About
This primocane raspberry with the potential for two fruit crops in the year, starting to ripen in late July with the biggest yield in autumn. 'Polka' is a stout raspberry with slightly thorny canes. Fruits are large and red, with a fresh flavour and good keeping quality.
About the genus
Rubus can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs, often scrambling with bristly or prickly stems bearing simple, lobed, palmate or pinnate leaves and 5-petalled flowers followed by juicy, sometimes edible fruits
Growing conditions
SunlightFull sun
Soil typeLoam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, East-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH6
Plant details
Plant typeShrubs, Fruit Edible
HabitSuckering
FoliageDeciduous
Height1.5-2.5 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
Care notes
CultivationGrow in rows between parallel wires for support. Mulch with acidic material such as composted bark. May have the potential to become a nuisance if not managed well. See raspberry cultivation
PruningPrune all canes to ground level in late winter
PropagationPropagate by division in the dormant season. Lift new canes along with their rootballs. Choose only newly planted, disease-free stock from which to propagate
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to aphids, leafhoppers, raspberry beetle, glasshouse red spider mite and gall mites
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to grey moulds and honey fungus (rarely)