The raspberry bush (Rubus idaeus) is a fruit-bearing shrub that can reach up to 2 metres in height and produces sparsely branched stems. Its naturally irregular and bushy growth habit can even become invasive in the garden.

Staking or training raspberry bushes will help support their growth, optimise fruit production and make harvesting easier.

Discover our tips for effective training: suitable varieties, the best time for staking, necessary equipment and the different methods available.

→ Explore our complete guide Raspberry Bushes: Planting, Pruning and Care

Why stake raspberry bushes?

Raspberry canes are long and very vigorous. Their growth is rapid and they can quickly develop in a random, even completely disorderly manner. Attaching raspberry bushes to a support will encourage vertical growth by properly guiding the vegetation's development.

Staking or training also offers other benefits:

  • ensuring maximum light exposure for the entire raspberry bush
  • supporting fragile canes to prevent breakage (from wind, under their own weight...) or growth towards the ground
  • optimising fruit productivity for better yields
  • making fruit harvesting easier

Raspberry bushes can quickly become invasive

Varieties that benefit from staking

Staking will benefit all raspberry varieties, but is particularly essential for taller varieties, such as the very vigorous 'Meeker' raspberry, the 'Zeva' raspberry with its large fruits, or the 'Malling Promise' raspberry, which can reach 2 metres in height at maturity.

Training dwarf raspberries, with their compact size, such as 'Ruby Beauty', 'Little Sweet Sister' or 'Groovy', is not essential but will help guide the growth and make harvesting easier, whether in pots or in the ground.

When to train raspberry bushes?

Raspberry bushes are typically staked at planting time, in autumn.

Over the years, use a spade to remove suckers and runners (which can be replanted elsewhere without issue), to maintain controlled growth.

Equipment for successful training

Choosing the right stakes

There are several types of stakes suitable for training raspberry bushes.

  • Bamboo stakes: fairly sturdy, economical and easy to source online or in shops.
  • Wooden stakes: hazel, willow, chestnut or acacia. They are strong, natural and durable.
  • Spiral metal stakes: they don't require additional ties, but generally have poorer wind resistance (avoid in very exposed areas).
  • Plastic stakes: less eco-friendly and with a limited lifespan, but inexpensive and easy to find.
  • Rebar: often repurposed, they are very sturdy and long-lasting.

Rebar is very practical for staking raspberry bushes

How to train a raspberry bush? Different staking methods

There are several training methods. The spacing between raspberry plants and how the stakes are positioned will vary depending on the layout and available space in each garden.

In all cases, it's advisable to choose fairly tall stakes (at least 1.5m), so they can be driven at least 30 cm into the ground. Additionally, the ties shouldn't be too tight, to allow the branches to slide along the wire.

Fan training

  1. Fix posts at each end of the raspberry bush or raspberry hedge; if planning a long row, don't hesitate to add additional intermediate posts.
  2. Attach taut wires at several heights from the ground: 40 cm, 80 cm, 120 cm and 150 cm.
  3. Position the raspberry bush; if there are several, space them 1m to 1.5m apart.
  4. Tie the raspberry canes to the wires with ties, in a fan shape.

This training technique can also be used to create an espalier against a wall (using hooks fixed directly into the wall instead of posts), training against a fence or along a path edge, to create a beautiful fruiting hedge.

This method ensures good ventilation, helping prevent diseases.

Dutch training

This method frames the raspberry plants.

  1. Place two rows of posts facing each other, spaced 60 cm to 1m apart depending on the raspberry bush's spread; if creating a raspberry hedge, add more rows of stakes to cover the entire length.
  2. Along both lengths, attach taut wires at 50 cm from the ground.
  3. Position the raspberry bushes, maintaining 1m to 1.5m spacing between each.
  4. Gently arch and tie the raspberry canes, distributing them on either side of these two structures. This system can be used to separate last year's canes from new growth, making end-of-season pruning easier for repeat-fruiting varieties.

Dutch training ensures excellent air circulation through the centre of the shrub, but requires access from both sides of the structure, meaning it needs plenty of garden space.

Free-standing bush training

This method also frames the raspberry bush, limiting its spread and encouraging vertical growth.

  1. Plant the raspberry bush.
  2. Place stakes at the four corners to create a square about 1 metre per side (adjust according to the variety's mature spread if needed).
  3. Connect them with strings at different heights: 40 cm, 80 cm, 120 cm and 150 cm.

A simple technique as it doesn't require tying branches to the wires, for a wilder look, but significantly less practical for harvesting and pruning.

Single-stake training

  1. In a raspberry hedge, plant the stakes (wooden posts) at least 1.2m tall between each plant.
  2. Secure the raspberry canes by distributing them on either side (half the canes tied to the right-hand stake, the other half to the left).

Alternatively, plant a stake in the centre of a raspberry clump (taking care not to damage the roots), then tie all the canes to it.

This technique only works for raspberry bushes with few canes (4 or 5), otherwise air circulation and light penetration will be too limited.