10 Best Berries to Plant Now
These tidy, small-space friendly plants give a big summer bounty.
Planting and Care
Buy
Shop for bare-root plants now. If you can't find what you want, ask your nursery to order from a grower.
Prep
Store bare-root plants in moist newspaper until you are ready to plant; submerge the roots in a bucket of water the night before planting.
Plant
Amend the soil with compost, then dig a planting hole that's wide enough for the roots to spread out evenly. Spacing varies by variety, so consult the plant tags; avoid overcrowding.
Tend
Berries appreciate some afternoon shade. Give them all regular water.
'Raspberry Shortcake' Raspberry
Topping out at just 12 to 24 inches high and wide, this plant thrives in a large container without trellising.
'Mara des Bois' Strawberry
Our Test Garden design assistant, Lauren Dunec, calls this variety's flavor "the essence of a strawberry." It's a favorite at Berkeley restaurant Chez Panisse.
More on growing your own strawberries
'Apache' Thornless Blackberry
In summer, these 6- to 8-foot-tall plants yield hefty crops. The upright canes are thornless. Train them on stakes that are 4 feet apart.
'Sequoia' Strawberry
Large red berries of this June-bearing variety taste sweeter than most you can buy at the grocery store.
'Seascape' Strawberry
This everbearing variety produces large, juicy berries all summer. It does exceptionally well along the coast. Plant in containers or in the ground.
'Indian Summer' Raspberry
This raspberry grows 5 to 6 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide; it needs trellising to stay tidy. Plants produce both a spring and fall crop of berries.
'Bountiful Blue' Blueberry
A great choice for small gardens, this compact plant (3 to 4 feet tall and wide) produces a giant crop of sweet berries and ornamental foliage.
'Jelly Bean' Blueberry
This plant has a spherical shape that's pretty in a pot. "It's as neat as a boxwood," Dunec says. Berries ripen from early to midsummer.
More plants that grow well in pots
Musk Variety Strawberry
The best way to get these tasty, aromatic berries--so fragile they rarely show up at markets--is to grow them yourself. Plants spread by runners.
'Golden Alexandria' Alpine Strawberry
You'll get tiny red berries all summer long from these everbearing plants. Lime green leaves brighten up the understory of shaded beds.
Other great fruits to plant while it's still cold out
