How to Grow Raspberries Indoors

Raspberries are delicious, versatile fruits that go well in a variety of dishes. You’ll commonly see them in smoothies, deserts, salads, and eaten on their own right off the vine. This makes them a popular choice for fruit and berry lovers to grow in their gardens. Today, we’ll look at growing raspberries, but specifically what it takes to grow them indoors. While a bit more difficult than a traditional outdoor garden, growing raspberries indoors is perfectly doable even for a beginner. By the end of this article, you’ll have all the knowledge you need to plant, grow, and harvest your very own raspberries from the comfort of your home!

Why Grow Raspberries Indoors?

Raspberries are growers in that they like to spread out when given the chance. This is one of the downsides of outdoor growing, they tend to take over the area they’re planted in unless you’re careful. Of course, with indoor, container growing this isn’t a problem. Raspberries actually do quite well in containers, and it also reduces the maintenance needed on your end.

Another benefit of indoor raspberry plants is that they are easy to move when needed. This gives you more options for lighting should different areas of your home receive more or less light throughout the day. It also gives you the option to hybrid garden, moving the plant outdoors in the warmer months and indoors as the temperature cools.

Lastly, as with all indoor growing, you have much more control over your environment. This can make it much easier to grow raspberries while also protecting them from pests and animals.

What Type of Raspberry to Plant Indoors

Though not every type of raspberry plant works well in containers, there are a few compact cultivars that excel indoors. Raspberry Shortcake, Malling Jewel, and Heritage are a few of the summer-bearing options, while those who want fall fruit may want to consider Autumn Bliss or some other late-season variety.

You can even grow both types to extend the berry growth and keep you in raspberries for as long as possible. There are also some ever-bearing plants and a variety of raspberry colors to choose from, so take your time when picking indoor plants for your home. Once you’ve picked, it’s time to learn how to grow raspberries indoors.

Seeds Vs. Seedlings

Depending on when you start you may have the option to go with seeds or seedlings. In my experience, seedlings are generally easier and also quicker to go from planting to harvesting. If the option is available to you, then my recommendation is to start with seedlings.

That said, there is a certain rewarding feeling to starting from seeds and growing and full plant. Seeds are also generally cheaper and more readily available outside of prime growing seasons. There’s nothing wrong with starting from seeds, both methods can grow perfectly suitable plants indoors.

Planting Your Raspberries

The next step, once you have your seeds/seedlings, is to secure a proper container to grow your raspberry plant in. For best results, look for 5-gallon containers that are about 24 inches in diameter. You can go a little smaller than this and still get good results, but the bigger container makes it significantly easier. Outside of size, the only other thing to check is that your containers have proper drainage to allow excess water to escape.

If you’re starting from seeds you can also begin with a seed starting container. Once the plants sprout and reach a few inches tall move them to a larger container as detailed below.

Add about 2 inches of gravel to the bottom of the container to promote drainage and air-flow, then add quality potting soil. Most store-bought varieties are perfectly fine, as well as fruit=specific mixtures.

Once you’ve prepared the soil, dig a small hole for your seedling or spread your seeds according to the directions on the seed packet. At this point, I always recommend giving your plant a healthy dose of water. This helps the plant cope with the stress of being moved and replanted.

Adding Support

Raspberries are trailing plants and therefore you’ll often want to use supports or trellis to keep their growth manageable. Some simple wire trellis or bamboo stakes are cheap and easy-to-use options. Attach your plants to these supports and check regularly to make sure they are being properly supportive. This isn’t strictly necessary, but helps keep your plant more compact and tidy which is a must for many indoor gardens.

Lighting

Raspberries are medium-light plants and need a good deal of sunshine to survive. Look to give them about 6-8 hours of direct sunlight per day, although a little more certainly won’t hurt.

If you have trouble with that, especially the case in the winter months, then buy a cheap grow light to supplement. Grow lights are phenomenal tools that mimic natural light and give us indoor gardeners more options in how and where we grow. Don’t sleep on them, they’re an essential tool!

Watering

Like most container-bound plants, raspberries like their soil to be slightly moist but not soaking wet or water-logged. To check, stick your finger about 1-2 inches into the soil. If it’s dry then it’s time to water.

To water, slowly add water to the soil until you begin to see it leak out of the drainage holes of your container (you did make sure you had them right?). This is a good sign that the soil is at capacity.

How often you water will depend on the season and how warm it is, which is why it’s important to do the finger test. In general, during the hottest parts of summer, you might water every day, while in the cooler months, you only need to water 2-3 times per week.

Pollinating

Pollination is also something to consider when learning how to grow raspberries indoors. Since there are no bees or butterflies in your home for this, you need to do some hand pollination. Luckily, this is super simple and only takes a few seconds.

To do this, use a cotton swab or small paintbrush to lightly swab the inside of the flowers and then transfer the collected pollen into the middle area of another flower. That’s it, it’s that simple. I do this a couple of times throughout the growing season and make a point to do it when I water so I don’t forget.

Harvesting and Pruning

It takes about 2 years of growth for a raspberry plant to bear any fruit. You can lessen the time by starting with a seedling, but still don’t expect edible fruit quickly.

Once they begin to produce fruit, look for berries that are dark red cin olor. This color means that they are ready to harvest. Gently pick the berries off the plant taking care not too pull to hard which can damage the plant.

At the end of the fruit-bearing season, prune any dead foliage with no new growth at the soil level, giving the plant new room to grow and produce berries. Keep watering your plants during their dormant period as well for healthy plants during their fruit-bearing season.

How To Grow Raspberries Indoors

With all that in mind, you’re ready to start growing raspberries of your very own. While raspberries can be a bit tricky to grow and do take some time to be ready to harvest, the effort is well worth it. Nothing beats eating fresh berries you’ve grown yourself!

If you have any questions, as always, feel free to reach out! We love helping fellow gardeners improve their gardens and grow new plants.

Growing Raspberries Indoors FAQ