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Can You Plant Raspberries and Blackberries Together [Complete Guide]

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Throughout North America, blackberries and raspberries grow wild. There’s prime roadside picking out there, but thorns, tangled vines, and uneven footing make harvesting an extreme sport of sorts!

By comparison, domestic berry varieties are thornless, easy to trellis, very prolific, and produce larger fruits. They’re also easy to grow. What’s not to love?

Here’s everything you need to know about planting blackberries and raspberries in your yard so that you don’t have to brave the wilds to get them.

(We also assembled one of the best blackberry and raspberry recipe lists on the internet at the end of the article. Wait until you see!)

Can You Plant Raspberries and Blackberries Together

Yes, you can most certainly plant raspberries and blackberries together. Both are self-pollinating, which means you don’t need to worry about cross-pollination. The main things to look out for are their preferred growing conditions and disease resistance. Make sure your raspberry and blackberry varieties are suitable for your climate and sufficiently disease-resistant.

If you are planting raspberries and blackberries right next to each other, prune them regularly to increase airflow and reduce the chance of transferring fungus and other diseases from one plant to another, or choose varieties that aren’t susceptible to these problems.

Choosing Your Berry Variety

colorful raspberry bush fruit plant
If you’re planting raspberry plants in rows, give them plenty of space for air circulation, harvesting, and pruning! Provide around eight to ten feet per row.

The first step is choosing your raspberry or blackberry variety. There are so many excellent options to choose from – each more delicious than the last. 

Tulameen raspberries can grow large and sweet, and they’re one of the best for snacking! 

The Ebony King is another favorite thornless blackberry that produces remarkably plump, delicious, and sweet berries.

But these are just scratching the surface – you have tons of berry cultivars from which to choose.

Read More – How Far Apart Should You Plant Fruit Trees? [7+ Fruit Tree Spacing Tips!]

Here are some great varieties of raspberries and blackberries for growing.

Table 1 – Best Raspberries for Growing

Raspberry CultivarDescription
Boyne Excellent flavor and bright red color
KillarneyExtremely cold tolerant 
EdenFrom Nova Scotia, cold tolerant
NovaBright red and delicious berries
Autumn BlissAbundant berries
RoyaltyA prolific (and majestic) purple variety
AnneEverbearing and unique golden color
Best raspberry cultivars for growing

Red raspberries have excellent reputations for surviving chilly weather! They can even produce delicious fruit with limited sunlight.

But, make no mistake. Red raspberry loves – and prefers – plenty of direct sunlight. The more sunlight you provide to your red raspberry shrubs – the more abundant your yield!

(The more direct sunlight, the better!)

Table 2 – Best Blackberries for Growing

Blackberry CultivarDescription
Triple CrownGreat flavor, high yields
Illini HardyCold tolerant
FreedomThornless, abundant juicy fruit
ApacheMidseason, thornless
Prime JimEarly harvest 
DarrowLarge plants, larger berries
ChesterHalf-trailing, larger berries
NelsonFrom Maine, very hardy
Best blackberry cultivars for growing

Also – remember that some blackberries have thorns. Others are thornless!

Thorned blackberries usually have sweeter fruits than thornless blackberries.

However, thorned blackberries are tricky to prune because their thorns pinch. Big time!

Thornless blackberries are easier to manage. Thornless blackberries are also favorites among those who use trellises in their gardens!

Planting Blackberries and Raspberries Without Stress

ripe and unripe blackberries plant
Your blackberries are ripe and ready for snacking when they appear plump and dark – almost a dark purple. I’ve admittedly gorged upon (countless) unripe blackberries – but it’s better to wait!

A lot of homesteading friends worry about planting their raspberries and blackberries!

Luckily – blackberries and raspberries are more tolerant and hardier than you think.

One factor you’ll want to consider is how many chill days different varieties need. 

We also recommend looking at your hardiness zone. Compare your hardiness zone with the blackberry or raspberry cultivar that you’re considering.

(Here’s our favorite way to find your hardiness zone in a few simple clicks.)

Like many other fruits, blackberries and raspberries need a bit of cold exposure to produce well. 

Once you’ve chosen your berry variety – it’s time to think about planting.

As you plant your blackberries or raspberries, you might have some questions about planning out your space and what will grow well with your new berry bushes.

Read More – 13 Trees That Grow in Rocky Soil! (Fruit Trees, Too!)

Planting Blackberries and Raspberries FAQs

Few things are as sweet (and delicious) as growing blackberries and raspberries – especially if you enjoy cooler growing seasons!

That’s why we’re sharing some of the most common blackberry and raspberry FAQs our homesteading friends may ask.

We hope this helps!

Raspberry Disease!

Anthracnose is a tremendous pain for purple and black raspberries! It’s a disease also known as gray bark – or cane spot.

You’ll notice that black raspberry shoots develop bruises or cankers. Anthracnose seems to attack black and purple raspberry varieties – but only select red raspberry varieties.

The Ohio State University Extension published an excellent anthracnose raspberry guide – that shows how to manage the disease and (hopefully) prevent it from attacking your raspberries or blackberries in the first place.

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03/12/2024 07:09 am GMT

Read More – 19 Homemade Elderberry Syrup Recipes!

Raspberry and Blackberry Bulletin

I found a Raspberry and Blackberry bulletin from the University of Maine Extension that has some information all berry farmers and homesteaders need to know! Key insights below.

Not only should you avoid planting potatoes together with your raspberries, but you should also avoid growing eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers!

The reason is that these crops carry a potential root rotting-fungus called verticillium – which infamously wreaks havoc on your raspberries. Good to know!

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Read More – 7 Strawberry Planter Ideas and Plans Home Grown Strawberries!

Delicious Blackberry and Raspberry Recipes!

red raspberries colorful snack
Your raspberries turn plump and appear brightly colored when they’re ready to harvest. When ripe, they are tremendously flavorful and sweet!

We know that Thanksgiving is quickly coming up in the US and that many of us are looking to explore fun ways to celebrate the harvest.

(And to share loads of good food with friends and family!)

That’s why we put together the most impressive list of blackberry and raspberry recipes ever assembled!

(Well, maybe not the biggest. But, it’s pretty close, we think!)

We hope these recipes find you well. There’s sweet, savory, healthy (mostly), and everything in between.

Please enjoy!

Blackberry and Raspberry Recipes:

We also saved one of our favorite fresh raspberry recipes for last.

We’re talking about an epic lemon, almond, and fresh raspberry pie. How can you lose?

We hope you love these berry recipes as much as we did!

The Good News About Planting Blackberries and Raspberries

We know that planting berries is confusing at first.

But, there’s also good news!

More often than not, blackberries (and raspberries) can thrive wherever planted as long as the soil conditions are reasonable – and as long as you choose an appropriate berry cultivar for your hardiness zone.

If you get those two things right – then your task of planting blackberry and raspberry shrubs is off to a great start!

As the weeks and months pass, remember to keep an eye on your berry plants for pests and diseases.

With a little luck? Your berry plants will thrive – and the harvest will be abundant.

And delicious!

For that reason, blackberries and raspberries are some of my favorite perennials to incorporate into a yard.

If you have more questions about planting blackberries and raspberries, we invite you to ask.

Thanks again for reading.

Have a great (a berrific) day!

Keep reading:

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