When to plant raspberry canes
In zone 8, most of the UK: plant out from March to April and from October to December. First harvest about 300 days later.
Growing stages
Raspberry canes: calendar by hardiness zone
| Zone | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 6 | Sowing or planting | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting | ||||
| Zone 7 | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting | ||||
| Zone 8reference | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting | |||
| Zone 9 | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Harvest | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting | Sowing or planting | |||
| Zone 10 | Sowing or planting | Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest | Sowing or planting, Harvest |
- Zone 6
- −23 to −18 °C (−10 to 0 °F): high mountains
- Zone 7
- −18 to −12 °C (0 to 10 °F): upland Britain, eastern France, the Alps
- Zone 8
- −12 to −7 °C (10 to 20 °F): most of the UK and France
- Zone 9
- −7 to −1 °C (20 to 30 °F): south-west England, Brittany, Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts
- Zone 10
- −1 to 4 °C (30 to 40 °F): Isles of Scilly, the French Riviera, coastal Corsica
Indicative months. A cold year or a garden at altitude shifts everything by a month; watch the frosts too.
Raspberry canes in practice
- Spacing
- 40 cm along the row, 150 cm between rows
- Sun
- copes with part shade
- Watering
- moderate
- Difficulty
- easy
- In a pot
- no
- Support
- net or poles
- Family
- Rose family (Rosaceae)
- Perennial
- yes
- Watch for
- birds
Questions about raspberry canes
When to plant raspberry canes?
In zone 8: plant out from March to April and from October to December. The four other zones are in the calendar above; at altitude or after a long winter, aim for the end of the window.
How long until harvest?
About 300 days after planting in zone 8, then the harvest lasts about 45 days.
How far apart?
40 cm between plants along the row and 150 cm between rows.
Can you grow raspberry canes in a pot?
Open ground is better: the crop needs room and depth that a pot does not give.
What to plant nearby?
Good companions: garlic. Keep apart: potato.
Updated 20 October 2026, Hortipix catalogue version 1. Windows still being checked against Le Guide Clause, Vilmorin and Terre vivante (RHS and Cornell for the UK and the US), compared with OpenFarm (CC0). They remain indicative.