Oregon · Washington · Idaho

When to plant raspberries

Plant in the garden: Portland and Seattle Mar 15 – Apr 26; Spokane Apr 15 – May 27; Boise Apr 1 – May 13; Bend May 12 – Jun 23.

Raspberries are cane fruits in the rose family, grown for soft, sweet berries eaten fresh, frozen or made into jam. Summer-bearing types fruit once in early summer on canes that grew the year before, while everbearing (fall-bearing) types also fruit at the tips of new canes in late summer and fall. Whatcom County in northwest Washington grows much of the country's red raspberry crop.

Add to my garden plan

Puts raspberries on your free plan, with dates for your town and a spot in your beds.

Difficulty: Moderate
Sun: Full sun
Spacing: 2 to 3 feet apart in rows
Planting depth: Roots covered by 2 to 3 inches of soil
Frost: Hardy perennial; comes back every year
First harvest: Light crop in year two (fall-bearers can fruit the first fall)

Need well-drained soil; they die in soggy ground. A raised row helps in wet Northwest winters. West of the Cascades, fall planting works well too.

Raspberry planting dates

Towns	Plant in the garden
Portland, OR, Seattle and Tacoma, WA	Mar 15 – Apr 26
Spokane, WA	Apr 15 – May 27
Boise and Meridian, ID, Astoria, OR	Apr 1 – May 13
Bend and Redmond, OR	May 12 – Jun 23

Dates for six main cities. For any of the other 80 towns, type it in the box at the top of the page or browse all towns.

Gresham, OR, Oregon City and West Linn, OR, Portland, OR, St. Helens and Scappoose, OR, Wilsonville and Canby, OR	Mar 15 – Apr 26
Hillsboro and Beaverton, OR	Mar 19 – Apr 30

Corvallis and Albany, OR, Eugene, OR, Salem, OR	Mar 15 – Apr 26
Cottage Grove, OR	Mar 27 – May 8
McMinnville and Newberg, OR	Mar 18 – Apr 29

Ashland and Talent, OR	Apr 8 – May 20
Grants Pass, OR, Medford, OR, Roseburg, OR	Mar 15 – Apr 26

Astoria, OR, Brookings and Gold Beach, OR, Coos Bay and North Bend, OR, Newport and Lincoln City, OR, Tillamook, OR	Apr 1 – May 13

Bend and Redmond, OR, Klamath Falls, OR	May 12 – Jun 23
Burns, OR	May 14 – Jun 25
Lakeview, OR	May 7 – Jun 18
Madras, OR	Apr 21 – Jun 2
Prineville, OR	May 4 – Jun 15

Baker City, OR	Apr 27 – Jun 8
Enterprise and Joseph, OR	Apr 26 – Jun 7
Hermiston, OR, Hood River, OR, Ontario, OR, Pendleton, OR, The Dalles, OR	Apr 1 – May 13
John Day, OR	Apr 30 – Jun 11
La Grande, OR	Apr 15 – May 27

Bremerton and Port Orchard, WA, Everett, WA, Kent, Renton and Auburn, WA, Seattle and Tacoma, WA	Mar 15 – Apr 26
Olympia, WA	Apr 1 – May 13
Shelton, WA	Mar 30 – May 11

Anacortes, WA, Bellingham, WA, Friday Harbor and the San Juans, WA, Mount Vernon and Burlington, WA, Oak Harbor and Whidbey Island, WA	Mar 15 – Apr 26

Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA, Forks, WA, Long Beach and Ilwaco, WA	Apr 1 – May 13
Port Angeles, WA, Port Townsend, WA	Mar 15 – Apr 26
Sequim, WA	Mar 24 – May 5

Centralia and Chehalis, WA	Mar 25 – May 6
Longview and Kelso, WA, Vancouver, WA	Mar 15 – Apr 26

Chelan, WA, Wenatchee, WA	Apr 1 – May 13
Leavenworth, WA, Omak and Okanogan, WA	Apr 15 – May 27
Winthrop and Twisp, WA	Apr 17 – May 29

