Hello, fellow growers! 🌱Growing Tula Magic raspberries in Kentucky Zone 7 — a full season journal covering containers, raised beds, trellising, and what actually survives a Kentucky summer.
I’m starting a Growing Raspberry in Kentucky journey. In late February 2025, I treated myself to a birthday gift—ordering Tulamagic raspberries from Holland Bulbs (grown in the USA) with a 10% off coupon. Post are updated to 2026!
What’s in this Growing Tulamagic Raspberries in Kentucky Series
- Where I purchased the Tulamagic raspberries and why they weren’t my first choice. But they pushed me to their side with its resistant to root and rod diseases.
- Why I had to plant my Tulamagic raspberries in container gardens
- Transplanting Tulamagic raspberry plants into raised garden bed and the updates of growing
- Building a T post Trellis in a Raised Garden bed for my Tulamagic Raspberries
A Kentucky Zone 7 Homesteader Growing Tulamagic Raspberries
I dreamed of adding them to my homestead with sustainable intercropping. I want to plant them in a line between a row of fruit trees where daffodils, garlic, and rhubarb grow to form a fruit tree guild beneath. This is part of my bigger food forest vision. But life had other plans—surgery hit, so I turned to learn how to grow raspberry plants in containers to give them a start, keeping me in the dirt without bending too much.
I’m a bit worried about Tulamagic in KY with raspberry cane borers, a pest that can damage canes, and the HOT HOT Sun, so I’m taking it slow. I will be growing raspberry plants in containers until I can do more. I’ll use raised beds for their final spot since raspberries hate wet feet (thanks, UK agriculture wisdom!), and a shade cloth will ease them through summer heat. Follow my story—from ordering to containers to intercropping in the food forest vision—and let’s grow together!
Struggles with Raspberries in Kentucky
Kentucky has some struggles with pests, root rot, and sunscald.
I am testing bug netting/ row cover to help combat sun and bugs. I need a better set up to keep bugs out.
Growing Tulamagic raspberries in a raised bed seems to be combating the root rot issue, time will tell. But so far this seems to be working as I started in 2025 with 3 plants and 2026, alot more! I will count and come back with that.
Redneck cane borer is a big problem with raspberries in Kentucky. I am trying to combat pests with netting but my set up leaves something to be desired still. I will post the new set up when I have it finsihed. “Raspberry cane borer adults appear about June and after puncturing the two rings in the canes, lay an egg between the rings. These hatch in July and the larva begins burrowing towards the base of the cane and overwinters about 2 inches below the girdling. The second season it continues to burrow downwards to ground level where it spends the winter. It emerges as an adult the following spring.” https://entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef209 I will also follow there advice and look for the “two rings” and leaf wilt and prune as needed. I will document this as well.
Sunscald or sunburn injury to fruit is often associated with high temperatures (above 90°F) and intense sunlight. https://fruitscout.mgcafe.uky.edu/sunscald-or-sunburn-brambles – I am fighting this with where I planted my raspberry plants (shade in the late afternoon) and with my row cover, that I may end up sewing into something like a bag lol.