Harvest guide

Raspberry harvest guide: when to pick and how much to expect

With summer and autumn varieties you can pick raspberries from June to October. They squash easily and don't keep long, so here is how to pick and store them.

First crop: Bears from about the second year and stays productive for 5–10 years.(NC State Extension Gardener Handbook)
Harvest months: June–October(RHS)
Per plant: 0.9–1.8 kg (2–4 lb) per plant(NC State Extension Gardener Handbook)
Spacing: 40–60 cm (16–24 in) apart(RHS)
Family: Rosaceae (rose family)
Botanical name: Rubus idaeus

Raspberry planting and harvest calendar

Plant November–March. Harvest June–October.(RHS)

Raspberry season timeline

Plant
Harvest

Months are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate, based on RHS (UK) guidance. Shift them earlier or later to match your own frost dates, or by about six months in the Southern Hemisphere.

Plant out
Harvest

When to harvest raspberries

Ripe raspberries are deeply coloured, plump and come away easily when pulled.(RHS)
Summer-fruiting types start in June and can run into September. Autumn-fruiting types start in August and often go well into October.(RHS)

How often to pick

Pick often, ideally on dry days, as damp berries go mouldy quickly. Keep them in shallow containers, no more than two or three layers deep.(RHS)

How many raspberries to expect

That works out to 0.9–1.8 kg (2–4 lb) per plant. Red and black raspberries.(NC State Extension Gardener Handbook)

Yields vary with variety, weather, soil and care. Treat these as ballpark figures, not targets.

Plan for your family

For 4 people eating raspberries fresh, plan on about 6 plants(NC State Extension Gardener Handbook). That should give 5–11 kg (12–24 lb) a year once plants are mature(NC State Extension Gardener Handbook).

About 6 plants for a family of four.

See the full planting-per-person guide →

Storing your raspberries

Raspberries are best eaten fresh. They freeze well and make good jam.(RHS)
In the fridge, keep them unwashed and use within two to three days.(University of Maine Cooperative Extension)

Track it

Log every raspberry harvest

Harvest Journal is a private garden journal for your phone. Tap to log each picking of raspberries by weight or count, and see your season add up, with no account needed.