On the whole, my experience in two different gardens, with different
soils, if that raspberries are happier with sandy soil (and plenty of
water and mulch) than they are with clay soils.

They are originally a woodland plant that grows in clearings on the edges of
streams and in meadows. They like consistant dampness and sun for a good part
of the day. Mine are growing in what was waste space in the rear corner of my
lot, in an area that is at the end of the raised bed and a cement patio, with
an old stockard fence behind them. They get a nice dose of sun because they
face southwest, and, because the bed is between my garage and that of my
neighbors, and the fence, it stays pretty damp because it has a nice shield
from the wind on three sides. They appear to like it - a lot, since I just had
to cut off some 4 or 5 feet of this years canes from trailing all over the
patio and impaling me when I tried to get at the vegetable bed...[g]

If you can, a good place to plant them is on the west or south side of a house
with some but not total sun, or with a fence or trellis behind them. It makes
it easier to tie up fruiting canes so they don't drape the ground, and protects
them from too much wind and drying.

Nothing better than a few freshly picked berries for a summer
breakfast.....yum!

-=epm=-

In matters of truth and justice,
there is no difference between large and small problems,
for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.
- Albert Einstein