We may receive a commission if you click and make a purchase through links in this post.
do raspberries have seeds?

Do Raspberries Have Seeds? Can We Grow Raspberry Plants from Seed?

Asking the question do raspberries have seeds is like asking if the sky is blue. Raspberries have so many seeds. And I certainly don’t appreciate it when one gets stuck between my teeth.

Another thing you’ll notice about these fruits is that they have cavities in the middle after their stalks have been removed. I’ve always found it quite fascinating.

Why do raspberries have so many seeds?

Each raspberry fruit is made up of tiny spheres called drupelets. Each of these tiny drupelets that look like small tears contains a seed. That’s why these fruits have a galaxy of seeds per individual fruit.

Do Raspberries Have Seeds? So Many Seeds

tiny raspberry seeds

If we were to compare raspberries with another fruit in terms of their huge number of seeds and how annoying they can be, I would say that the perfect fruit would be blackberries.

However, for both raspberries and blackberries, eating the annoying seeds is totally worth it because, from my point of view, these are two of the most delicious fruits on the planet. They certainly top strawberries and they even top blueberries.

By the way, blueberries also have seeds but they are so much less annoying. We don’t even feel those seeds when we eat the fruits. Not the same can be said for raspberries.

If you’ve ever made a jar of raspberry jam, you would have seen all those tiny seeds making up about half the content of the jar. I’m exaggerating but not by much.

Moreover, if you ever make a raspberry sauce for your desserts, you’ll have to use a fine-mesh strainer to remove that galaxy of seeds. That’s when you really realize just how many seeds these tiny, wonderful, delicious and gorgeous red fruits have.

Do Raspberries Have Seeds? How to Grow Raspberry Plants from Seed

Do I actually recommend growing your own raspberry plant from seeds? Frankly, no.

I will be honest and admit that when it comes to growing fruit plants, bushes or trees, I very much prefer to buy live plants and transplant them at home.

Just as I bought my lemon, cherry, apricot, apple, pear, peach trees so too I bought my raspberry, blackberry and blueberry live plants. And these are just a few examples of the live plants that I bought over the years.

I love growing herbs from seed in pots or in my hydroponic systems. Just as much, I love growing tomatoes, peppers, leafy greens, cucumbers and so many other plants from seed in soil or with hydroponics, including the Kratky method.

However, for quite a lot of other plants and trees, I prefer buying the live plant method.

Thus, I strongly advise you to consider buying live raspberry plants. They’re quite unpretentious, bear fruit quickly, bear increasingly more fruits from year to year and raspberry bushes spread very easily.

Some consider the raspberry bush to be an invasive plant and it can certainly be if you want it contained in a small space. You’ll have to monitor its spreading. I consider it one of my greatest joys because I don’t mind at all being able to harvest more and more raspberries from year to year.

Well, I still haven’t answered my question. Can you grow raspberry bushes from seed? Absolutely. Let’s see how it’s done.

1. Get raspberry seeds

We answered the question do raspberries have seeds in the affirmative. Now, it’s time to see how we can get those seeds if we want to grow our own raspberry bushes from seed.

You can try germinating raspberry seeds from store-bought raspberries.

In order to remove the seeds from store-bought fruits, grab a fine-mesh strainer, place a few fruits in it, squash them and then place the strainer under running water until only the seeds are left in the strainer.

However, I should tell you that I would much prefer buying some raspberry seeds for planting if I decided that I want to grow a raspberry bush from seed. Still, live plants are my first choice always.

2. Use peat pots for germination

In this case I recommend using peat pots for germination because you can do the transplanting without removing the seedlings.

Peat pots are made of a compostable combination of peat and wood. When you’re ready to transplant the seedlings you can put the seedling with the peat pot in the soil. It’s perfect and easy.

3. Sow the seeds

You should start germination of raspberry seeds in mid-winter because the growing season for these plants starts in early to mid spring.

Push the seeds about 1 inch deep into the soil.

Sow the seeds about 1 inch apart.

Cover the seeds with a layer of sand or a layer of soil.

You could also try germinating the raspberry seeds in paper towels for a couple of days and then transplant the sprouts into the peat pots.

It can ensure that your germination will be a success so check out my article on germinating seeds in paper towels if you’re interested in this method.

4. Germination

Move the peat pots to a dim and cool place indoors. You can use your pantry, a cupboard or place them to germinate in the garage.

During germination make sure to keep the soil moist all the times.

Growing season for raspberry bushes starts when temperatures have reached at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees C).

That’s when you can take the pots with seedlings outdoors.

How long does it take for raspberry seeds to germinate?

It will take 4 to 6 weeks for the seeds to grow into about 1 inch seedlings with leaves.

After that, you can transplant them into bigger containers or outdoors in the garden.

A loam soil with high organic matter content (compost) is the ideal soil for raspberry bushes. Water immediately after transplanting.

5. Caring for your raspberry bush

carrying for raspberry plant

These plants require lots of sun and warmth. Place your plants in a place where they will get 6 hours of sunlight.

However, make sure to keep it away from other vegetables and fruits from your garden because they do not get along with other plants.

If you’re growing more than one bush, leave 3-4 feet of space between them.

In normal conditions, you should only water once every 2 weeks. If it rains, you don’t need to water. Don’t overwater because it will make them wilt.

Just water when the top inch of soil is dry.

Do not water during winter. It can cause root rot.

In order to keep the plants producing more fruits, harvest the fruits regularly.

If you want your raspberry bushes to grow in an orderly fashion, I recommend setting up a wire system. This will also help you keep the plants contained.

6. Fertilizing raspberry plants

You can begin fertilizing raspberry plants 4-6 weeks after planting.

I recommend using organic plant food. Or you can use an all-purpose balanced fertilizer (10-10-10 or 20-20-20).

You should cease fertilization after June until the following late winter or early spring. That allows the plant to go into its dormant period.

Apply compost in late winter. You can also add organic fertilizer in late winter or very early spring.

Is raspberry a berry?

Before ending this article, I have one last interesting fact to share with you.

Raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, mulberries are not actual berries.

In fact, from a botanical point of view, bananas, tomatoes and grapes are berries.

The ones that I mentioned that are not berries are aggregate fruits because they consist of a number of smaller fruits. And each raspberry drupelet contains a seed.

On the other hand, cranberries and blueberries are true botanical berries. In this case, the termination fits the botanical classification.

We’ve answered the question do raspberries have seeds and we’ve seen how you can grow your own raspberry bushes from seed but I still hope that you’ll choose to buy live plants because they’re so easy to transplant and take care of.