How to Grow Raspberries from Seed: A Beginner's Guide
Updated: Sep 28
You can grow raspberries (Rubus idaeus) from seed by extracting seeds from ripe fruit, cold stratifying them for 4 to 6 weeks, then sowing them on the surface of moist compost at 18 to 22°C. Germination takes 2 to 8 weeks, and seed-grown plants usually fruit in their second or third year.
Growing from seed is an affordable way to fill a berry patch, and a rewarding project if you enjoy raising plants from scratch. This guide covers every stage, from collecting seeds to planting out.
Short on time? Raspberries grown from seed take 2 to 3 years to fruit and won't be identical to their parent. If you'd rather be picking sooner from a reliable plant, our nursery-grown red raspberry plants are ready to go in the ground.
Raspberry Quick Facts
Latin name: Rubus idaeus
Stratification: 4 to 6 weeks cold (1 to 5°C)
Germination temperature: 18 to 22°C
Germination time: 2 to 8 weeks, often uneven
Time to first fruit: 2 to 3 years from seed
Position: Full sun to light shade, sheltered
Soil: Moist, well-drained, slightly acidic to neutral (pH 5.5 to 6.5)
Spacing: 45 to 60 cm between plants, 1.5 to 2 m between rows
Harvest: June to August (summer-fruiting), August to October (autumn-fruiting)
Hardiness: Fully hardy in Ireland and the UK
Step 1: Collect or Buy Raspberry Seeds
You can use bought seed or collect your own from ripe raspberries. To extract seeds from fresh fruit:
Mash the berries in a bowl and cover with water. Viable seeds sink; pulp and empty seeds float.
Pour off the pulp, strain the seeds and rinse them.
Dry the seeds on kitchen paper for 24 hours.
Store in a labelled envelope in a cool, dry place until you're ready to stratify.
Seeds collected from garden raspberries will produce plants that vary from the parent, because raspberries don't grow true from seed. That variation is part of the fun, and some seedlings may turn out especially well suited to your garden.
Step 2: Cold Stratify the Seeds
Raspberry seeds need a period of cold to break dormancy. In Ireland and the UK, the simplest method is to sow in pots in autumn and leave them outdoors over winter, where nature provides the cold. For a spring sowing indoors, stratify them in the fridge:
Mix the seeds with a little damp sand or place them in a folded, damp paper towel.
Seal in a labelled bag or container and refrigerate at 1 to 5°C for 4 to 6 weeks.
Check weekly that they stay damp but not wet, and remove any mouldy material.
If you bought seed, check the packet: some suppliers pre-treat seed so it can be sown straight away.
Step 3: Sow the Seeds
Fill a tray or small pots with a fine, free-draining seed compost and water it well.
Scatter the seeds thinly on the surface and press them in gently. Cover with no more than a light dusting of compost or grit, as they need light to germinate.
Mist the surface and cover with a clear lid or plastic to hold humidity.
Keep in a bright spot at 18 to 22°C, out of direct midday sun.
Step 4: Care for the Seedlings
Raspberry seeds germinate over 2 to 8 weeks, and not all at once, so don't give up on a tray too soon.
Keep the compost moist but never soggy. Water from below if possible to avoid disturbing seedlings.
Give bright light: a sunny windowsill or 12 to 16 hours under a grow light.
Remove the lid once most seedlings are up, to improve airflow.
When seedlings have two or three sets of true leaves, pot them on individually into 9 cm pots.
Step 5: Harden Off and Plant Out
Once young plants are about 15 cm tall and well rooted, usually a few months after germination, harden them off over 7 to 10 days by putting them outside during the day and bringing them in at night.
Plant out in spring or autumn into a sunny, sheltered spot with moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Space plants 45 to 60 cm apart and mulch well with compost or wood chip to hold moisture and suppress weeds. Raspberries have shallow roots, so avoid digging close to them once established.
Troubleshooting Raspberry Seeds
No germination: seeds may not have had enough cold. Give them another 4 weeks in the fridge and sow again. Old or poorly stored seed also germinates badly.
Mould or damping off: improve airflow, remove the cover sooner, use fresh sterile compost and water less often.
Leggy, weak seedlings: they need more light. Move them closer to the window or add a grow light.
Seedlings stall after potting on: check drainage and avoid overwatering; young raspberries dislike wet roots.
FAQ: Growing Raspberries from Seed
How long does it take to grow raspberries from seed?
Raspberry seeds take 2 to 8 weeks to germinate after cold stratification. The young plants usually produce their first fruit in their second or third year, compared with the first or second summer for a nursery-grown plant.
Do raspberry seeds need cold stratification?
Yes, most raspberry seeds need 4 to 6 weeks of cold at 1 to 5°C to germinate well. In Ireland and the UK you can sow them outdoors in autumn and let winter do the job, or stratify them in the fridge before a spring sowing.
Can I grow raspberries from shop-bought raspberries?
Yes. Seeds from ripe shop-bought or garden raspberries will germinate, but the plants won't be identical to the parent variety. Expect some variation in flavour, size and vigour.
Will raspberries grown from seed produce fruit?
Yes, seed-grown raspberries fruit, usually from the second or third year. Because they don't grow true to type, fruit quality varies from plant to plant, so keep the best performers and remove the weakest.
When is the best time to plant raspberries in Ireland?
Plant raspberries between November and March while they are dormant, or in spring from pots. Choose a sunny, sheltered spot with moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil.
Seed or Plant? Choosing the Right Start for Your Raspberry Patch
Growing raspberries from seed is cheap and satisfying, but it takes patience: 2 to 3 years to your first proper harvest, and every seedling is a little different. If you want reliable fruit sooner, starting with a young plant is the easier route.
At Earthling Plants we grow red raspberry plants that establish quickly and fruit far sooner than seedlings, sent bare-root from November to March, the ideal planting window. For something different in the same patch, try the sweet, sticky Japanese wineberry or the large, aromatic tayberry.
Comments