[imarr17]

I'm considering planting a number of raspberry canes in the next few weeks.

Having looked in a number of popular gardening books it looks like I should have prepared the site much earlier in the year. Is this necessary or can I prep the area now and plant in a couple of weeks?

[JayG]

Do your books explain why you need to wait so long?

Weed-free soil is all they really need, some well-rotted manure or compost dug in if available, and that's it; if bare-rooted your plants will be dormant now and should go in as soon as possible to settle before winter.

(Additional mulching, feeding, staking or caging can wait 'till next year!) 

[Jamie Butterworth]

I just threw mine in in spring, and had a good crop even though the ground had no preperation and they are in there first year

Will add some fertilizer now though

[DD.]

I was given some in June of the year I got my plot. Threw them in and now I've a 32' x 6' hedge!

[imarr17]

Thanks everybody. The books said prepare early for a weedfree plot - nothing more than that.

I'll get the rotavator out and get some compost dug in!