How to Grow Raspberries and Blackberries in Pots

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How to grow raspberries in a pot outdoors comes down to four things: a container deep enough for the roots, a potting mix that drains freely, steady water and feeding, and protection for the roots when winter arrives. Oregon State University’s berry publication gives the pot depth, mix and cane type, and Penn State Extension covers the cold season. Blackberries get the same two-foot depth and a similar mix in Oregon State’s blackberry publication, but the research on blackberries in containers is thinner and less encouraging, so this guide covers both where the sources support it.

Quick answer

Use a container at least 2 feet deep, or a 20 to 30 gallon size, for raspberries or blackberries.
Choose primocane-fruiting types, which Oregon State names as the best choice for containers.
Make sure the potting mix and the container both drain well.
In cold winters, protect the roots, since Penn State says to go two zones colder with containerized plants.

Start with a pot at least two feet deep

Depth is where the sources agree most. Oregon State University’s coast berry publication says raspberry plants are relatively deep rooted, so they need a deep pot, which it puts at 2 feet deep or a 20 to 30 gallon size. Its home-garden blackberry publication sets a minimum depth of 2 feet and says a 20 to 30 gallon container works well. Both publications add the same warning about size: careful pruning is needed so the plant does not outgrow its container.

The sources do not agree on volume. An Extension Master Gardener answer from St. Louis County, Minnesota, posted on Ask Extension in March 2023, says “That size container is too small for growing and overwintering raspberries.” That answer asks for at least 12 inches of soil on all sides and gives 24 by 24 inches by 36 inches deep as the minimum. By our arithmetic, that box holds 12 cubic feet of soil, several times the 20 to 30 gallon pots in the Oregon State texts. The same answer says good drainage holes would be necessary and that potted plants are hard to keep fed. The Oregon State publications do not explain the gap in size, so treat the difference as open rather than settled.

Choose primocane-fruiting canes

The sources name specific cane types for containers. The Oregon State coast publication says the best raspberries for container production are primocane-fruiting cultivars, which produce two crops per season. The home-garden blackberry publication explains the terms. Primocanes grow through their first year and go dormant in the fall. They overwinter, then flower and fruit in their second year, when they are called floricanes. Floricanes die after fruiting.

For blackberries, the same publication names everbearing, primocane-fruiting erect cultivars pruned to produce two crops per season as the best choice for containers. Semierect cultivars are generally too vigorous to grow easily in containers, although they may grow in larger raised beds. Trailing cultivars can be grown in containers or raised beds using methods similar to those for field plantings. The raspberry-blackberry hybrids are trailing blackberries with less cold hardiness than erect or semierect cultivars, so a gardener in a cold winter should check hardiness before choosing one.

What the blackberry research shows

The blackberry evidence on containers is thinner and less encouraging than the raspberry guidance. A Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) project in West Virginia grew blackberries organically in high tunnels, and its 2010 annual report says “Growing blackberries within containers is challenging.”

Cane growth was poor in that project, so the team increased the pot size to 7 gallons in year 2. The report suggests blackberries may not do well when a container constricts the root system. The project then dropped container production and grew the blackberries in the ground inside the high tunnel.

That trial used a 7 gallon pot, which is below the 20 to 30 gallon range that Oregon State gives for blackberries, so it does not show what a larger pot would do. The Mississippi State University blog on planting blackberries says the plants can also go in large containers, and it reports no result for containers. Mississippi State’s fruit review, IS1444, says “Container-grown blackberry plants are more expensive, but these will also grow well.” That sentence sits in the section on establishing a planting and describes the plant stock a grower buys, not a plant kept in a pot.

Mix the potting soil so water can drain

Drainage comes up in both Oregon State container sections. The coast raspberry publication says it is very important for the potting mix and the container to drain well if you want to succeed with container-grown raspberries. The blackberry publication says the potting mix and the container must drain well.

Both publications give a starting recipe with the same basic parts. For raspberries, the coast publication suggests one part perlite, one part finely ground fir bark and two parts garden or potting soil, and it says yard centers may sell a similar mix in bulk. For blackberries, the home-garden publication gives one part perlite or pumice, one part finely ground bark and two parts garden or potting soil.

The blackberry publication also says slow-release or sulfur-coated fertilizer can be mixed into the potting mix at a rate of 8 cups per cubic yard of potting mix.

