Raspberry-Planting Time: Here Are Some Fine Varieties

Q: What is the best time to plant raspberries? Which variety produces the biggest, best raspberries in this area? (I'm interested in summer berries, not the autumn ones.)

A: You can plant raspberries between now and early April. Dormant vines are available in nurseries. They should be planted before much bud growth has occurred. Willamette, Meeker and Sumner are commonly recommended varieties that have been around for a while. Meeker has the best flavor of the three, but it is not suitable for wet, poorly drained sites. Willamette is the leading market berry in our area. Sumner will perform better on wet sites.

Chilliwack and Centennial are two newer cultivars. Both have better root-rot resistance than Willamette or Meeker, so they are fine for soils with less-than-perfect drainage. Both have good fruit size. Centennial yields very well, but Chilliwack has better hardiness and top flavor.

Q: What variety of ever-bearing strawberry do you recommend for this area?

A: "Quinalt" is the old standard ever-bearing strawberry. It has large fruit and bears over more of the summer than June-bearers. Recently, strawberry breeders have developed an even better type of strawberry - the day-neutral. These varieties do not form flower buds only at certain day lengths. They will flower and fruit as long as temperatures are mild and they are getting adequate sun, water and nutrients. Give them good care and they will produce amazingly well from early summer up until frost.

The two day-neutral strawberries seen for sale most often are Tillikum and Tristar. Tillikum is a delicious berry but tiny. Tristar is a much nicer size and tastes just as good. I did a trial several years ago growing six different day-neutral strawberries and Tristar was my definite favorite.

Gardening runs Friday in Scene and Sunday in Home/Real Estate. It is prepared by Mary Robson, Master Gardener program director, Holly Kennell, Washington State University/King County Cooperative Extension agent, Susan Miller, integrated pest management specialist, and volunteer Master Gardeners.