Raspberry bushes are notorious for sending out underground runners, which can quickly turn your tidy garden into a wild berry jungle if you aren’t careful. To keep things under control, you’ll need to dig up those suckers regularly. But don’t just toss them in the trash! In this post, I’ll show you how to put those extra shoots to good use.
The Runner Problem
Under the soil, raspberries spread via horizontal roots called runners. Before you know it, new shoots are popping up everywhere. To stop your patch from taking over the entire yard, you’ve got to dig them out. The good news? These “invaders” are actually free plants waiting to happen. Instead of throwing them away, why not use them to expand your harvest?
Planting a New Raspberry Bush
There’s nothing quite like a sun-warmed raspberry straight from the garden. Naturally, the more bushes you have, the bigger your haul! Using runners is the easiest way to propagate your plants. Here are my top tips for getting those new shoots started:
- Use a garden fork to gently loosen the soil around the runner.
- Carefully lift the shoot out of the ground.
- Snip the connecting root from the mother plant using garden shears.
- Make sure the new shoot has a healthy clump of roots attached.
- Plant the shoot in its new home right away.
- Keep proper spacing in mind so your new bushes have room to breathe.
- Consider setting up a trellis or support system to help the young plant grow straight.
Composting Your Runners
If you’ve already got all the raspberries you can handle, you can definitely add the runners to your compost pile. Just a heads-up: make sure to chop them into small pieces first (a garden shredder works great for this). If you throw them in whole, you might find a surprise raspberry bush growing right out of your compost bin!
Share the Love with Neighbors and Friends
If your garden is producing more runners than you know what to do with, check in with your friends or neighbors. Buying young berry bushes at a nursery can get pricey, so a free “starter plant” is always a hit. It’s a great way to share the joy of gardening—and some future snacks—with the people around you.
