How to Grow a Raspberry Patch

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How to grow a raspberry patch starts with the site and the soil, then moves to the plants, the spacing, the water and the support. Three extension publications cover those steps: Iowa State University Extension, New Mexico State University Extension and the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. They agree on full sun, good drainage and virus-free plants. They disagree on soil pH and row spacing, so this guide puts each figure next to its source and notes where the climate differs.

Quick answer

Choose a sunny site with well-drained soil, and plant virus-free stock in early spring before new growth starts.
For red raspberries, Iowa State University Extension gives 1½ to 3 feet within the row and 6 to 8 feet between rows. Arkansas gives wider rows, so check your region.
Give about 1 inch of water a week from bloom until harvest, and do not let the plants dry out while the berries are sizing.
Standard types usually need a wire about 3 feet above the ground. Everbearing types rarely need a trellis.

Choose the site and check the soil

Site comes first. Iowa State University Extension says “When selecting a planting site, choose an area that receives full sun.” It adds that “The planting site should receive at least 6 hours of direct sun each day” and warns to “Avoid shady areas near large trees and shrubs.” New Mexico State University Extension expects the same sun, with partial shade in its hot areas to reduce sunburn on the berries.

Soil drainage is the point the pages stress most. Iowa State University Extension says raspberries “grow poorly in heavy clay or poorly drained soils.” It also says that “Planting in raised beds can improve drainage.” The Arkansas publication gives the same fix in more detail: if there is any question about drainage, prepare a raised bed for planting, 36 inches wide and 8 to 10 inches high. For a sense of how much soil a raised bed holds, see how much soil a raised bed garden needs.

New Mexico State University Extension gives a deeper fix for the soil itself. It says to “Turn the soil over to a depth of two or more feet for good drainage.” It also says that “Adding ample quantities of compost and peat moss will help buffer alkalinity,” which improves water holding and aeration. Those steps make more sense in a patch that will stay in place for years, because the bed cannot easily be dug again later.

Test the soil and clear the weeds

Two of the three pages expect a soil test before planting. The Arkansas publication says “Soil testing should be done four to six months before planting so that amendments such as lime can be added and have sufficient time to react before planting.” New Mexico State University Extension advises testing for nematodes as well, and says to “Test the soil for nematodes before planting.”

Weeds are harder to fix after planting. Iowa State University Extension says “Perennial weeds, such as quackgrass, are extremely difficult to control in a raspberry planting”, and it advises avoiding ground heavily infested with them. The Arkansas publication says the same thing in plainer terms: “Perennial weeds should be eliminated from the planting site.” Clear the ground before the first plant goes in.

The site history matters too. New Mexico State University Extension says “Raspberries should not be planted in soils that have been planted to potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, strawberries” and other cane berries that carried wilt. This is a crop-rotation rule, not a treatment, and it is the reason the page gives for testing the soil.

Buy virus-free plants and plant on time

Plant stock is where the three pages agree most closely. Iowa State University Extension says to “Purchase virus-free raspberry plants from a reputable garden center or mail-order company”, and explains why: “Plants obtained from an old patch are often diseased.” New Mexico State University Extension recommends “Certified, virus-free planting stock” to limit the spread of disease and insect pests. The Arkansas publication asks the buyer to purchase from a reputable nursery to reduce the risk of introducing diseases.

Timing follows the same logic. Iowa State University Extension says “Early spring (late March and April) is the best time to plant dormant, bare-root raspberry plants in Iowa.” New Mexico State University Extension says to “Plant dormant plants in the early spring before new growth begins.” If a plant arrives already growing, Iowa State advises waiting until “the danger of frost is past.”

At planting, the pages describe the hole and the depth. New Mexico State University Extension says to “Dig planting holes with a shovel, spreading raspberry roots evenly throughout the hole”, and to “Water plants immediately after planting.” Arkansas gives a depth rule for red types: 2 to 3 inches deeper than the nursery depth. For black raspberries, it says to plant at the same depth the plant was growing in the nursery.

