Red River Raspberry vs Illini Hardy Blackberry

Red River Raspberry is a cold hardy and adaptable raspberry. Its berries are smaller than typical raspberries and ripen from August until frost. The berries are firm, ruby red and excellent for eating right from the bush.

Red River Raspberry is a primocane-fruiting variety, meaning it produces fruit on first-year canes (the current season’s growth). They are also referred to as ever-bearing or fall-bearing. Cut stalks down each winter or early spring to get higher fruit yields.

Raspberries are self-fertile, meaning they do not require cross-pollination from another variety to produce fruit.

The Illini Hardy Blackberry was developed in Illinois for northern growers, and produces a large, juicy blackberry with medium-sweet flavor. The berries are ready for harvest in midsummer, and go great in preserves.

The Illini Hardy Blackberry, or the Illinois Blackberry, are floricanes, primarily fruiting on second year canes. Each spring cut back all two-year old canes, leaving only the last year’s growth. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn’t require a second plant nearby to set fruit.

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