When Are Black Raspberries in Season?

Cultivation

• Proper cultivation ensures that raspberries will grow on a regularly, yearly schedule, allowing gardeners to plan for a seasonal harvest. Plant raspberries in well-drained soil where they will receive full sunlight. Raspberries should not be grown near tomatoes, peppers, eggplants or potatoes. Vegetable plants are susceptible to root rot, which is potentially devastating to raspberry plants. Optimally, soil pH for raspberries should be between 5.6 and 6.2.

Harvest Season

• Raspberries grow outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 3 through 10, which makes them suitable for growing in most of the United States. Raspberries grow in red, purple, yellow and black. In the garden, raspberries begin to ripen in the summer. Red raspberries ripen first; black cultivars become ready for harvest immediately after. The many different cultivars of raspberries are available for harvest from May until the first hard frost, as late as December in some regions.

Cultivars

• Only certain raspberry cultivars produce black berries. Rubus occidentalis "Jewel" black raspberries ripen at mid-season, in June or July. Rubus occidentalis "Early Sweet" berries are named for their early ripening time; they are ready for harvest in May or June. Other June-ripening cultivars include Rubus occidentalis "Allen," Rubus occidentalis "Bristol" and Rubus occidentalis "Cumberland Mountains."

Harvest Instructions

• Test black raspberries for ripening by pulling gently at the berries. If the separate from the core with ease, they are ready for harvest. Black raspberries should be harvested as soon as they are ripe, because they have a very short life on the plant once they've reached maturity. The berries must be stored and placed in cold storage as soon as possible, or it will rot. Black raspberries may also be frozen for longer storage.