What Nutrients Do Raspberry Plants Need?

pH

• Raspberries need to grow in soil where the pH ranges from 5.5 to 6.5 -- more on the acidic side. This is the type of soil you would expect to find along the sides of a wooded area where there is plenty of plant matter covering the ground, with new decomposing plant matter continuously falling. Without the soil in the right pH range, you can add nutrients that are not available to your raspberry plants. Work aluminum sulfate into the soil to lower the acidity.

Fertilizer

• Raspberry plants thrive on a balanced mix of 10-10-10 fertilizer applied at least twice a year with the necessary elements of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Commercial fertilizers make the job of keeping up with your plant's nutritional needs simple, but you need to be careful that you do not rely on these applications alone. The soil needs other amendments found from organic matter so plan on supplementing it with compost.

Compost

• Well-rotted compost supplies nutrients to the soil and to the plants. Simple kitchen scraps composted with yard debris decompose into rich humus. Sometimes, there is no need to add extra commercial fertilizers if you have access to a steady supply of compost. Be careful, if you are adding composted manures, as they might raise the pH more than you want.

Sunlight

• Although sunlight is not a nutrient, without it, the raspberry plant will not use the available nutrients in the soil. Healthy raspberries grow in settings where they receive at least six to eight hours of full sunlight per day. The plants will be spindly and susceptible to disease otherwise. If your setting needs more sunlight, either remove some of the shading plants or transplant the raspberries to a sunnier location. The raspberry plant survives transplanting easily.