Ellensburg, WA	Apr 15 – May 27
Ephrata and Quincy, WA, Moses Lake, WA, Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA, Walla Walla, WA	Apr 1 – May 13
Goldendale, WA	Apr 21 – Jun 2
Sunnyside, Grandview and Prosser, WA	Apr 3 – May 15
Yakima, WA	Apr 10 – May 22

Colville, WA, Pullman, WA, Spokane, WA	Apr 15 – May 27

Bonners Ferry, ID, Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls, ID, Sandpoint, ID	Apr 15 – May 27

Lewiston, ID	Apr 1 – May 13
Moscow, ID	Apr 15 – May 27

Boise and Meridian, ID, Nampa and Caldwell, ID	Apr 1 – May 13
Emmett, ID	Apr 2 – May 14
McCall, ID	May 25 – Jul 6

Burley and Rupert, ID, Idaho Falls, ID, Pocatello, ID, Rexburg, ID, Twin Falls, ID	Apr 15 – May 27
Salmon, ID	Apr 19 – May 31

Raspberry year at a glance

Task	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Plant			Mar	Apr
Harvest						Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct

Around Portland. Colder towns, especially east of the Cascades, run a few weeks later; the table above has your town's planting dates. Harvest months are for an established plant.

How to grow raspberries

Pick a sunny spot with soil that drains well, and mix in an inch or two of compost.
Plant raspberry canes on your city's dates, 2 to 3 feet apart in rows. Roots covered by 2 to 3 inches of soil.
Set up a simple trellis with posts and wire. After harvest, cut spent canes to the ground.
Harvest: Pick when berries slip easily off the core. Check every two or three days in season.

Video by Raintree Nursery. Plays from YouTube when you click it. Watch on YouTube

Growing raspberries in your part of the Northwest

The same plant behaves differently on the wet west side, the foggy coast and the dry, colder east side.

West-side valleys

Willamette Valley, Puget Sound, southern Oregon

Raspberries grow well here, but root rot kills plants in heavy, wet soil; plant in raised rows. Spotted wing drosophila attacks ripe fruit.

Coast

Oregon and Washington coast

Raspberries grow well in the cool climate. Pick often in wet weather to prevent mold.

East of the Cascades

Columbia Basin, Yakima, Boise, Spokane, north Idaho

Raspberries need steady water and some protection from hot afternoon sun. Spider mites can build up in dry heat.

High desert and mountain towns

Central Oregon, high eastern Oregon valleys, McCall, Salmon

Choose cold-hardy varieties. Fall-bearing types may be cut short by early frost, so summer-bearing ones are more dependable.

More raspberry varieties

More widely sold picks that do well somewhere in the Northwest. The tag says which part of the Northwest suits each one best.

Meeker

Summer-bearing, red · Ripens early July

A Northwest favorite with firm, dark red, richly flavored berries that are excellent for jam and freezing. Productive, long-lived canes make it a dependable backbone for a home berry patch.

Both sides

Tulameen

Summer-bearing, red · Ripens July

Very large, glossy, sweet berries over a long picking season. It is less winter hardy than some, so it shines in the milder winters west of the Cascades.

West side

Cascade Delight

Summer-bearing, red · Ripens July

Bred in Washington with resistance to root rot, the main raspberry killer in wet Northwest soils. Large, flavorful berries make it a smart choice for heavier ground.

West side

Willamette

Summer-bearing, early · Ripens late June

An old Northwest standard with large, firm, dark red berries that ripen early. Its tart-sweet flavor holds up well in jams, pies and the freezer.

Both sides

Heritage

Fall-bearing, red · Late August to frost

The classic fall raspberry: very hardy, upright canes that fruit on new growth each year. Mow everything to the ground in late winter for one easy fall crop.

Both sides

Caroline

Fall-bearing, red · Mid August to frost

Larger, more flavorful berries than Heritage that start a little earlier in the fall. Vigorous canes give big yields and some tolerance of root rot.

Both sides

Anne

Fall-bearing, yellow · Late August to frost

Pale golden berries with a sweet, almost apricot-like flavor and very little tartness. A fun change from red raspberries, and birds seem to notice them less.

Both sides

How much to grow

How many to plant

For a family of four, about 20 to 25 feet of row. Mix summer- and fall-bearing types for a long season.

What to expect

About 1 to 2 pounds per foot of row once established.

