If you want to harvest delicious raspberries, you only need a balcony or terrace - the shrubs can be grown very well in pots. Read this guide to learn how to grow in a bucket.

In a nutshell

  • prefer autumn raspberries that stay low until about 150 centimeters high
  • prefer large, wide plant pots made of stable, heavy material
  • Fill in slightly acidic humus soil
  • Don't forget the expanded clay drainage layer
  • water regularly and fertilize with berry fertilizer

Choose a suitable variety

Classic summer raspberries are basically also suitable for pot culture, but pruning and overwintering are quite complicated with these varieties. Instead, choose easier-to-handle autumn raspberries or so-called two-timer varieties. The latter have the advantage that they bear fruit twice a year, meaning you can harvest more often. Both types bear fruit on this year's shoots, which makes later pruning much easier.
You should also prefer compact varieties or dwarf raspberries that do not grow higher than 100 to 150 centimeters - these simply fit better in a pot and do not get too big. There are now even varieties specially bred for pot culture, such as the popular 'Ruby Beauty' variety. Dwarf raspberries can also be found under the name "Lowberry" ("low" for "low"). Pillar raspberries don't take up much space either, so they fit well on the balcony.

Choose the right pot

In order for the raspberries to feel comfortable in their pot and produce as many fruits as possible, they need one thing above all: lots of space. Therefore, choose the largest possible bucket that meets the following properties:

  • Capacity: at least 25 liters for pot and dwarf raspberries
  • for varieties with a height of more than 150 centimeters at least 40 liters
  • sufficient depth: must not be lower than a bucket of water
  • wide opening: raspberries are shallow-rooted and want to spread
  • heavy, natural material: clay or ceramics are ideal
  • no metal, no plastic: roots heat up too quickly and offer no cooling
  • Drainage hole at the bottom of the pot and saucer

Tip: Clay pots are also ideal because the water in the substrate can evaporate from the porous material and thus provides cooling. In winter, the thick material protects against the cold from outside. Raspberry roots are not only sensitive to cold, but also to heat.

location and substrate

For your potted raspberries, choose a sunny, sheltered location that is as warm as possible. If it is too dark, raspberries will not bloom or only bloom a little. Even the light penumbra is not bright enough for many varieties. A south-facing balcony or a south-facing terrace is ideal.
The earth should:

  • be slightly acidic (pH 5.5 to 6)
  • special berry soil is very suitable
  • but also a humus-rich, loose potting soil

plant raspberry

Plant the raspberries in the pot as follows:

  • First place the raspberry in a bucket of water
  • Roots should soak up moisture
  • Cover drain hole with large potsherd
  • Fill in a layer of expanded clay about five centimeters thick
  • this is for drainage
  • Fill in the soil up to the middle of the pot
  • Hold in root ball
  • Fill in the soil all around
  • Plant the plant as deep as in the container
  • Hold the pot with both hands and tap the bottom of the pot lightly on the ground
  • this closes any air holes
  • press earth

Finally, water the raspberries vigorously again and mulch the top layer of soil with some bark mulch in the pot. This keeps the moisture inside the pot and does not evaporate again in no time.

Notice: Incidentally, the best time to plant potted raspberries is spring, in contrast to specimens placed in the garden, which should be planted in early autumn if possible.

care properly

When caring for your raspberry plants, make sure you water them evenly and fertilize them regularly - without adequate water and nutrients, there is no fruit! Keep the substrate moist, it must not dry out, especially during fruit development until just before harvest. However, raspberries do not tolerate waterlogging either, which is why the soil must not be wet and there is always a large drainage hole in the bottom of the pot. This is the only way that excess irrigation water can run off promptly. Do not leave it in the saucer, but remove it no later than half an hour after soaking. It is best to fertilize with a special berry fertilizer according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Notice: Raspberry bushes bear fruit continuously for up to ten years. Therefore, repot your plants every two to three years in fresh soil and, if necessary, a larger planter.

harvest

When you can enjoy the fruits of your labor - the juicy, red raspberries - depends on the specific variety:

  • Summer raspberries: from June until July
  • Autumn raspberries: from August until October
  • Two-Timer: twice a year in June and August

Only pick ripe, colored fruits, which you carefully hold between your thumb and forefinger and peel off. Eat or process them right away, as freshly picked raspberries don't keep for long.

cutting and overwintering

In terms of pruning and overwintering, autumn raspberries are much easier to care for than summer raspberries:

  • Cut off all shoots before overwintering
  • Place the planter on a thick piece of Styrofoam or wood
  • wrap with an insulating material (e.g. jute or gardener's fleece)
  • back against a wall
  • Cover the soil with fir branches

These measures are necessary because potted raspberries are much more exposed to cold and frost and therefore need protection. If you have the opportunity to hibernate frost-free, you should use it. The ideal hibernation quarters are cool (between five and a maximum of ten degrees Celsius) and bright. Water a little on frost-free days so that the plant does not dry out. Fertilization, on the other hand, is omitted until spring.

Notice: Since summer raspberries bear fruit on the shoots of the previous year, you should leave them when pruning and just remove all the others.

frequently asked Questions

When is the best time to cut potted raspberries?

Like all raspberry bushes, you should ideally cut back potted raspberries in late winter or early spring. A dry, frost-free day between the end of February and the beginning of March is well suited.

How much fertilizer do you need for potted raspberries?

If you use a long-term fertilizer - which is ideal because it doesn't release its nutrients all at once but gradually and you also can't forget the nutrient supply - you need about 20 grams of fertilizer per five liter pot volume. That means you use 100 grams of fertilizer for a 25 liter pot. This lasts about eight to twelve weeks.

Can I also plant the raspberry in a mortar bucket?

In principle, you can of course also put raspberry plants in a mortar bucket or other containers. But then you should definitely fill in a layer of expanded clay at least ten centimeters thick so that excess water can drain off and the plant does not die due to waterlogging.

Category:

Garden plants