Growing Raspberries in Scotland: The Complete Guide

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Everything you need to grow raspberries in Scotland, from a November planting of dormant canes to a punnet of ripe fruit on a July morning. We have done the research so you don't have to.

Raspberries are the soft fruit Scotland can genuinely claim as its own. The James Hutton Institute in Dundee runs the UK's raspberry breeding programme, and every Glen-named variety, Glen Ample, Glen Moy, Glen Doll, was bred here. That provenance is a fact worth knowing, though it is heritage, not a guarantee: Hutton breeds for the commercial industry, not home gardens, and nobody trials varieties for Scottish conditions. But the crop itself is built for our climate. Raspberries outright prefer cooler regions. A Scottish summer gives them exactly what they need: steady ripening rather than a rushed burst in a heatwave. A raspberry patch, once established, will crop for up to ten years. That is a decade of fresh fruit from a single planting.

Why raspberries suit Scotland

Raspberries are hardy and vigorous, especially in cooler regions. Scotland is a cooler region. Summer-fruiting types ripen from late June through September. Autumn-fruiting types start in August and keep going into October. Neither type needs a heatwave to set fruit. A Scottish summer, cool and steady, produces raspberries with depth of flavour rather than watery sweetness from a plant that rushed through ripening.

Autumn-fruiting raspberries are the safer bet for a short season. They crop on the current year's growth, which means they fruit in their first year after planting. Cut everything to the ground in February, and the new canes that spring up will be carrying ripe berries by August. No tying in, no remembering which cane is which, no losing a whole season because last year's stems got damaged. One pruning rule, once a year, and a crop every autumn.

Varieties

Glen Ample was bred at the James Hutton Institute in Scotland: genuine provenance, though heritage rather than a guarantee of garden performance. It also carries the RHS Award of Garden Merit, a UK-wide award, not a Scottish one.

Also worth considering

Soil and site

Raspberries want a sunny, sheltered spot with fertile, well-drained soil that is slightly acidic, ideally pH 6 to 6.7. They will not tolerate waterlogged soil, especially in winter. If your ground is heavy or poorly drained, plant in raised beds. Avoid sites where raspberries have grown before: they can struggle with replant problems.

Choose a sheltered position. Tall summer-fruiting canes catch the wind, and strong gusts can snap the thin fruiting side-branches. Rows running north to south give even light to both sides.

On decent garden soil, no extra preparation is needed. If your soil is poor, mix some garden compost into the planting hole. After planting, spread a mulch 5 to 7.5cm deep over the soil. Use well-rotted organic matter or garden compost. Avoid mushroom compost, which is alkaline.

Planting

Plant raspberries during the dormant season, from November to March, whenever the soil is not frozen. Late autumn is ideal. Bare-root canes are cheaper, sold in bundles of five or more, and give you the widest choice of varieties. Buy certified virus-free plants from a fruit nursery or specialist online retailer.

Space plants 40 to 60cm apart, with 1.5 to 2m between rows. Do not plant too deeply: the first roots should be no more than 5cm below the soil surface. Use the soil mark on the stem as a guide. After planting, prune most canes down to 25cm tall. The exception is summer-fruiting raspberries bought as long canes: leave those unpruned or you will lose the first season's fruit.

Put supports in place before planting. Summer-fruiting raspberries need a system of sturdy posts and horizontal wires. Install posts about 1.8m tall with three wires at 60cm intervals. Autumn-fruiting types are shorter and can be supported by simpler posts 60cm tall with parallel wires.

Watering and care

Water well immediately after planting and during any prolonged dry spells in the first growing season. Once established, raspberries should not need extra watering except during exceptionally long dry spells when the fruits are developing.

Apply a 5 to 7.5cm layer of organic mulch in late winter or early spring, leaving a slight gap around the base of the stems. Mulching improves the soil, holds moisture and suppresses weeds. If raspberries are mulched regularly, they should not need additional feeding. If growth is poor, apply a balanced granular fertiliser in early spring.

Pruning summer-fruiting raspberries: after harvesting, cut all the old woody fruited canes to the ground. Select the six to eight strongest young green canes per plant and tie them to the wires, spaced about 10cm apart. Cut any remaining young canes to the ground. These tied canes will fruit the following summer. In February, trim back canes that are taller than the top wire to a bud about 10cm above it.

Pruning autumn-fruiting raspberries: in February, cut every cane to the ground. That is the entire pruning regime. New canes emerge in spring and fruit that same autumn. In early summer, thin out overcrowded clumps, removing weaker stems so the remainder are about 10cm apart.

Remove any suckers that appear outside the row. If you want more plants, healthy suckers from certified virus-free stock can be dug up and replanted.

Harvesting

Early summer-fruiting varieties are ready from late June, with later varieties continuing into September. Autumn-fruiting types start in August and often carry on well into October. Harvest regularly when the berries are richly coloured, plump and pull away easily from the core. Pick on a dry day. Damp berries turn mouldy quickly. Raspberries are best eaten fresh but freeze well, and a glut makes excellent jam.

A Scottish raspberry patch in July, the canes heavy with fruit, the air warm enough to bring out the scent of warm berries, is one of the most rewarding things a garden produces.

Common problems

• Raspberry cane blight causes canes to die back in summer. Prune out and destroy affected canes promptly. Space plants for good airflow.
• Grey mould (botrytis) rots the fruit, especially in wet weather. Harvest regularly and remove any mouldy berries. Good airflow between canes reduces the risk.
• Viruses spread by aphids cause stunted growth and crumbly fruit. There is no cure. Remove infected plants immediately. Start with certified virus-free stock. The large raspberry aphid in Scotland has evolved to overcome bred-in resistance genes, so do not rely on variety resistance alone: remove aphid-infested tips promptly.
• Raspberry beetle larvae burrow into the fruit. Pick raspberries regularly and check for small pale grubs inside the berries.
• Birds will take the fruit before you do. Netting supported on canes, raised above the fruit and fastened securely, is the defence. A fruit cage is the permanent solution if you grow a lot of soft fruit.

Common questions

Sources