Spacing rows and plants

Spacing is where the sources differ most. Iowa State University Extension gives red and yellow raspberries 1½ to 3 feet apart in the row, with rows 6 to 8 feet apart. It recommends the closer spacing for the earliest maximum density, and it says to “maintain red and yellow raspberries in 1- to 2-foot-wide hedgerows” for best results. Black and purple raspberries go 3 feet apart in the row, with rows 6 to 8 feet apart, and they grow in clumps that stay where they are planted.

Arkansas uses wider figures. Red raspberries get 2 to 3 feet within the row, and rows of 5 to 10 feet, depending on how the row middles will be managed. Its black raspberries go 4 to 5 feet apart in the row, with rows 8 to 10 feet apart, because black types sprawl. The row width you choose therefore depends on the mowing or cultivation plan as much as on the plant. New Mexico State University Extension says raspberries are “normally planted in rows and trained to form a hedge”, and its spacing table is not in the text the guide opened.

Water, mulch and weeds

Water is the step the pages treat most seriously once the patch is in. New Mexico State University Extension says “Raspberries should never be stressed for moisture since irrigation is particularly critical during bloom and when the berries are sizing.” It notes that “drip irrigation tends to be more efficient” than sprinklers or furrow irrigation. Arkansas gives a number: “Raspberry plants require 1 inch of water a week from bloom until the end of harvest either as rain or irrigation.” It adds that plants “should receive irrigation during extended dry periods after harvest.”

Mulch helps with both water and weeds. New Mexico State University Extension says “Using organic mulches will also help conserve moisture”, and that because water stays near the roots, “weeds are not as prolific in the alleys.” Arkansas says “mulching with straw, sawdust, compost or other appropriate material can reduce weed competition and conserve soil moisture.” Its permanent-mulch note adds a limit: “Use of permanent mulch between rows will suppress but not totally eliminate weed growth.”

In the row itself, Arkansas advises “Control weeds in the row by pulling, hoeing or mechanical cultivation.” If the middles are cultivated, it says the area between rows needs cultivating “to a depth of 1 to 2 inches every two weeks from early spring until the end of harvest.” A mowed sod middle is the lowest-yield option in its comparison, but the easiest to keep up.

For compost in the bed, see compost for raised garden beds, which covers the soil side of the same question.

Support and training

Support depends on the type. New Mexico State University Extension says “Everbearing raspberries tend to be more erect than standard raspberries and rarely need to be trained to a trellis.” Standard types may need a wire, and the page says that “Stretching a wire on both sides of the hedge about 3 ft above the ground will confine canes to the hedge.” It also says that “Canes may be attached to the wires with twine.”

Arkansas gives a different setup for its own types. It says “a crossarm trellis system should be used” for everbearing red types, with two-foot crossarms at about 4 feet and posts 15 to 20 feet apart. Its summer-bearing red variety, Dormanred, “requires trellising similar to trailing blackberries”, with wires at 2, 3.5 and 5 feet. Iowa State University Extension does not discuss trellis systems in the text the guide opened. The support choice therefore depends on the variety in the row, and the seed or nursery tag should say which group it belongs to.

Common mistakes

Planting in shade or heavy clay. Iowa State University Extension says raspberries grow poorly in heavy clay and poorly drained soils, and it asks for full sun.
Using plants from an old patch. Iowa State University Extension says plants from an old patch are often diseased, and that infected plants may look healthy while they yield poorly.
Letting the soil dry out at bloom. New Mexico State University Extension says irrigation is particularly critical during bloom and when berries are sizing.
Planting where tomatoes or potatoes grew. New Mexico State University Extension lists the crops whose soil it advises against.
Planting the wrong type for the climate. Arkansas says raspberries are not well adapted to climates south of Missouri, and that variety choice matters where they are grown.