When the ground itself drains poorly, the Mississippi State fruit review says raised beds are recommended for locations with poorly drained soils or in areas prone to flooding. For a soil blend built for containers, see our guide to using raised bed soil in pots.

Give the pot full sun

The Ohio State University Extension publication on home raspberry planting says raspberries should be planted in an open site that receives at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight. That figure comes from its in-ground advice. The coast publication’s container section makes the same point in shorter form, asking for a site with good sun exposure, and it lists a deck or balcony as a place to grow berries in containers.

The sources do not turn good sun exposure into a number of hours for a pot. The 6 to 8 hour figure is the only one they give, so it is the best number to plan around, with the caveat that it was written for planting in the ground.

Support the canes and limit the count

A potted cane needs support. The coast publication includes a simple trellis design for a black raspberry or a primocane-fruiting raspberry in a container. Its container advice also limits the plant, asking the grower to thin it to no more than 4 primocanes per pot, plus 4 floricanes when the plant overwinters.

Pruning keeps the plant inside its pot. The blackberry publication says careful pruning is needed so the plant does not get too large for its container, and the coast publication says the same for raspberries.

The sources do not give step-by-step planting for a container. The in-ground planting steps in the blackberry publication describe a planting in soil, not in a pot, so do not apply them to a container without adjusting for the root ball and the mix.

Water and feed a potted planting

Water is where pots need the most attention. The coast publication says that because containers have a relatively low volume of soil, these plantings require careful monitoring and care, especially when watering and fertilizing. The same publication says established raspberry and blackberry plants typically need 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week during the growing season. It does not split that figure between pots and the ground, so use it as a starting point and check the mix before you water again. For a watering tool, see our guide to a hose attachment for watering plants.

Feeding is harder. The Ask Extension answer says it is difficult to keep potted plants fully fertilized because every time you water you are pushing fertilizer out. Both container sections offer slow-release fertilizer mixed into the potting mix as one answer, and the blackberry publication gives a rate for it, as covered above.

Protect the roots through winter

Why the roots are the weak point

Roots are the most exposed part of a potted berry. A research abstract on raspberry root frost hardiness from the International Society for Horticultural Science says “The root systems of plants in pots are exposed to lower winter temperatures than the ones grown in soil.” It adds that roots are usually more susceptible to frost than canes, so they may suffer winter injury where winter temperatures are low. Penn State Extension makes the same point from a different angle: a plant’s USDA hardiness zone is based on the plant in the ground, and “Roots of above-ground container plants can be the same temperature as the winter air.”

Options the sources describe

Penn State’s starting advice is a margin. To be safe, go two zones colder with containerized plants, use larger pots for more insulation, and provide some protection. For smaller pots, its options include burying the entire pot in the ground and covering it with soil or mulch, moving pots to an unheated garage, shed, cold frame or basement, and grouping pots in a protected spot covered with straw, compost, shredded leaves, bark mulch, evergreen boughs or a thermal blanket. A few pots can also go inside a larger box or a wire enclosure lined with insulation such as bark mulch, straw, packing peanuts or bubble wrap.

The Ask Extension answer names two of the same ideas, letting plants go dormant in an unheated garage or surrounding them with straw bales, as extra winter protection. Sunset offers a simpler plan for berries in pots. It says to pile 4 to 8 inches of mulch or straw in and around the pots and to keep that mulch off the stems, because packed mulch against the stems causes rot. Where berries are grown in USDA Zones 5 and below, Sunset says pots should be moved into a protected but unheated spot such as a garage, shed or greenhouse, if the pots are lightweight or you can move them.

Water, cracks and spring

Penn State says to water the plant well before the soil freezes, because dry soil freezes faster than moist soil. It also warns against overwatering, since that can cause root rot. Clay, ceramic and glazed pots should not be left exposed, because they may crack. If they must stay outdoors, wrap them in bubble wrap or other insulating material and cover them with plastic. In spring, remove the protective covers gradually so the plants can re-acclimate.

Common mistakes to avoid

Starting in a pot under 2 feet deep, the depth both Oregon State berry publications give for containers.
Using a mix or a container that holds water, when both publications say the mix and container must drain well.
Picking a semierect blackberry, which the blackberry publication calls generally too vigorous for containers.
Skipping pruning, which both Oregon State publications say is needed so the plant does not outgrow its container.
Letting the soil run dry before a hard freeze, since dry soil freezes faster than moist soil.
Overwatering through the cold months, which Penn State says can cause root rot.
Leaving clay, ceramic or glazed pots outside uncovered, since they may crack.
Taking off winter covers all at once in spring, instead of removing them gradually.

