Raspberries in containers??

[AbbeyLehman]

I would like to grow some black raspberries this year, but since I don't yet have a permanent home for them, can they be grown in a 5 gallon bucket?? When I get my new deck built (probably late this year or early next), they MIGHT go into the built-in planters, but I haven't decided yet.

I would like to do black raspberries, maybe some red ones, too. The balck ones I saw at the store state that the fruit grows on first-year canes, so I could even get fruit this year! It was only $3 for 2 canes, so should I go ahead and try it out???

[plantoneonme]

I did this one year and had success but I must give you a caution also. The caution...mine had roots escape through the holes drilled in the bottom of the container in parts of the yard I did not want them. It took a couple years of digging to erridicate the raspberries where they did not belong. OK that said, the buckets did work out fine. I would place 1 berry per bucket since they will multiply which is great since you will want more once you start picking them and eating them that fresh. I would drill holes in the bucket about 3 inches up from the bottom to allow a catch basin where water can collect AND to keep the roots from escaping out the bottom. Let us know how it works out for you. Kim

[Garden Green]

Oooo, raspberries in a bucket. *sneaks out and runs to the store*

[gardengirl72]

They work well by a fence or with grape vines if you have any.

[AbbeyLehman]

Yay!! I'm so excited to try this now! I will definitely keep everyone posted on their progress, as well as the progress of my "strawberry buckets" (instead of barrels) using 5 gallon buckets, too.

I'm still debating on the grape vines, especially for this year. I still have these 2 big trees in the back that are going to create shade issues. If I can get it clear enough back there I will stick a couple grape vines in, too. I spent some time a couple weeks ago at my BFF's house SEVERELY cutting back her years-overgrown grape vines & raspberry canes (vines were easily 30 feet long and the canes were about 12 feet tall). We took out anything that appeared dead and anything that "got in the way" for lack of a better term, so we're hoping to get some better fruit that we can actually reach this year.

It's nice to be back :)


ETA: Might try some blueberries this way, too!! Those of you that have them, I'm getting the fruit at Marc's, the discount place--$3 is a cheap experiment!

[kristim23]

Abbey,
I think you have a great idea! I have wanted berry bushes for a long time, but don't have a place for permanent ones yet. I think I might try them in containers too. Thanks for the idea and good luck!

ps I really need to stay away from this forum for a while. I started out wanting chickens, now I have plans for a worm bin, herb garden, and now berries!

[boyd3]

here I am with a bunch of 5 gal buckets, and dug up a bunch of my yard today before reading this thread. I put in Grape, Raspberries & Blackberries today. Blueberries are tommorow (going in the bucket, let me tell you!!!!!)

I like the idea of making them mobile a lot better than taking up planting space :) My cement patio will be full this year as it is.

[gardengirl72]

Plants do much better in the ground. Grapes can grow over 20 feet in one year. Use patio varieties of grapes that don't grow as much as others and are more suited for containers. I have a sweet lace grape planted in a container that I have been training to grow up a trellis, but you can also put a support in the container and train it to that.