How to Grow a Black Raspberry Bush
Black raspberries are sometimes called black cap raspberries. They are upright growing, deciduous plants that grow to between 5 and 6 feet tall. Black raspberries belong to the rosaceae (rose) family of plants. Unlike red raspberries, black raspberries are known to be seedier, firmer and have more of a unique flavor. Black raspberries are native to the eastern United States and are hardy in the USDA Zones 4 to 9. Although they are known to be injured if temperatures fall to -5 to -10 degrees F. Plants black raspberries where they will receive sun, to light shade, and make sure they are provided fertile, loamy-rich garden soil. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Black raspberry plants
- Shovel
- Compost or other organic matter
- Garden fork
- Metal rake
- Snips
- Bucket
Instructions
-
-
1
Set your bare root black raspberry plants into a large bucket, or similar container, which contains enough water so the roots are well covered. Let the roots soak for 2 to 3 hours to help plump them up.
-
2
Cultivate the planting area using a garden fork, or shovel, to a depth of approximately 1 foot deep. Then, mix into the soil 4 to 6 inches of rotted manure, compost or other similar material. Smooth out the area using a metal garden rake. Do not to leave any weeds, roots, rock or sticks in the cultivated area. Make sure you do not plant your black raspberries near to an area where tomatoes, potatoes, wild raspberries, wild blackberries or eggplants were previously raised.
-
-
3
Create rows for planting your black raspberries that are 3 feet wide. Space each row at least 10 to 12 feet apart. (Length of rows depends on how much space you have in your garden).
-
4
Remove the bare-root black raspberries from the bucket of water. Place a black raspberry plant into a previously dug hole. Spread out its roots carefully into the hole. Black raspberries need to be planted slightly deeper than they were planted in the nursery. Look for the dark gray line at the base of the stem. This line indicates the nursery planting depth line. Check to make sure that the planting depth line of the bare-root black raspberry is sitting about 1 inch below the level of the surrounding soil.
-
5
Scoop in garden soil over the root system of the black raspberry plant, until they are well covered. Pour water into the hole until the hole is about 2/3 full. Allow all the water to settle away. Slowly fill the remainder of the hole with soil, tamping it down gently around the root system as you go.
-
6
Prune back each of the black raspberry plants to approximately 6 inches from ground level. Water each of the black raspberries, thoroughly. Fertilize your black raspberry plants approximately 2 to 3 weeks after you planted them. Use a granular, balanced fertilizer, such as 12-12-12. Spread fertilizer around each plant at the rate of 1 ounce per black raspberry plant.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Each summer, prune back the top 2 to 3 inches of each black raspberry plant. This helps the plants to produce more side branches.
The area you plant black raspberries should provide at least 6 to 8 hours of light daily.
Black raspberries require the equivalent of 1 inch of water per week during the summer growing season. Kansas State University suggests irrigating black raspberries by soaking the ground to a depth of 10 inches.
References
Resources
More Like This
Comments
-
Rubus is the genus that is shared by black raspberries (Rubus occidentalis) with red raspberries and blackberries and they are collectively known as brambles. The black raspberries do not grow by runner, which is unlike its red cousins. They readily take root when the tips of the arching canes touch the ground. In the wild black raspberries are sometimes considered weeds as they create extensive thickets.
