The ripening time of raspberries depends on the type of raspberry growing in your garden. Summer raspberries ripen earlier than autumn raspberries. Two-timer raspberries even produce two harvests.
When can you harvest raspberries and how can you tell when they are ripe?
The raspberries are ripe when they are solid red, black or yellow, have a distinct raspberry aroma and can be easily removed from the bush. Summer raspberries ripen from June to July, while autumn raspberries are ready for harvest from August.
When does the different types of raspberries ripen?
You can harvest summer raspberries from June to July.
The harvest of autumn raspberries begins at the beginning of August and continues for several weeks. You can continue picking raspberries until the first frost hits.
Two-timer raspberries combine the ripening times of both varieties. The first fruits are ripe from June, the second harvest takes place from August.
New varieties with longer harvest times
If you really like eating raspberries, you should plant raspberry varieties that bloom for many weeks and constantly produce new fruit.
One of the best-known raspberry varieties with a long ripening period is “Polana”. The fruits are only medium-sized, but you can continually harvest fresh raspberries for many weeks.
These are the signs that raspberries are ripe
- Fruits are solid red, black or yellow
- The size of the raspberries doesn't matter
- The raspberry aroma is clearly noticeable
- Ripe raspberries can be easily removed from the bush
Test ripeness before picking
Even if the fruits on the bush already show a strong color, that does not automatically mean that they are ripe.
The only way you can be sure is to test whether the raspberries can be easily removed from the bush. Ripe fruits almost fall into your hand automatically.
Avoid squeezing the fruit. This damages the delicate skin of the raspberries and the juice runs out. Rot sets in quickly at the pressure points.
Harvest raspberry bushes two to three times a week
The ripening period of raspberries takes several weeks. Not all fruits ripen at the same time, even if they are on the same bush.
During the harvest season, you should pick ripe raspberries two to three times a week.
If you leave the fruits on the bush for too long, they become soft and mushy.
Tips & Tricks
Only harvest as many raspberries as you can use. The delicious fruits cannot be stored for long. In any case, they taste best when eaten fresh from the bush.
