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Fruit & Orchards

How much water do raspberries need?

15 years ago

In addition to moving my blueberries, I'm considering planting some raspberries. However, the only place I have to put them is in an area that is watered once a month. I could supplement them weekly for the first year to get them established. When I look them up, I find that they are said to need lots of water. However, their close relatives blackberries grow all wild nearby and bear lots of fruit. Are the two plants that different? Or is the need for lots of water based on commercial needs? And would some varieties do better than others? I'm near San Jose.

Rosefolly

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Comments (4)

ericwi
15 years ago
We have a small patch of everbearing red raspberries-I'm not sure the variety. These canes are prolific, they send out runners every year, and I have to dig them out of the lawn, or they would take over the entire yard. I rarely water them, only during the August drought. For me, raspberries are very easy to grow. But we might get more rainfall, here in Madison, Wisconsin, that you would see in San Jose. Our soil is high in clay content, and that tends to hold moisture. Raspberries are susceptible to damage from Japanese beetles, and there are some diseases that can slow them down.
rosefolly
Original Author
15 years ago
Eric, we don't get any summer rainfall at all. From May until October, garden plants are completely dependent on irrigation or on deep roots that can pull water stored in the soil. So if I watered only water them once a month, that is all they will get.

I am beginning to suspect that they are not as drought tolerant as blackberries are. It is a pity I don't much like blackberries. I may decide to go with grapes, which can handle those conditions. However, I already have several grapes. It would be nice to have raspberries in my garden, but not nice enough to water that area more frequently. I need to save some water for the vegetable beds.

Rosefolly
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Wild blackberries live all around the Pacific Northwest with no water besides rainwater. Remember, though, that PNW summers are virtually free of rain. However, during winter and spring, the soils do get charged to field capacity. Many perennial plants survive the summer drought period by means of one or more deep, adventurous, tap roots. This is how trees get started. Even though the surface is dry, there is some moisture 12+ inches down. And this moisture continues to wick up from much deeper down below by means of "capillary" action. Eventually, it will become exhausted. But by then the rainy season is likely upon us. So, I'd say it's at least possible for cultivated varieties of blackberries to go without irrigation. Keep in mind that bare root stock has been trimmed of all tap roots and they will have to regrow. Also, keep in mind that cultivated varieties have been bred for taste, size, productivity, thornlessness, etc. They have not been bred for drought-hardiness, which is what nature does to them by natural selection in the wild. Also, you would not want to crowd them at all, or have their roots competing for water with any nearby trees or other plants. These are a couple of the basic precepts of gardening without irrigation. Also, you would want to keep the soils tamped firmly down to encourage upward capillary flow of water which is disrupted by loose soil. I think you ought to give it a try, but water for at least the first year, and subsequently give occasional deep waterings, or even fertigations, by an overnight drip of 5 gallons of water per plant. I do this with a 5-gallon plastic buck with a tiny hole in the bottom. Maybe after two years, stop watering altogether and see how it goes.
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heiko770_yahoo_de
12 years ago
yes the green leaves take in moisture when they grow the stem and beginnings of fruit. but then the leaves when pollinated fruit is there the leaves shed their live to the fruit process . there starts the need foe water in the fruitition the watery need is very great I feel but that is also through damp air which in some parts of the world is imposible to achive. I dont think that the roots take the water up to the fruit that is too heavy. I think the moisture is gained by a tricky condensation and perspiration process of the fruit .. What do you feel ?
heiko770_yahoo_de
12 years ago
There are so many aspects to growing raspberries. My raspberries standing in a windy spot and dry at the moment out just when the fruit begin to grow.The plants were 1.8 m 3 years ago and are now only .8 m and new plants are comming.
The patches where the grass grows around the raspberries are higher and the patches where I weeded the grass are lower and the plants have thinner leaves. The month of April was extremly dry so that the clay soil dried very much up.
It has been raining but the soil around the raspberries is still dry.. I am not comercial so I just wait and see what happens . I cannot water all the raspberries.

Here is a link that might be useful: Camphill

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