Autumn Bliss Raspberry Canes

• Variety: Autumn Bliss, raspberries from August to the frosts
• Fruit type: Raspberry, Rubus idaeus 'Autumn Bliss'
• Group: Autumn fruiting (primocane): it fruits on this year's canes
• Harvest: August to October
• Fruit: Large, red and firm. Freezes well
• Self-fertile: Yes
• Height: About 1.5m (5ft)
• Thorns: Slightly thorny
• Support: None in a sheltered spot. A stout stick on a windy one
• Spacing: 60cm apart, in rows 1.5-2m apart
• Soil: Rich, moist and well drained, on the acid side
• Position: Full sun, sheltered
• Hardiness: H6, hardy through the British winter
• Pruning: Every cane to the ground in late winter
• Wildlife value: RHS Plants for Pollinators
• Stock: UK grown and certified virus-free
• Sold as: Bareroot canes, cut back to 45-60cm
• Plant: November to April, while dormant
• Delivered: Bareroot, November to April. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Autumn Bliss is an autumn fruiting raspberry with large, firm, red berries from August to October on short, sturdy canes of about 1.5m. It fruits on the current year's growth, so you cut every cane to the ground in late winter, and it is self-fertile.

Autumn Bliss Raspberry Plants

Autumn Bliss raspberry canes carry some of the latest raspberries of the year; one tends to think of raspberries as a summer fruit, but this variety really does squeeze out a decent crop into the foothills of autumn.
The first fruit trickle in slowly in August, picking up the pace through September and then winding down by the first half of October, potentially lasting until the first frosts; depending on the weather that year, growers in the South sometimes have their last fruit in early November.
The fruit are large, with a nice firm texture that keeps its shape after being frozen. The flavour is a decent blend of sweetness and acidity, less aromatic than the best summer fruiting varieties.

Browse the rest of our raspberry plants.

Growing Autumn Bliss

The canes are short and sturdy, which need no support in sheltered areas, and are ideal for windy sites, where a stout stick is sufficient for each plant: simply twine the branches around the stick at about 50cm.

Spacing Autumn Bliss: Autumn fruiting raspberry canes are best planted with 60cm between plants along the row, and 1.5 to 2m between rows.

Raspberries are greedy feeders that require rich, moist soil to thrive, and like almost all fruit, prefer full sun.
Our raspberry growing guide has more details.

Standard practice is to deliver raspberry canes with last year's growth cut back to 45-60 cm.

Therefore, Autumn fruiting raspberries should crop fairly well in the Autumn following planting, but not as well as the year after.

History & Trivia

This Kentish variety was bred at the East Malling Research Station by Elizabeth Keep in 1974 and first sold in 1984.

Please note that in line with general practice, all our raspberries are delivered with last year's growth cut back to 45-60cm. With Autumn fruiting raspberries such as Autumn Bliss, this should be cut down to ground level in late winter.

Planting Companions

Autumn Bliss takes over as the summer raspberries finish. Put Glen Ample in the same bed and two varieties keep you picking from July to October. Joan J is a spine-free autumn raspberry with the RHS Award of Garden Merit, and Polka starts in late July. Currants and gooseberries are under soft fruit bushes. Give the roots Rootgrow at planting.

Why Buy Your Raspberries from Us?

Your canes are UK grown and certified virus-free. They arrive bareroot and dormant, the form in which raspberries establish fastest and give you most plant for your money. Ashridge Nurseries was established in 1949 and holds the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award. Bareroot plants are guaranteed for 12 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do I prune Autumn Bliss raspberries?

In late winter, cut every cane to ground level. Autumn Bliss fruits on the canes it grows the same year, so there is nothing to keep. No pruning in the fruit garden is simpler.

Does Autumn Bliss need support?

Mostly not. The canes are short and sturdy and stand alone in a sheltered garden. On a windy site give each plant a stout stick and twine the canes round it at about 50cm.

When does Autumn Bliss fruit?

From August, building through September and tailing off in the first half of October or at the first frosts. Canes planted this winter crop next autumn, and more heavily the year after.

How far apart do I plant autumn raspberry canes?

Plant Autumn Bliss 60cm apart in the row. Leave 1.5 to 2m between rows, which lets you pick without treading on roots that run just under the surface.

How deep should I plant raspberry canes?

Shallow. Planting too deep kills more new canes than anything else. Spread the roots, cover them with a few centimetres of soil, firm and water. Mulch each spring around the canes, not over them.

Can I plant new raspberries where old ones grew?

Better not. Problems build up in the soil under an old raspberry bed, so give your new canes fresh ground somewhere else in the garden.