Raspberries as Espalier Fruit

Raspberries need a location in sun to partial shade with loamy / sandy, humus-rich soil and regular water. Mulching is beneficial to keep the soil wet. Dry, stony, or nutrient-poor soils should be avoided. Fertilising frequently will reward you with an abundant harvest. Individual plants should be 40 cm - 60 cm apart, with 1 - 1.5 metres or less between rows. Narrow double rows with only one climbing frame in the middle is another common design. Raspberries can be found in most garden centres or online.

The raspberry is a rambler, with shoots up to 1.5 cm thick and with a lifespan of 1 to 2 years; it produces numerous fruit-bearing lateral shoots after the first or second year, depending on the cultivar. Raspberry seldom grows higher than 2.5 metres. Its flowers are discreet, the berries sweet and aromatic. Ripening time depends on the variety. The shoots should be bound directly to the wires as quarter arches from which the fruit or fruit-bearing side shoots grow directly. Per running metre, 10-12 shoots can be tied to the trellis. The shoots that grow later in summer should be separated and tied for the following year, and old shoots cut down to the ground at the end of the season.

Raspberry is rarely grown on walls and facades, but rather on free-standing wire rows that are at least 1.2 metres tall. Two horizontal wires are enough. On a facade, a trellis for raspberry should have at least 2 - 4 horizontal wires, as with our 8010 trellis. Choose a wire rope design in the basic-s range, as it is sufficient in most cases, while trellises in our medium range provide optimal stability.