[Berry crops](https://dunger.ua/en/blog/categories/berry-crops) # Raspberry planting: spacing plants and rows Published 2026-11-07 Updated 2026-11-07 To read 7 min Lay out raspberry rows, allow for mature cane growth and leave enough space for a trellis and picking. Space raspberries for mature canes, supports and a path you can use. For red or yellow raspberries in a home row, about 60 to 90 cm between plants is a useful starting range. For a red fall-bearing variety, 60 cm between plants and 2 m between row centres is one layout to test against your space. Adjust it to the cultivar's vigour, the trellis and the way you will pick and maintain the plants. ## Find out how the plants will fill the row Red and yellow raspberries often send up canes from buds on spreading roots. The gaps between nursery plants gradually fill into a strip. Spacing on planting day determines where you put each plant, but it does not determine how many canes should remain along that length several seasons later. Mark the intended edges of the strip and review them as suckers appear. Black and purple raspberries generally grow in more distinct clumps. Vigorous arching canes can reach the ground and root at their tips, so support matters. About 1.2 m within the row is a useful starting point for this clump arrangement if the cultivar and site suit it. Ask how wide and vigorous your variety becomes before committing to the number of plants. Fall-bearing raspberries can fruit on canes that grew in the current year. That tells you when certain canes can carry fruit, but does not tell you how wide a row will become. Ask the nursery about vigour and support needs. Mark the space for a mature planting even when the plant you unwrap has only a slender cane. ## Measure three different distances - **Plant spacing.** Measure from the centre of one planting position to the next. Put these marks on a taut line when laying out the row. - **Row spacing.** Measure between the axes of adjoining rows. This is a layout measurement, distinct from the space you will actually walk through. - **Working path.** Leave clear space between mature canes, allowing for wires, posts and the route you will use to reach the berries. Suppose the centres of two rows are 2 m apart. If each has a symmetrical cane strip 50 cm wide, the distance between the two edges is about 1.5 m. Canes that lean into the path can make the opening narrower. Judge the mature layout instead of the bare ground. If you use a wheelbarrow, check its route and leave room to turn at the end. ### Count plants for a single row Leave room for end posts, anchors and access before measuring the planted run. If there are 6 m between the first and last plant marks, a 60 cm spacing gives ten intervals and eleven planting positions. When the run is a different length, use the measured distance between those outer planting positions. The whole plot including access is a different measurement. Put stakes at the row ends and stretch a line between them. Mark the individual positions before digging. Walk the route with the bucket or wheelbarrow you actually use. Decide whether both sides are reachable if you want to pick from both. Along a fence, check how you will reach the far side of the canes to inspect them and adjust ties. ## Fit the trellis into the layout early A trellis supports canes, holds fruit off the ground and helps preserve space for picking. Choose locations for end posts and anchors before planting. Near a gate or narrow path, put the end of the row where the wires will not cross the walking line. If planting several rows, mark all their centres first so that one does not take up the space needed by the others. Match the support to the planting. A narrow row can be held between parallel wires, while individual clumps can have their own supports. Watch the young canes as they grow. If they reach into the path, check whether they need repositioning or whether suckers have emerged beyond the intended strip. Secure the support without turning the working path into part of the planting. ## Allow for light, water and local weather Choose a well-lit site with soil that holds moisture while allowing excess water to drain. Beside a solid wall, check both shade and access to the far side. Where leaves stay wet for a long time, keeping a manageable cane strip and access for thinning is especially useful. A hollow that holds water needs a separate drainage decision or a different site. On an exposed plot in a drier part of Ukraine, plan irrigation before planting. Check whether water reaches the farthest plants and where you can connect and maintain a hose or drip line. In a wetter garden, pay particular attention to access and airflow. You can mark the layout ahead of time. Decide when to plant by checking the weather, soil workability and whether the nursery plants are dormant or actively growing. ### Check the narrow end of an irregular plot On a tapering plot, lay out the narrow end first. A wide middle aisle is little help if the wheelbarrow stops at an end post. Shorten a row to retain turning space instead of putting the last plant against the fence. With several varieties, mark the ends of each cultivar's section and keep a simple planting sketch. Suckers can obscure the original boundary and a label preserves the information you need for later pruning. **Walk the plan before digging.** Check the cultivar's growth habit, the row axes and mature strip edges, the working paths, support anchors and water supply. Count the nursery plants after this check, while adjustments are still a matter of moving markers. ## Maintain the strip after planting Do not put more plants in every temporary gap in the first year. For red and yellow raspberries, see where root suckers emerge. In an old patch that has widened, mark the intended strip and control growth outside it. Light and drying depend on the actual density of the canes. An adequate space between row centres does little good if growth is allowed to occupy the entire path. Pruning depends on which canes carried fruit and whether you grow for a summer or fall crop. See [how high to prune raspberries by cane type](https://dunger.ua/en/blog/raspberry-pruning-height) before removing established growth. Nursery plant spacing, mature strip width and the spacing of retained canes answer different questions. Do not use the distance between canes in an established row as the spacing for new plants. ## Decide separately whether the raspberries need fertilizer The layout tells you how many plants you have and how much ground they occupy. It does not determine nutrient demand. Record what has already gone onto the planting strip. Review the soil preparation, growth and [soil assessment before fertilizing](https://dunger.ua/en/blog/soil-assessment-before-fertilizing). A rate per bush is not an amount for each cane. Where a mature hedgerow has merged and separate plant bases are hard to identify, do not substitute the number of stems. ## Fertilizer for berry bushes when the soil needs feeding  ### [Complex fertilizer fruit crops granular](https://dunger.ua/en/mineral-fertilizers/small-packaging/for-garden-plants/complex-fertilizer-fruit-crops) This compound has separate directions for berry bushes. If the raspberry soil needs its composition, use that group and distinguish preparing the ground before planting from feeding established plants. The fertilizer is intended for feeding both new plantings and existing ones. Apply evenly in loose areas before planting; mix with loosened soil or scatter around already planted plants. Compare the calculated quantity with the 3 kg and 4 kg packs. Open the required option and check its current price and availability. [Add a raspberry zone in My Garden](https://dunger.ua/en/my-garden) ## Questions about planting raspberry rows ### Root-suckering varieties may fill gaps with new growth. Starting too densely can make tying and picking difficult after the planting expands. If the planned length or number of rows will not fit with a usable path, shorten the row or plant fewer rows while keeping access. You can judge the new shoots once the plants establish. ### ### ### Share this article ## Related Posts  [Berry crops](https://dunger.ua/en/blog/categories/berry-crops) ### When to prune raspberries in autumn: summer and primocane types Decide which raspberry canes to remove in autumn, how to keep a summer crop, and when to finish pruning during dormancy. 2026-11-07 • 7  [Berry crops](https://dunger.ua/en/blog/categories/berry-crops) ### Watering blueberries: water quality, acidity and root-zone moisture Choose a water source for highbush blueberries and use alkalinity, pH, moisture and drainage to guide watering. 2026-11-07 • 7  [Berry crops](https://dunger.ua/en/blog/categories/berry-crops) ### How to propagate highbush blueberries from cuttings Take cuttings from an identified highbush blueberry, prepare a rooting medium, check new roots and acclimate the young plants. 2026-11-07 • 7 Order & Inquiry ## Get in touch  Order mineral and organo-mineral fertilizers directly from the manufacturer. 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