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.
Growing journey
52 weeks from planting out to harvest
Get raspberries seeds
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What raspberries need
Sun or light shade. Rich, slightly acidic soil. A post-and-wire support system. Mulch annually with compost.
Spacing
40cm between plants
These are larger plants — give them plenty of space for air circulation.
Varieties to try
Summer. Spine-free canes, heavy cropper, excellent flavour
Autumn. Fruits Aug–Oct on new canes. Easy to prune — just cut everything down in February
Autumn. Large berries, good disease resistance, fruits until first frost
Summer. Best flavour of all. Long fruiting season. The one restaurants use
Good companions
- Garlic
- Tansy
Keep apart from
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Aubergine
When to sow raspberries
Based on UK average frost date. Enter your postcode for exact dates, or find your city.
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Where to buy raspberries seeds
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Beautiful and productive. Pick outer leaves and it keeps going for months. Rainb
Harvest when golf-ball sized for the sweetest flavour. Leave them too long and t
Drop seedlings into deep holes and just water in — no need to fill the hole. The
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Different varieties for each season — spring, summer, autumn, and winter types.
Fold outer leaves over the curd to keep it white. Cauliflower leaves are delicio
Grow through summer, harvest from autumn through winter. Flavour improves after
Plant individual cloves Oct-Nov, pointed end up, 2.5cm deep. Garlic needs a cold
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Plant in a block, not a row — they're wind-pollinated and need neighbours. Each
You only need 2-3 plants. Seriously. Pick them small (15cm) or they turn into ma
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Dead easy and fast. Gets spicier in hot weather — which is either a feature or a
Sow early spring or after midsummer — it'll bolt faster than you can blink in th
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Sow seeds on the surface — they need light to germinate. Start early in a propag
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Pinch out side shoots on cordon types. Feed weekly with tomato feed once the fir
Start early — they're slow growers. Pinch out the first flower to encourage bush
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Build a strong frame — they get seriously heavy. Pick every 2-3 days or they go
Start very early — January isn't too soon. Limit to 5-6 fruits per plant if you
Pinch out flower buds to keep leaves coming. Harvest from the top to encourage b