Growing raspberries with their feet in deep shade

[HawfinchParticipant]

HI all,
would it be possible to grow raspberries in a bed where there is next to no sun on the ground but more further up? My neighbour has a humongous rosemary bush that totally shades out the south-facing bed on my side of the fence and I’m at my wits end about what to grow there. When plants grow to about 50 cm height they will be getting some sun and obviously more as they get taller. Would raspberries thrive with their roots in such a damp and shady bed? The berries themselves would get sun once the plants are tall enough.
Thanks for any advice

[charlesModerator]

Good idea Hawfinch, I think that raspberries like some shade, and cooler roots.

[HawfinchParticipant]

Thanks Charles, I’ll get to sourcing some now then.

[ElizaDParticipant]

Hello Charles and all

I planted some raspberry bushes in a half shady spot in my garden last year that were previously growing in pots and am now, as my mother put it at the time, living to regret it! I planted them about 16-18 ins apart and for one reason or another have lost a lot of gardening time this year and they are now everywhere. I realise they need thinning but which do I take out? The original plants I put in are now about 7ft tall and I know I should have cut these back but circumstances prevented this. Most if not all are autumn raspberries. Some shoots are coming off the original plants but there are dozens of plants as close as a few inches apart. I am playing catch up with so many things but the raspberries need some attention. Any advice gratefully received.

Kind regards

Eliza

[charlesModerator]

Yes raspberries can be a weed!
I would cut them all back to 18in/45cm, should still crop and be more manageable.
I never thinned raspberries but you need to patrol the edges of the bed.

[ElizaDParticipant]

Thank you Charles, this should be quick and easy then which is just what’s needed!

Eliza

[NeilfrazermParticipant]

Hi Eliza,
Many years ago my father (unknowingly) practiced a kind of no-dig with his raspberries in shade. Any green waste he had was thrown into his fruit cage. The result of this over the years, other than raising the soil level by 6 feet, was the production of rasp canes 8 foot tall. One of the summer jobs was bending over the canes and tying them down to a manageable height. The secret was, without doubt, water retention in the organic matter.
In Scotland I’ve seen raspberries thrive in the wild growing through gorse which shades the canes all year.

[ElizaDParticipant]

Thanks for this, Neil, I now have a wonderful image of your father flinging his green waste about! I cut back some of the 7ft canes but left those that had lots of flowers on, so I will indeed try bending these down and tying to a manageable height.

Eliza

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