How the three sources compare

Point	Iowa State University Extension	New Mexico State University Extension	University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Soil pH	6.0 to 6.8	6.5 to 7.5	5.5 to 6.5
Sun	At least 6 hours of direct sun	Partial shade in hot areas	Not stated in the text opened
Red, in the row	1½ to 3 feet	Spacing table not in the text opened	2 to 3 feet
Red, between rows	6 to 8 feet	Spacing table not in the text opened	5 to 10 feet, depending on the row middle
Black, in the row	3 feet	Spacing table not in the text opened	4 to 5 feet
Black, between rows	6 to 8 feet	Spacing table not in the text opened	8 to 10 feet
Water	Not stated	Critical at bloom and sizing; drip is more efficient	1 inch a week, bloom to harvest
Trellis	Not stated	Wire about 3 feet up for standard types	Crossarm trellis for everbearing; wires at 2, 3.5 and 5 feet for Dormanred

The pH and spacing rows show the biggest gaps. A soil at pH 6.2 falls inside the Iowa State and Arkansas ranges but below the New Mexico State range. Check your own test result against all three ranges, and use the one that matches your climate.

How we chose

The guide draws on three publications, each opened with curl on 2026-10-23 and read from extracted text: Iowa State University Extension’s “Planting Raspberries in the Home Garden”, New Mexico State University Extension’s “Raspberries for the Home Garden” (Guide H-320, revised by Shengrui Yao), and the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s “Raspberries in the Home Garden” (FSA-6107). Each covers home-garden raspberries directly. The passages in quotation marks were checked against the text of the page they come from, and the other sentences paraphrase those pages.

The dates vary. The Iowa State article is dated April 12, 2013. The New Mexico State guide lists a revision by Shengrui Yao, and the extracted text shows no clear revision date. The Arkansas publication shows no date in the text opened. Where the pages disagree on a number, the guide gives each figure and says which page it comes from.

What we could not verify

The three publications are good for planting and patch layout, but they do not cover every stage of a raspberry patch. The gaps are listed below, and the guide does not fill them with figures from memory.

What the sources do not say

None of the three pages gives a yield per row or a year-by-year production schedule. The New Mexico State spacing table is not in the text the guide opened, so its figures are not used. The sources do not say how long a patch stays productive. Iowa State University Extension does not discuss trellis systems, and its only watering advice is to water each plant thoroughly at planting. Arkansas does not give a sun figure. Pruning, cane training and pest treatment are outside this guide, and no product or chemical advice is given.

Frequently asked questions

How far apart should raspberry plants be?

Iowa State University Extension gives red types 1½ to 3 feet in the row and 6 to 8 feet between rows. Arkansas gives 2 to 3 feet in the row and 5 to 10 feet between rows, depending on how the middles are managed. Black raspberries are wider in both pages, at 3 feet in the row for Iowa State and 4 to 5 feet for Arkansas.

What soil pH do raspberries need?

The pages disagree. Iowa State University Extension gives 6.0 to 6.8, New Mexico State University Extension gives 6.5 to 7.5, and the Arkansas publication gives 5.5 to 6.5. A soil test gives the best answer for a particular site, and the three ranges show how much the answer depends on the region.

Can raspberries be planted in heavy clay?

Not without help. Iowa State University Extension says raspberries grow poorly in heavy clay or poorly drained soils, and it notes that planting in raised beds can improve drainage. The Arkansas publication suggests a raised bed when drainage is in doubt.

How much water does a raspberry patch need?

Arkansas gives 1 inch a week from bloom until the end of harvest, either as rain or irrigation, and it adds irrigation during dry periods after harvest. New Mexico State University Extension says the plants should never be stressed for moisture, and it prefers drip irrigation.

Do raspberries need a trellis?

It depends on the type. New Mexico State University Extension says everbearing raspberries rarely need training to a trellis, while standard types may need a wire about 3 feet high. The Arkansas publication says everbearing red types may benefit from a trellis, especially for a fall crop, and it gives a crossarm design for them.

Sources

https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/article/2013/04-12/raspberry.html (opened 2026-10-23)
https://pubs.nmsu.edu/_h/H320/ (opened 2026-10-23)
https://www.uaex.uada.edu/publications/PDF/FSA-6107.pdf (opened 2026-10-23)