Raspberry

Growing Guide

🤝 Good Companions

❌ Avoid Planting With

🐛 Pests & Diseases

Spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) is an increasing concern in Australian raspberry crops, laying eggs in ripening fruit; use fine exclusion netting as the primary organic control and monitor with vinegar traps. Botrytis (grey mould) thrives in humid conditions — ensure good airflow between canes by proper pruning and avoid overhead watering. Raspberry beetle grubs and aphids can be managed with neem oil sprays applied in the early morning, targeting new growth and the undersides of leaves.

🌱 Fertilising

In early spring (September), apply a balanced organic fertiliser such as blood and bone or a certified organic pelletised chook manure to support vigorous new cane growth. Follow with a potassium-rich fertiliser like sulphate of potash or a liquid seaweed and fish emulsion blend in November to promote flowering, fruit set, and overall berry quality.

✂️ Pruning & Training

After harvest, remove all fruited (floricane) canes at ground level in late summer or autumn (February–May), leaving only the current season's new green canes to overwinter and fruit the following year. Thin remaining canes to the strongest 6–8 per plant, tie them securely to your trellis wires, and tip-prune to the top wire to encourage lateral fruiting shoots in spring.

🔬 Propagation

Raspberries are most easily propagated by digging up rooted suckers that emerge from the base of established plants in late autumn or winter (April–July), carefully separating them with roots intact and transplanting directly to a prepared bed. Tip layering is another reliable method — simply bend a healthy cane tip to the ground in late summer, pin it into moist soil, and sever it from the parent plant once roots have formed after 6–8 weeks.

🗓 When to Plant

🌏 Australian Climates

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