavour survives freezing. Purple-red and pure.

find the seedsThompson & Morgan→Suttons→
Tulameen— full guide →

Good companions

Keep apart from

  • Tomatoes
  • Peppers
  • Aubergine
Full companion planting guide & chart →

When to sow raspberries

Plant outMarch

Based on UK average frost date. Enter your postcode for exact dates, or find your city.

Start this crop
Seeds

Where to buy raspberries seeds

Seeds at Thompson & MorganSeeds at Sarah RavenSeeds at Suttons

Some links are affiliate links — if you buy through them, a little goes towards the allotment shed, at no extra cost to you.

Get your exact dates

Enter your postcode for personalised planting dates for raspberries.

Keep exploring

Other crops to grow

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Sow a short row every 2 weeks and you'll never buy a supermarket bag again. Pick

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Bolts the moment it gets hot. Best in spring and autumn. Pick little and often —

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Sow thinly to avoid thinning — the smell of crushed leaves is a dinner bell for

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Plant a few weeks after earlies. Earth up as haulms grow. Harvest when foliage d

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Chit (sprout) seed potatoes on a windowsill before planting. Earth up as they gr

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Gets sweeter after a frost. One of the hardiest crops — can harvest all winter.

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Very slow to germinate (2-4 weeks). Use fresh seed every year. Sow radishes alon

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Sow a pinch every few weeks and you'll have spring onions all season. Dead easy

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Beautiful and productive. Pick outer leaves and it keeps going for months. Rainb

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Harvest when golf-ball sized for the sweetest flavour. Leave them too long and t

Leeks

Drop seedlings into deep holes and just water in — no need to fill the hole. The

Broccoli

Cut the main head first and you'll get side shoots for weeks. Purple sprouting i

Cabbage

Different varieties for each season — spring, summer, autumn, and winter types.

Cauliflower

Fold outer leaves over the curd to keep it white. Cauliflower leaves are delicio

Brussels sprouts

Grow through summer, harvest from autumn through winter. Flavour improves after

Garlic

Plant individual cloves Oct-Nov, pointed end up, 2.5cm deep. Garlic needs a cold

Parsley

Slow to germinate (3-4 weeks) — don't give up on it. Soak seeds overnight in war

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Plant runners in spring or late summer and you will be picking fruit the followi

Blackberries

Cultivated blackberries produce bigger, sweeter fruit than wild ones and are tho

Gooseberries

One of the easiest fruit bushes for UK allotments. Plant a bare-root bush in win

Blackcurrants

Blackcurrants are packed with vitamin C and make the best jam and cordial. Plant

Redcurrants

Beautiful jewel-like berries that hang in trusses. They tolerate more shade than

Rhubarb

Plant a crown in winter, do not harvest the first year, and it will reward you w

Sweetcorn

Plant in a block, not a row — they're wind-pollinated and need neighbours. Each

Courgettes

You only need 2-3 plants. Seriously. Pick them small (15cm) or they turn into ma

French beans

Dwarf varieties need no support. Pick every few days — once they start producing

Squash

Big hungry plants — give them space and feed them well. Leave to cure in the sun

Pumpkins

Limit each plant to 2-3 fruits for bigger pumpkins. Sit them on a tile or slate

Coriander

Bolts at the slightest excuse. Sow every 3-4 weeks, pick frequently, and choose

Rocket

Dead easy and fast. Gets spicier in hot weather — which is either a feature or a

Pak choi

Sow early spring or after midsummer — it'll bolt faster than you can blink in th

Fennel

Sow after midsummer for best bulbs — earlier sowings often bolt. Don't transplan

Celery

Sow seeds on the surface — they need light to germinate. Start early in a propag

Dill

Sow direct — dill absolutely hates being transplanted. Short rows every few week

Tomatoes

Pinch out side shoots on cordon types. Feed weekly with tomato feed once the fir

Peppers

Start early — they're slow growers. Pinch out the first flower to encourage bush

Chillies

Need heat to germinate — use a propagator or the warmest windowsill you've got.

Cucumbers

Outdoor varieties are tougher and easier than greenhouse ones. Keep picking and

Runner beans

Build a strong frame — they get seriously heavy. Pick every 2-3 days or they go

Aubergine

Start very early — January isn't too soon. Limit to 5-6 fruits per plant if you

Basil

Pinch out flower buds to keep leaves coming. Harvest from the top to encourage b