We recently moved into a home that has a large red raspberry planting in the backyard. How should we rejuvenate the pla

Question:

We recently moved into a home that has a large red raspberry planting in the backyard. How should we rejuvenate the planting?

Answer:

Red raspberries sucker freely.  If not confined, plants will spread rapidly.  Red raspberries are most productive when grown in 2-foot-wide hedgerows.  If the raspberry planting is several feet wide, plant rows need to be reestablished.  (Wide red raspberry plantings aren’t very productive.  Plus, cultural practices, such as pruning, harvesting, and weed control, are extremely difficult.)  Early spring would be an excellent time to rejuvenate the planting.  Mark off 2-foot-wide plant rows.  The 2-foot-wide plant rows should be spaced 4 to 6 feet apart.  After the rows have been marked, dig up and destroy the raspberry plants in the 4 to 6 foot space between rows.