Marianne's Response
No fruit on Raspberry Shortcake plant
I bought a Raspberry Shortcake plant in the spring. It is in a large container. It has lush foliage, looks healthy. No fruit. Is it because it is the first year? It will be outside all year. Is there any special soil amendment/fertilizer that I should use to hopefully get berries next year? And when should I apply it?
Posted by vickie ward on August 2, 2015
Marianne's Response
This seems to be a very berry common problem with the new Raspberry Shortcake dwarf raspberry plants. I have three of them myself and harvested just a few berries from one plant and no fruit from the other two plants but this is only the second summer they have been in the ground. As long as the foliage looks healthy I vote to give these plants at least three years before being disappointed. The old gardener adage says: the first year the plant sleeps, the second year it creeps and the third year it leaps. Next year will be the third year for my plants. I will add a manure and compost mulch around the roots this fall then fertilize in the spring with Osmocote. You should do the same with our potted raspberry shortcake plant. Next summer I suspect we'll both be enjoying a fruitful harvest. If not, please write back. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti
