Tips for Growing Raspberries

Companion Plants to Raspberries: Marigold, Peas, Rue
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Antagonistic Plants to Raspberries: Potatoes

Pruning - Raspberries produce berries on the canes which grew in the preceding year. This is essential to understand when pruning raspberry plants. As soon as the berries have been picked from the cane, cut it off at ground level. Do not cut the new canes because they will be the ones producing berries in the next year.
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Raspberry Tea - You can get more from your raspberry bush than just the fruit. Pick the leaves when they are fresh and green, then put them on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, store them in a Ziploc bag until needed. Steep a handful in hot water for a light and caffeine free tea.  
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The Raspberry Journal

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I bought a dwarf thornless raspberry shrub from Minter Country Garden, so when I say I am growing raspberries on my balcony, make note - these are specialized plants, rather than the regular raspberry plant. As such, I thought it would be a good idea to write down the information that came on the label, to keep a reference to what kind of raspberry plant I am growing, and its specifications.

Raspberry Shortcake offers everyone a chance to enjoy raspberries like never before. This revolutionary, thornless raspberry has an endearing compact, rounded growth habitat and thrives in a patio pot or in the landscape. Perfect for children and adults, this carefree patio raspberry requires no staking, or big garden spaces. Raspberry Shortcake produces full-sized, nutritious and super sweet raspberries mid-summer. 

Fruit Season: Mid-Summer

Berry Size: Medium

Flavor: Sweet/Vanilla Essense

Shrub Habitat: 2' - 3' Dense Compact Mound

Planting & Care Notes: Full Sun * Fairly Neutral Soil (pH 6.5 - 7.5) * Good Drainage * Fertilize Early Spring * Moderate Watering * If leaves yellow or droop in summer - water and use a balanced liquid fertilizer. No staking, trellis or companion pollinator required. 

This dwarf raspberry produces abundant new canes each spring and fruits on new canes that have gone through a winter dormancy period. Once fruiting is finished, prune out canes at the base that have fruited leaving new canes to fruit the next season. 

Note: Raspberry Shortcake is best suited to large patio containers and will fill it out no matter the shape! If you choose to plant Raspberry Shortcake in the ground, as with any raspberry, take care to plant in an open landscape or garden area where moderate spreading is tolerable. .
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April 19, 2014
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In the above right picture is a dwarf thornless raspberry shrub I bought for $35. It is similar to the blueberry bush (same company) and should grow two to three feet high in a dense, compact mound. I also seen that they had grape vines for $40 that were designed for container growing. I really want a grape vine to grow on the back wall. I just love grapes so much. I remember when I was a kid living on Vancouver Island, at one of my friend's house they had an entire wall covered with grape vines. We'd go there after school and just hang-out and eat grapes until we were sick of them... and that took a long time because like I said, I love grapes. But, I didn't buy the grape vine. I had already dropped $100 on the blueberry and raspberry shrubs, the seeds and the soil, and that was enough for one day.
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June 19, 2014
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Top: Blueberries -- Bottom: Raspberries

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The raspberry plant (above - bottom left) is struggling more than the blueberry plant (above - top right), although there are a couple of raspberries on the one plant, and so far, I see no blueberries at all. I suspect that since these plants are perennials, they won't really produce until the next year.
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July 25, 2014
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Raspberries looking healthy again... but now the blueberries are hurting!

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In a strange turn of events, my raspberry plant which I was sure was going to die last month has perked right up with signs of new life. But now my blueberry plant is suffering the death look in almost the exact same fashion as the raspberries were last month. Neither of these two plants produce enough fruit worth mentioning. I hope they both survive and work out better next year. Time will tell, but for this year, they were not worth the money. ($60 between the two of them!)
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April 7, 2015
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... But I don't think I'm get much from these raspberry and blueberry bushes I bought last year. Gesh! $60 between the two of them, didn't get more than a few berries to eat of off them, and they're toast by the next year.
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Dead Blueberries (Left) and Condition Critical Raspberries (Right)

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Those things were such a waste of time, effort and money, I think I might just take them completely off the "garden cost list" and write them off as a mistake of nature. KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid!)
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April 22, 2015
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We've had some nice weather lately - in the low twenties celsius - and it really helped to give the garden a kick in the pants. Below is the still very dead blueberry bush, which will soon be pulled and replaced with a tomato plant, but the raspberry bush looks like it's struggling to make a comeback!
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Dead Blueberry Bush (Left) and Struggling Raspberries (Right)

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