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Guide to Growing Raspberries

To get the best out of your raspberry plant, first you need to select an ideal location suitable for growing raspberries. The land that you select for growing raspberries should be rich in organic compounds and sandy in nature. It should also be an area where the plants will get plenty of sun light. A well drained soil also is an essential requirement to grow raspberries the way you like them to be. It is always better to avoid low areas to plant raspberries in order to avoid water clogging inside the plantation during spring. But it should be a place where you have easy access for water supply. Do not attempt to plant raspberries on the crest of a hill. This is to avoid plants from being affected by the wind. You should also avoid sites where you have planted potatoes, egg plants and tomatoes within the last three to four years to avoid the plants from getting infected from the virus that are common in these plants.

Depending on the condition of the land it may take one to two years to complete soil preparation for growing raspberries. It is always good to test the soil quality to see whether the land is adaptable for raspberry plantation or not. Normally raspberries require soil with a pH of 5.6 to 6.2. The acidity of the soil should be reduced by adding ground lime stone. If you want o improve the organic content of the soil you can apply materials like barnyard manure or compost into the land.

Make sure that the site that you have selected to plant the raspberry is free from weeds and other infectious matters. It should have good sun light, air and adequate moisture. It should be planted early in the spring to get the best out of your plantation. You should prune the cans properly at the time of planting. It has to be pruned within six inches from the ground level. The individual plants of raspberries should be placed at a distance of twenty four to thirty inches from each plant. The rows where the plants are planted should be kept at a distance of six to ten feet from each other.

Raspberry plants require regular watering to allow them to grow healthy. Take necessary steps to keep weeds out of the garden during the first year of plantation. Mulching with straws or sawdust will help to keep down the weed growth inside the cultivation.

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