A Detailed Guide to Raspberry Cultivation Techniques and Management Methods

The raspberry is also known as fupenzi, fupenmei, and wubiaozi. It is a woody plant of the genus Rubus in the rose family. The fruit is an aggregate fruit and can be red, golden, or black. In Europe and America it is eaten as a fruit, while in China it is widely distributed but little known, with only a small amount cultivated in the Northeast region and relatively rarely seen on the market. Let us take a look at raspberry cultivation techniques below!

Growth Habits of Raspberries

The raspberry prefers warmth and humidity and requires well-lit diffused light. It is not demanding about soil and has strong adaptability, but it does better in fertile soil with strong water and nutrient retention and good drainage, from slightly acidic soil to neutral sandy loam, red soil, and purple soil. It fruits early and easily enters its full fruiting period. Generally, it bears fruit two years after planting, gives a full yield in 3 years, and reaches its highest yield at 4 to 5 years, with the full fruiting period lasting up to about 15 years. Its root system is shallow and it is not drought-tolerant; insufficient water will inhibit growth and fruiting. The flowering period is April to May, and the fruiting period is June to July. If soil moisture evaporation is too great and water is insufficient, the yield during that period will be affected.

Propagation Methods for Raspberries

1. Root sucker propagation: During root sucker propagation of raspberries, the mother plant should be kept in moist, loose soil with sufficient nutrients. Select and retain well-developed root suckers, keeping a spacing of 10 to 15 cm. Dig up the root suckers after autumn; dig deeply and retain more side branches. They can be planted as soon as they are dug up, or they can first be heeled in after digging and used to establish the plantation in early spring the following year.

2. Cutting propagation: During cutting propagation of raspberries, dig out lateral roots about 1 cm thick, choose roots with buds, cut them into root sections about 10 cm long, and carry out cuttings in mid-March. Dig furrows 10 cm deep, insert the roots diagonally into the seedbed, leaving one quarter exposed above the soil, then cover with soil and level it.

3. Transplant propagation: For transplant propagation of raspberries, from November each year to March of the following year, dig up wild plants from mountain woodland, cut off the aboveground basal shoots, keeping 20 cm in length, and take care not to damage the dormant buds at the base. Then transplant them into a leveled field with a plant spacing of 25 cm and 2700 plants per mu. After planting, cover with soil and firm it, water to settle the roots, and cover with straw, dry grass, and the like.

Raspberry Cultivation Techniques

1. Orchard establishment: Choose a wind-sheltered, sunny plot with loose soil, high organic matter content, and moist soil that is not prone to water accumulation to establish the orchard. Before establishment, plow deeply and level the land, and apply 2000 to 4000 kg of farmyard manure per mu. Use the strip planting method, with a row spacing of 2 m and a plant spacing of 0.4 to 0.8 m. The planting hole size is 30×30×30 cm. When planting seedlings, take care to protect the basal buds from damage. After planting, promptly cut back level, leaving stubble about 20 cm, and plant 2 to 3 plants per hole to achieve early and full production.

2. Land preparation: When planting raspberries, choose a slightly acidic gentle slope with deep, fertile, loose soil and good drainage, plow deeply and prepare the land, and transplant at a plant and row spacing of 50 cm×100 cm or 100 cm×100 cm. Before transplanting, apply sufficient base fertilizer, with 3 to 5 kg of farmyard manure per plant.

3. Management: During the raspberry growing period, combine loosening the soil and weeding, and apply topdressing 2 to 3 times each year, mainly nitrogen fertilizer with an appropriate amount of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Apply seedling fertilizer in March, flower fertilizer in April, and wintering fertilizer in November, with 1500 to 2000 kg of human and animal urine per mu. Pay attention to watering during summer and autumn droughts. Carry out intertillage and weeding twice each year, in May to June and August to September, to reduce the consumption of nutrients and water by weeds and promote robust growth of the raspberry plant.

4. Bud removal: When new raspberry branches produce lateral branches in April to May, remove the terminal buds to promote lateral branch growth, and at the same time pinch the lateral branches to encourage secondary lateral branches. More branches mean lush leaves, increasing the fruiting mother branches for the next year and raising the yield. During the fruiting period, set up supports beside each plant to prevent lodging.

5. Trellising: Raspberry branches are soft and often droop to the ground, or are prone to lodging in wind, affecting yield and quality. Therefore, set up trellises in the orchard, tie the biennial branches to the trellis so that the branches receive uniform light and the orchard maintains good air permeability.

6. Fertilizer and water: Each autumn, apply 2000 to 3000 kg of farmyard manure per mu, and apply topdressing once each during flowering and fruit development to increase the fruit-setting rate and promote fruit enlargement. Topdressing should be mainly quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer, with 10 to 15 kg of urea per mu each time. At the same time, apply 1 kg each of borax and zinc sulfate per mu to help retain flowers and fruits. Do a good job of drainage and irrigation, water timely during drought to keep the soil moist, and drain accumulated water promptly after heavy rain to prevent flower and fruit drop.

7. Pruning: In spring, promptly cut off the withered tips of biennial branches to encourage the remaining branches to produce strong fruiting branches. Thin out overly dense and diseased or pest-damaged branches at the base, leaving 7 to 8 biennial branches per plant and maintaining a reasonable density to facilitate ventilation and light penetration and ensure high and stable yields. After harvesting, cut off the biennial branches and thin out branch suckers and overly dense basal shoots to control the total number of branches in the orchard.

8. Harvesting: The raspberry harvest time is from mid-May to early June, when the fruit has fully developed and is still green, not yet turning red and ripe. Harvest in batches. After picking, remove stems, leaves, receptacles, and other impurities, then pour into boiling water and blanch for 2 to 3 minutes before removing, then spread out to sun-dry or dry. The finished product is best when the grains are intact, firm, yellow-green in color, sour in taste, and free of stem, leaf, and debris fragments.