Storing the harvest

Keep only two or three days in the fridge. Freeze on a tray.

Key numbers

5.6–6.2Soil pH
10–12 inches highRaised row
2 yearsEach cane lives
1–2 inches a week in fruitWater
Cascade Bounty, Cascade DelightRoot-rot resistant
2–3 daysPicked berries keep

Top care tip: Water deeply while berries are ripening, about 1 to 2 inches a week, and keep the row weeded.

The plant science

The plant biology behind the advice above, in plain language.

How raspberry canes work

Raspberry roots live for many years, but each cane lives only two. In its first year a cane (a primocane) grows leaves; in its second year (as a floricane) it fruits and then dies. Summer-bearing varieties like Meeker and Tulameen fruit only on second-year canes. Fall-bearing varieties like Heritage also fruit at the tips of first-year canes in late summer and fall.

That's the key to pruning. For summer-bearers, cut the canes that just fruited to the ground after harvest, and thin the new canes to the sturdiest ones, about 6 inches apart. For fall-bearers, the simplest method is to cut every cane to the ground in late winter for one large crop in late summer.

Drainage, and root rot

Phytophthora root rot is the most common reason raspberries die in the Northwest. This water mold thrives in soil that stays saturated, which describes much of the region in winter. Infected plants send up weak new canes that wilt and die, and the roots turn reddish-brown inside.

Plant in a raised row or bed at least 10 to 12 inches high, and never in a low spot where water collects. Variety matters too: Cascade Bounty and Cascade Delight are very resistant, while Meeker is moderately so. Avoid beds where tomatoes or potatoes grew recently, since they share Verticillium wilt.

Soil, water and feeding

Raspberries prefer a slightly acidic soil, with a pH of about 5.6 to 6.2, rich in organic matter. Give them an inch or two of water a week while fruit is forming, through drip lines or soaker hoses, so the canes and berries stay dry. Feed in early spring, when new growth starts.

Pests

Spotted wing drosophila, a small fruit fly, lays eggs in ripening raspberries, and fall-bearing crops are hit hardest. Pick every two days, collect any overripe fruit, and chill berries quickly. Root weevils and cane diseases also show up, but good airflow from thinning and trellising prevents most cane problems.

Harvest

A ripe raspberry pulls cleanly off its core with a gentle tug. Berries don't ripen after picking and are among the most perishable fruits, so pick into shallow containers, refrigerate right away and eat within two or three days, or freeze them on a tray.

Good neighbors

Garlic and chives. Fill the edges of the bed without competing much.

Keep apart

Wild blackberries. Himalayan blackberry thickets nearby harbor the same pests and viruses; clear them from around the patch if you can.

Pests and problems

What most often goes wrong with raspberries in Northwest gardens, how to spot it and what to do.

Root rot

Signs: Canes wilt and die in soggy soil.

What to do: Plant in a raised row with good drainage.

Spotted wing drosophila

Signs: Mushy berries with tiny larvae.

What to do: Pick every day or two and chill quickly.

Cane blight

Signs: Dark, dying patches on canes.

What to do: Cut out old fruiting canes after harvest and thin for airflow.

Common questions about growing raspberries

When should I plant raspberries in Oregon, Washington and Idaho?

Plant in the garden: Mar 15 – Apr 26 in Portland and Seattle, Apr 15 – May 27 in Spokane, Apr 1 – May 13 in Boise and May 12 – Jun 23 in Bend. Pick your town at the top of the page for your own dates.

Why are my raspberry canes dying?

If they're canes that fruited last summer, that's normal: each cane dies after its second year. If new canes are wilting and dying, suspect root rot from soggy soil. Move the planting to a raised bed and choose a resistant variety like Cascade Bounty or Cascade Delight.

How do I prune summer-bearing vs. fall-bearing raspberries?

For summer-bearers, cut canes that just fruited to the ground after harvest and thin the new canes. For fall-bearers, mow or cut all canes to the ground in late winter for a single late-summer crop.

How long do raspberry plants last?

A well-drained planting can produce for ten years or more, since the roots keep sending up new canes. Plantings in wet soil often decline within a few years because of root rot.

See what else to plant in March or April.