Yes, you can. Good staking is best, I am not sure if you need to look for specific varieties, just what you like. I have grown few different ones.

They are hardy plants, overwintering outdoors is best - not moving into garage. As with any container grown plants, make sure drainage is good.

WOW thanks!!

Since you're from Ontario (which is where I'm living now) Windsor, Ontario - overwintering them outside is not an issue? Are your raspberries in pots - how big are the pots? Also any suggestions on locations to purchase them (I'm looking at online locations since our nurseries don't have them).

Thanks!

I believe I bought yellow and ever-bearing(fall bearing) from one of the stores like Lowe's or HD - really don't remember anymore. There are plenty available right now and not too pricey. The summer-bearing ones I got from a friend.

Remember, they are very vigorous growers. Reason I keep them in pots is that they will sucker everywhere, so if one has relatively small garden it is easier to control them in pots (in Toronto, my lot was only 45x125...now I have much more space but still keep them in containers). I have them in containers that are about 10gal. Bigger is good to use as Ernie suggested, but are heavy to move.

I didn't even mulch them and they survive zone 5a without any problems. They are hardy to z3 I believe.

So another stupid question - once I get them (I'm assuming they will be smaller plants)... since the summer is JUST starting and they are vigorous growers - I should probably immediately transplant them into a bigger pot... should I start with a 3 gallon or just go big immediately (again I know it probably depends on the size of the plant). I just think transplanting a bigger plant into a 10 gall pot might be really hard.

Also - in terms of soil mixes... any recommendations? Just regular potting mix? Add worm/cow compost? etc etc?

Thanks!

They grow fast, especially right now so I would pot them in their final container right away, and asap. They will be just roots, but most likely leafing out now. Just pot them up, and watch them grow fast. I used only potting soil at the time I got them (quite a few years ago), and only added some compost (from my own heap) yearly. I pick up bowl of raspberries every day from just few without any fussing around.

I hope I'm not being a burden... but you said "you picked up raspberries from just few without any fussing around" - are you suggesting a couple of plants per 10 gallon counter or one per container

Finally - when I get the plant - assuming still small. What should I fertilize with?

Thanks!!!

No burden at all, just ask :)

I planted only 1 plant per container, but they will grow more canes. I keep 5 containers. I believe that there are some recommendations to fertilize - I have to admit I never did, just adding compost in spring. Perhaps you can add some slow release granules to the pot when planting. I am sorry I don't know if they need any particular fert.

I have read to plant few into 1 container - I just didn't want to have too many to take care for; but you could have more than 1 (some suggest as many as 6).

Make sure there is good drainage - drainage holes in the container and well draining mix. Raspberries will grow in some shade, but to get best results, give them plenty of sunshine. They may not have any fruit first year, so be patient.

I checked my containers, couple are smaller - about 7gal I think.

Edited to add photo - just waking up after the winter...this was originally just 1 plant:

I have Caroline raspberry which is pretty common. I bought them before they came out with the brazzleberry series.

I had in raised beds first, fruited in 3 months but took over so I decided to experiment. I moved some to ground, to 14in pots and those blue barrels people use for rain water cut in half (23w x36L).

They all grew fast and threw up many canes. For containers I mixed soil acidifier in with a blend of garden soil, peat, perlite, pine bark and some compost. Second season, I got bumper crops of fruit for almost 6 months of the year.

I'll be removing the last of the ground ones this year since the containers are much easier to manage and move, even blue barrels are not heavy since soil doesn't have to be deep for them and the additives provide drainage and lighten the load. Depending on location (down wind alley) I throw a tarp over canes only leaving mulched soil open. The others blocked by 2 walls dont get covered.

Berries need cold to fruit and I got -3F and wind chills of -20 for part of this winter. Since I've already been flowering past 2 weeks with mason and bumble bees crawling over them, I expect this summer to be delicious!!!

sam

I really don't think they need to be covered by a tarp, but would like to know what is your reason for doing it? (One can learn something new every day).

It is warmer where you live. Temps in my area will go down to -20, and windchill higher than that.

IIRC, some sucker much more than others.

When I first got my canes I was Z6a and I was told by horticulturist at a
company I called for advice to tie them back and cover with tarp for winter and
just mulch soil since they were not in ground or near fence, but exposed in a
raised bed placed on a cement patio at the end of driveway which has extreme wind
tunnel in winter and creates a cold sink. I thought it made sense since people
wrap fruit trees, right?

So I'm not really going to do any more work than I have to, but I wanted to
make sure they survived and leaving a cheap tarp attached at one side of the
bed to flip over with a rubber band is easy enough.

The past 4-5yrs, I've noticed a difference between the covered canes and “non”
in my yard. Covered leaf out about 2 weeks ahead of “non”s and bear fruit on
those previous years canes sooner than the "non"s. So for my
"efforts" I've had buckets of berries early sometimes April/May and
go to mid August, rest a few weeks and start again Sept to early Dec.

Is that normal? I dont know. None of my friends have had any success with
the berries in ground, in city limits. Each year I've given away and they let
me know (happy or disappointed) but the only friends with good results have
followed me with amending soil in pots and covering. Perhaps it’s because they
are in pots and don’t have ground protection, the horticulturist told me to do
it. Maybe the horticulturist gave me the wrong advice or it was customized to
just my situation, but it hasn’t hurt me or my friends to get a free tarp from
Harbor Freight (AC), toss it on and tie down a rubber band or bungee.

OP- I hope you have success with your new plants and can enjoy them for many
years to come. Please update with pix, I would love to see them.

Have fun all, in whatever you do.

sam

I never covered my plants with anything, but that doesn't mean you can't or it won 't help:). You are creating a microclimate, and they - as you say - leaf out earlier. So you were not given wrong advice.

Surprised that your friends don't have luck growing them; these are plants that are quite hard to get rid of. And very hardy too. I have so many coming from the yard next door, I am having hard time to get rid of them. Am trying to figure out how to stop them - they spread underground very vigorously, fence or no fence. And the soil is very heavy clay, which isn't good to grow much in :(

mystearica

Did you get any plants? Hope you will update...(I can ship you bunch of the young plants I am digging up - it just may not make sense $-wise. But if you want, no problem).

My friends are closer to the airport than I am, which was built on salt water mud flats and still infiltrates when it rains and their streets flood, so that probably doesnt help with any growing except the marsh grass by the side of the road. The "dirt" they have is sometimes old NYC garbage and they find metal and random glass in an orange tinged layer of "soil" when dug to plant them. I would not touch the stuff, personally.

Hey!

So it's been close to three weeks. I used 20" pots for the big two (not sure how many gallons)... can't remember how many inches for the smaller variety.

Anyway, I used regular potting mix and slow release fertilizer (osmocote + nutricote). Not sure if I have to use any immediate release fertilizers such as miracle grow bloom booster or plant food - advice?

I used 3 varieties - big pots: Latham Raspberries + Heritage Raspberries (both red) and for the smaller pot I used Fall Gold Raspberry. The thing is... my red raspberries are growing like crazy!!! Both both have already started to fruit (which I was NOT expecting to be honest with you).

Anyway here's the pictures I just took (sorry not that good - used my cellphone)

Congratulations!!!! Time to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Good growing! Looks like you got healthy and more mature plants.

Personally, I wouldn't bother with any 'special' fertilizers like bloom booster - they usually contains too much of one or other to 'boost' whatever they are advertised to boost; and often too much of it. Fertilizer in proper proportion of NPK (3-1-2 ratio, like MG 24-8-16) is good. No point of over fertilizing (not good for plants, sometimes even damaging). Are you planning on staking them?