Description
Black raspberries are self-pollinating. Their fruits are smaller and seedier than those of red raspberries.
Black raspberries can grow 3m in one year and bear fruit in the first season.
Harvesting
This black raspberry variety has multiple fruit flushes but generally starts fruiting during the middle of the summer season around December and can continue right through winter if not too harsh.
Position
This plant thrives in full sun (about 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily). But, it tolerates partial shade and very cold temperatures when necessary.
Plant yours in a spot as protected from the wind as possible.
It grows well on a trellis or a fence since it’s a bramble.
Each bush should have 0.5 to 1 metres around it to spread comfortably, and rows of brambles should have about 3 metres between them.
Soil Type
Black Raspberries prefer well drained and slightly acidic soil with a PH level of 5.8 – 6.8. They dislike soggy soils and shallow, chalky soils.
Well-decomposed compost should preferably be mixed with the soil before planting.
The Soil Kit consists of:
1 Black Raspberry Plant
Berry Mix
Volcanic Rock Dust
Our Ultra Slow Release Berry/All-plant Fertiliser is an optional extra!
Dig a 50cm square hole and mix acid compost, potting soil if planting in a pot or any good draining soil for planting in the ground, and a bag of our Berry Mix.
Place the plant directly into the soil mixture and cover it with a mulch of pine bark or pine needles 5 – 15cm thick.
Mulch
Use a mulch of pine bark and green pine needles that is 5 to 15 centimetres thick around the base of the plant, not near the stems. Raspberries thrive in moisture-retentive, fertile, slightly acidic soils, and mulch plays an important role in creating these optimal conditions.
Make sure not to have your mulch touching the branches of the plant. This may cause the branches to rot and get infected, especially with new branches (one and two-year-old boughs).
Watering
In very hot weather, water your bush once a day. When conditions cool down a little, two or three times a week should suffice. Do not overwater your bush as this causes root rot. Black raspberries can be planted at any time provided the soil is not waterlogged.
Fertilising
Apply our slow-release Berry/All-plant Fertiliser. For young plants, apply 1 teaspoon every 4-5 months. The roots will absorb what they need.
Pruning
Cut back dead canes during the winter, and prune canes that have borne fruit to promote new growth.
Pests
As raspberries produce hardwood canes, watch out for borer.
