🍎 Raspberry
Rubus idaeus
fruits
perennial cane fruit
Rosaceae
☀️ Sun
full sun
💧 Water
consistent moisture; mulch to retain; avoid wet feet
🗺️ Zones
3, 9
🧪 Soil pH
5.5, 6.5 (slightly acidic)
🪴 Soil Type
well-drained loam, high organic matter
🚿 Drainage
Well-drained
📏 Spacing
18-24 in. apart, 8-10 ft between rows (red); 24-36 in. for black/purple
📐 Height
48-72 in
⏱️ Maturity
1-2 years (from planting); summer-bearing fruit on second-year canes, everbearing in fall of first year
🍴 Edible Parts
🍽️ Fruit
Key:🤝 Grows well together❌ Keep apart☀️ Sun needs💧 Water🗺️ Hardiness zone
🤝 Companions (11)
Fixes nitrogen; living mulch suppresses weeds between rows; attracts pollinators
Potassium-rich mulch supports heavy fruiting; attracts pollinators; suppresses grass encroachment
Repel Japanese beetles and aphids; antifungal properties reduce cane blight and spur blight
Universal companion
Nematode suppression in root zone; repels aphids and raspberry beetles
Sacrificial trap crop for aphids; attracts beneficial hoverflies; edible flowers add garden diversity IMPORTANT management caveat: without active management, nasturtiums can become a SOURCE of aphids that migrate to nearby crops. Either remove aphid-infested nasturtium plants promptly, or treat the trap crop itself to eliminate the aphid colony before it spreads. Strategic placement within 4-5 feet of protected crops is key.
Repels raspberry cane borer, Japanese beetles, and ants; plant at row ends
Repel harlequin bugs and cucumber beetles; brassica trap crop diverts pests from canes
Attracts ladybugs, lacewings, and hoverflies that prey on aphids; accumulates phosphorus and potassium
⚠️ Keep Apart (7)
Shared pest and disease reservoir , virus transmission risk (raspberry mosaic virus); cross-pollination issues for some varieties
Potato and raspberry are incompatible , competing nutrients, shared disease risks, or allelopathic interference.
⚠️ Potatoes / Tomatoes / Eggplant
Verticillium wilt shared host; blight transmission; same fungal pathogen reservoir
Shared susceptibility to verticillium wilt and root rot; competition for similar soil niche
Juglone sensitive
📝 Growing Notes
Summer-bearing and everbearing types. Spreads by suckers.
🛒 Buy Seeds & Plants
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Johnny's Selected Seeds
Botanical Interests
True Leaf Market
Burpee
Territorial Seed Company
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