How we chose

We searched for extension, research and magazine pages on growing raspberries and blackberries in containers, then opened each one with curl. A page counted if it discussed containers directly or gave a fact this guide needed, such as sun hours or a mix recipe. We checked every quoted sentence against the fetched text and paraphrased any sentence that did not match. In this session we opened 29 addresses. Seven failed with an HTTP 403, 404 or 429 response, or did not connect. Of the 22 that returned HTTP 200, 10 are used here, and the other 12 gave general in-ground advice or had no container content. We did not rank the sources. They include university publications, a research abstract, a SARE project report and a magazine article, and they come from different climates.

What we could not verify

The sources cover depth, mix, drainage and winter protection in some detail, but several practical points are missing. Four of the pages come from Oregon State, Ohio State and Penn State, and they describe regional conditions that may not match your garden. The Ask Extension answer dates from 2023, and the SARE report is from 2010.

What the sources do not say

No source we opened gives a potting-mix pH for a pot. The Mississippi State blackberry blog gives a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.5, and it does not give a separate figure for a potting mix.

No source gives a feeding amount for a pot. The Ask Extension answer says feeding is difficult, but it does not give a rate.

No source gives a step-by-step planting method for a container. The in-ground steps in the blackberry publication describe planting in soil.

No source gives a temperature at which a potted raspberry or blackberry dies. The Penn State page gives a two-zone margin, and the ISHS abstract gives a general frost warning, but neither gives a number.

The SARE trial tested blackberries in one high tunnel, not raspberries, and the Ask Extension answer is one reply about one climate. The pages we opened do not name a variety that suits a pot in a cold climate.

Frequently asked questions

Can raspberries grow in a pot outdoors?

The Oregon State publications describe container production of raspberries with a deep pot, a primocane-fruiting type and careful pruning. The Ask Extension answer from Minnesota calls container growing very challenging in that climate, and it says a plant may survive with a large container, regular feeding and extra winter protection. The sources support trying it with those conditions, but none of them promises a harvest.

How big should the pot be?

Oregon State gives 2 feet deep or a 20 to 30 gallon size for raspberries, and its blackberry publication gives a minimum of 2 feet deep, with a 20 to 30 gallon container that works well. The Ask Extension answer asks for at least 12 inches of soil on all sides, with 24 by 24 by 36 inches as the minimum. The two figures differ, and the sources do not explain why.

Are blackberries easier to grow in pots than raspberries?

The sources do not compare the two directly in a pot. Both Oregon State publications give the same 2-foot depth and similar mixes. The one container trial we found, on blackberries, reported poor cane growth and then dropped containers in favor of ground planting.

How should a potted raspberry be protected in winter?

Penn State says to go two zones colder with containerized plants, use larger pots and give some protection. Its options include burying the pot, moving it to an unheated garage, shed, cold frame or basement, grouping pots with straw or leaves, and wrapping pots in insulation. Sunset adds a layer of 4 to 8 inches of mulch or straw around pots, kept off the stems.

How much water does a potted raspberry need?

The Oregon State coast publication gives established raspberries and blackberries 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week during the growing season, and it warns that containers need careful monitoring of water and fertilizer. In winter the advice changes. Penn State says to check soil moisture periodically and not to overwater, because overwatering can cause root rot.

Bottom line

Use a pot at least 2 feet deep with a mix that drains well, choose a primocane-fruiting type, and give established plants 1 to 1.5 inches of water a week in season. In cold winters, protect the roots first, because roots in a pot are the most exposed part of the plant.

Sources

https://ask.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=822764 (opened 2026-10-23)
https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-1421 (opened 2026-10-23)
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/default/files/documents/em9180.pdf (opened 2026-10-23)
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/ec-1303-growing-blackberries-your-home-garden (opened 2026-10-23)
https://extension.psu.edu/overwintering-plants-in-containers (opened 2026-10-23)
https://ishs.org/ishs-article/1133_37/ (opened 2026-10-23)
https://sunset.com/?p=108538 (opened 2026-10-23)
https://projects.sare.org/sare_project/fne08-638/?ar=2010 (opened 2026-10-23)
https://extension.msstate.edu/blog/tips-for-planting-blackberries (opened 2026-10-23)
https://extension.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/document/2026-05/IS1444_web_0.pdf (opened 2026-10-23)