One of the easiest DIY garden projects ever, Raspberry Supports are an affordable way to grow raspberries in your home garden. Homemade raspberry trellises to will save you so much money at the grocery store.

A child picking raspberries

When you come home from Lowes with gardening building supplies to find your husband and son in Superman costumes, you immediately directed them outside to the front yard with a camera in hand and demanded they build your DIY raspberry supports. 

Right then and there. In costume. I’m nice like that.

a father and son in superman costumes

a father in a superman costume holding a child in a superman costume

So, here is how our family builds DIY raspberry supports.  In “super” style.

Supplies for Building Raspberry Supports

Two 2x4x8s (weather treated, or painted)
One untreated 2x4x8
8 eyebolt thingys (Troy assures me those are real words)
2 bags of pea gravel
Wire
4 nails
Drill
Hammer
Saw of some kind

How to Build Raspberry Supports/Raspberry Trellis

Saw the untreated 2x4x8 into four pieces.  Two of the pieces should be longer than the other two. These will be the boards that connect the wires to contain all the raspberry canes once they start to grow.

At the top of one of the treated 2x4x8, hammer two nails to connect one of the larger untreated pieces on to the top of the treated piece (creating a “t”).  Add the shorter untreated piece about 2-3 feet below that.  Repeat for both treated 2x4x8s.

A father and son building raspberry trellises

a child nailing a hammer to build a raspberry support

Check for quality control.

a child measuring a raspberry support

Using a power drill, drill 8 total holes into the untreated pieces of wood. One on each facing end of the wood.

drilling holes in raspberry supports for eyebolts

Insert the eye bolts into the holes that were just drilled.

eyebolts in a homemade raspberry trellis

Installing Raspberry Supports/Raspberry Trellises

Using a post hold digger thing, dig two deep holes – at least 18-24 inches deep if possible. You’ll want to dig one at end of your raspberry planting area.

A post hold digger making a hole for raspberry supports

Put the treated post in the hole.

The base on a raspberry support in a hole

Steady the post with one hand, and while trying not to give yourself a hernia, fill the hole with pea gravel.  Give it a good shake to help it settle, then add more pea gravel.  Repeat with the other post.

pea gravel around a raspberry support post

How to Plant Raspberry Canes

Dig your holes for your berry plants, add compost, then the plants, then fill the holes with compost.  Water, and then cover with the mulch of your choice (I use straw).

a child adding straw to a raspberry patch in a home garden

Voila. String the wire on the eye bolts once the berry canes add a bit of growth.  The wires will be used to support the canes as they continue their upward growth.

homemade raspberry supports and raspberry canes in a garden

Cost to Build Raspberry Supports

$43.40 (that includes 4 bags of compost even though I only used 1 in this bed).  The raspberry bushes were free from my aunt and uncle from thinning their current patch.  The cost of organic raspberries at the market?  At least $4 per pint. 

raspberry canes in a home garden

These DIY raspberry supports were the best $43 we ever spent and are still going strong seven years later.

MORE DIY GARDENING POSTS

This post on DIY raspberry supports was originally published in March 2012. I updated it in May 2017 and March 2019 to make the instructions more clear and to post better photos after a blogging platform transfer.