What to Do With Raspberry Plants in August – 6 Key Tasks
Raspberry plants are at one of two distinct stages in August. It is towards the end of harvest time for summer-bearing raspberries, while fall-bearing canes are starting to ripen their fruits. The types of raspberries you have impact what attention they need this month.
In a nutshell, both types need picking, watering, and weeding, while summer-bearing raspberries also need pruning and tying in. You wouldn’t want to trim fall-bearing raspberries, though, as you’ll miss out on fruit – a regrettable mistake.
Knowing how to grow raspberries ensures you care for different types properly. I have worked in kitchen gardens with both summer and fall raspberries, where understanding the particular nuances of each is essential to getting the best crop year after year. If you ever wonder what to do with raspberry plants in August, these six tasks are essential.
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Harvest Ripe Fruits
(Image credit: Future)
For the longest cropping season, many growers enjoy having both summer- and fall-bearing raspberries in their garden. Planting both raspberries ensures a crop of sharp-but-sweet berries from midsummer into fall.
Summer-fruiting raspberries are ready to pick from June to August, depending on the variety, and the season for fall-fruiting raspberries starts in August and runs through to early October.
In August, picking ripe fruit is essential, no matter which types you have. You can enjoy the last fruits of summer canes, the early fruits of fall canes, or both if you have planned for a long season.
Once the fruits have ripened to their full color – which can be red, yellow, or purple (like on this ‘Jewel’ raspberry bush at Nature Hills), depending on the variety – they should come loose from their central core easily. If you need to pull hard, the raspberry is not ready.
Prune Summer-Bearing Raspberries
(Image credit: Future)
Summer-bearing raspberries produce their fruit on the previous season’s wood. Once they have finished fruiting, it is time to prune the raspberries, as the canes that carried this season’s fruits will not produce again.
Take a pair of clean, sharp pruning tools and cut the old brown canes back to ground level. Don’t cut away any green stems yet; these are this year’s growth that will fruit next year.
After removing the old fruiting wood, it is time to thin the newer canes. You don’t want the raspberry canes to be too congested, as they’ll struggle to produce the best crop. A few choice cuts now help guarantee a better harvest next summer.
Start by removing any damaged or weak canes. Then thin out any crowded areas to leave a strong selection of canes 6-8 inches apart. Any raspberry suckers growing too far out of the row should also be removed.
A pair of pruning shears should be sufficient for the task. I have a trusty pair of Felco F2 pruners that I used for many years to cut back raspberry canes in the productive gardens I worked in. You can get Felco F2 pruners at Amazon.
Tie in Stems
(Image credit: Future)
After pruning and thinning the stems, tie the remaining healthy raspberry canes to their support.
When you plant raspberries, they need some form of support. This usually comes in the form of wires stretched between posts. You can buy a raspberry trellis (like this durable metal trellis at Amazon) or make your own DIY version with wooden posts and wire.
The framework keeps stems protected from wind, especially when laden with fruit. In August, after pruning summer-bearing raspberries, tie the remaining canes to the ties to keep them upright.
It is important to use soft, flexible plant ties, such as jute twine, flexi-ties, Velcro ties (get Velcro garden ties at Walmart), or fabric from old T-shirts as a plastic alternative in the garden.
Water During Hot Weather
(Image credit: Getty Images/RobMattingley)
Raspberry plants have shallow roots, so are susceptible to stress if the soil dries out during summer. It is important to keep the top two inches of soil consistently moist in summer if you want the raspberry plants to fruit well.
Raspberries need 1-2 inches of water per week, but this increases when the berries are developing. A lack of water during the fruiting period causes the fruits to shrivel and dry out – hugely impacting your yield.
During hot, dry spells, keep a close eye on your plants to keep on top of watering. Check the top inches of soil with your fingers. If it feels dry, then water deeply. It is better to give plants a deep watering more infrequently than little and often.
You can use a soil moisture meter (available at Amazon) to measure levels and get immediate guidance on whether you need to water your plants.
Remove Weeds
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Weeds will compete with your raspberry canes for the water and nutrients in the soil. For the strongest canes and best fruits, you want all those essential plant nutrients being taken in by your raspberries, not lost to unwanted invaders.
Spend a little time gently pulling weeds around your raspberries. Carefully remove them by hand with a garden fork or hand weeding tool (such as this hand weeder tool at Amazon) to avoid damaging the shallow roots of raspberry canes.
You can use a garden hoe, but be careful not to accidentally catch the raspberry roots that sit just below the surface.
Mulching around raspberry canes offers a double advantage. It helps to retain moisture in the soil and also smothers weeds. The best types of mulch for raspberries are compost, wood chips, straw, and bark. You can get bags of all-natural pine bark mulch at Lowe’s.
Protect Fruits From Birds
(Image credit: Philippe Gerber / Moment / Getty Images)
Sometimes you face competition for your fruits. I have seen birds brazenly stealing my raspberries this year. If this is happening to you, you may need to protect soft fruits in your garden from being nabbed.
You can cover your canes with a large fruit cage, like this crop protection tent from Wayfair. Or place bird netting (available at Amazon) over the plants.
It is advisable to place netting over hoops or supports placed around the canes. The netting needs to be secured at the base with landscape staples or bricks so birds can’t get underneath and get stuck.
What to Shop
A compact variety perfect for anyone wanting to grow raspberries in pots in smaller spaces. It produces bumper yields despite its smaller stature.
A strong galvanized steel watering can that holds two gallons of water. It has an ergonomic handle and a removable rosette for when more delicate watering is needed.
A pair of bypass pruning shears with specially coated, non-stick blades and soft, ergonomically shaped grips for maximum comfort while trimming.
Raspberries are one of many fruits to pick in August around the garden. It is a time of rich bounty, with blueberries, blackberries, peaches, plums, and figs also ripening to perfection in late summer. You can pick them for desserts, puddings, or jellies, or just enjoy sun-kissed fruits straight from the bush or tree.
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