Containing raspberries.

I am thinking that I could line an area with bamboo liner to confine raspberries to a narrow area. There is an unmortared brick walkway adjoining the area I have in mind and I don't want the raspberries lifting and destroying the walkway. Does this seem feasible? I am planning everbearers in case that makes a difference. How about growing them in large containers, would that work?

Joy, it appears we are asking the same question. I'm going to go ahead and dig a huge hole, 7ft by 3ft and 2ft deep and line it with pond liner, just the sides, and leave the bottom open. I don't think they will run deeper than that. One DG member gave me her opinion that we can grow anything in containers so I'm just gonna do it. Good luck to you as we do not seem to be getting any response.

Raspberry roots remain shallow. I do not think they are aggressive enough to damage a sidewalk but unmortared might present a risk. Raspberries are easily controlled by pulling them out of the ground when relatively small shoots and the emerged growth from the crowns can be controlled with a weedwacker. Raspberry canes only live for two years and die in the second season. The plant constantly renews itself with new canes each year. The new canes do not normally emerge from exactly the same place (in the ground) on the plant - in other words, the plant's crown shifts position slightly each year with the new cane growth. If grown in a pot, the pot needs to be sufficiently large to accommodate this growth pattern (and the movement of the plant location in the ground). I grow a lot of different small fruits in pots, but not raspberries. If you try pots, I'd recommend choosing wide, short pots, a foot or two deep and two or more feet wide. Raised beds would be ideal in that they control the location of the plant. Escaping from a raised bed should not be an issue.

Thanks krowten. Yes I have seen raspberry shoots emerge on the other side of a concrete sidewalk probably 3 feet away. I'm hoping the bamboo control liner will turn back the runners as it does bamboo runners.

Maybe spraying roundup on new spring shoots would keep them under control. If the plants are coming up around plants or grass you can take a paint brush for painting pictures and put a drop of pure roundup on new leaves.

Bamboo liner is a very dense, thick plastic, because bamboo runners, which are very vigorous,can penetrate thinner plastics. Raspberry is less aggressive, so you might not need the strength that bamboo requires. I've never had raspberry move that far via a runner.

Helen, my limited experience suggests to me that spraying the sprouts damages the entire plant. Glyphosate (Roundup) gets absorbed by the green growing sprout and travels through to the rest of the plant. At least that is what I have surmised when I have observed the yellowed, stunted parent plant nearby. Krowten, perhaps pond lining would be sufficient to contain raspberry runners. There are 2 sprouts on the other side of the walkway. I wasn't planning raspberries there but they are the most wonderful everbearing kind and actually still producing right now. Shoots from these are what I want to transplant to the confined space I referred to.