Encore Raspberry

Encore was developed by John C. Sanford, Kevin E. Maloney, Jack E. Reich, and Donald K. Ourecky at Cornell University’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York. The original cross — Canby × Cherokee — was made in 1976; Encore was selected in 1980 from a seedling population of 206 progeny. Canby is a floricane red raspberry introduced in 1953 by the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station (itself from Viking × Lloyd George), while Cherokee is a Virginia Polytechnic Institute release from 1973 with the pedigree Hilton × (Taylor × St. Regis). That lineage gave Encore a wide genetic base drawing on northwestern, mid-Atlantic, and northeastern American breeding programs. Encore was released in 1999 alongside Prelude, both receiving U.S. Plant Patents that same year (Encore PP11,746, issued January 2001; now expired). Its late-ripening window — extending into mid-July and early August — was the primary breeding target, designed to extend the commercial summer season beyond mid-season standards and fill the harvest gap before the fall primocane crop begins.

Encore performs best in full sun with a minimum of six to eight hours of direct light daily; reduced sun delays ripening and weakens cane development. Soil pH between 5.5 and 6.5 is critical — outside that range, iron and manganese become unavailable, causing interveinal chlorosis regardless of fertilizer inputs. Well-drained loam is the ideal medium, but Encore tolerates clay and sandy soils when organic matter is incorporated to 12 inches before planting. The variety requires roughly 800 chilling hours, placing it comfortably in USDA zones 4–8 and making it unsuitable for low-chill southern climates. Consistent moisture through June and July — when fruit cells are expanding — directly determines final berry size and cohesion; drip irrigation at 1–1.5 inches per week prevents the blossom-end softening that humid-summer heat events can trigger. Row spacing of 8 feet between rows allows adequate airflow, which matters given the variety's moderate susceptibility to fungal diseases. Top-dress with compost each spring and maintain a 3-inch wood chip mulch to moderate soil temperature and suppress weed competition.

USDA Hardiness Zone: 4-8
AHS Heat Zone: 2-7
Chill Hours: 800-1000
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Soil pH: 5.5-6.5
Soil Type: Loam, well-drained; tolerates clay, sand, high organic matter
Soil Drainage: Well-drained; avoid wet or poorly drained soils
Water Requirements: Medium; consistent moisture during growing season
Plant Spacing: 18-24 inches in row; 8 ft between rows

Encore produces upright, erect canes reaching 4 to 6 feet tall with a spread of 2 to 4 feet, making it one of the more compact floricane raspberries relative to its yield. The near-thornless habit — very few short, downward-pointing spines confined to the cane base — reduces handling injuries during harvest and routine pruning. Fast growth rate means primocanes reach full height by midsummer of their first year; these overwinter as floricanes and bear fruit the following July before being cut to ground level after harvest. The erect growth habit and stiff cane structure generally eliminate the need for trellis support, though a single low wire at 3 feet can keep rows tidy in high-wind sites. Root architecture is shallow and spreading, so avoid cultivation deeper than 2 inches within the row to protect feeder roots. The biennial cane cycle requires annual removal of spent floricanes immediately after harvest to limit disease carryover in cane debris.

Mature Height: 4-6 ft tall
Mature Spread: 2-4 ft wide
Growth Habit: Upright, erect; vigorous sturdy canes; does not require trellising
Growth Rate: Fast
Foliage Type: Deciduous
Food Forest Layer: Shrub
Leaf Color: Dark green
Thorns?: Nearly thornless; very few short downward-pointing spines at cane base
Attracts Wildlife: Bees, butterflies, birds, small mammals
Life Span: canes are biennial (primocane year 1, floricane year 2)

Encore is fully self-fertile: each flower carries functional stamens and pistils, and bees transferring pollen within and between plants of the same variety set fruit reliably. Bloom occurs from early to late April in Zone 5–6 temperate climates, with small white flowers that attract native bees and honeybees. No cross-pollinator is botanically required, but planting Encore alongside other summer-bearing reds — such as Latham or Killarney — concentrates bee activity across bloom season and commonly raises per-plant yields 15–25% in trial comparisons. Because flowering occurs before the peak of SWD (Spotted Wing Drosophila) pressure, the bloom period itself carries low pest risk; the management challenge arrives at fruit set and maturation.

Bloom Season: Very Early
Bloom Window: Early Apr - Late Apr
Pollination Requirements: Self-fertile; no cross-pollinator required
Pollination Mechanism: Bee-pollinated; white flowers attract bees and pollinators
Flower Color: White

Berries are bright red, averaging approximately 1 inch in diameter and around 2.9 grams per fruit — placing Encore among the larger summer-bearing red raspberries in Cornell trial data. Flavor is mild and well balanced, with clean raspberry sweetness and moderate acidity; the profile is accessible rather than intense, appealing to fresh-market and family-garden audiences. Fruit texture is firm with cohesive drupelets that hold shape through harvest, transport, and freezing — a trait that distinguishes Encore from softer varieties prone to crumbling. Harvest runs from mid-July through early August, extending the summer red raspberry season beyond earlier varieties. Fresh shelf life is short, as with all raspberries, but frozen product retains shape and color well, and the fruit processes cleanly into jams, jellies, pies, and preserves. Commercial yield potential of 8,000–9,300 kg/ha has been documented under optimal conditions; home-garden plants typically yield 2 or more pounds each.

Ripening Season: Early
Harvest Window: Mid Jul - Early Aug
Fruit Size: Large
Fruit Weight: 2.9 g average
Flavor: Pleasant, mild and well balanced; sweet with good raspberry flavor
Fruit Color: Bright red
Fruit Texture: Firm; cohesive drupelets; holds shape well for fresh eating, freezing, and preserves
Bearing Habit: Summer-bearing (floricane); fruits on second-year canes in mid-late summer
Years to Bear: 1-2 years
Yield: 2+ per plant
Storage Life: Short fresh; freezes well
Culinary Uses: Fresh eating, freezing, jams, jellies, preserves, pies, wine, herbal tea

Encore carries moderate resistance to Phytophthora Root Rot (Phytophthora fragariae var. rubi) and Raspberry Leaf Spot (Sphaerulina rubi), a practical advantage in wet-summer sites where these pathogens persist. It is moderately susceptible, however, to Botrytis Fruit Rot / Gray Mold (Botrytis cinerea), Cane Blight (Leptosphaeria coniothyrium), and Spur Blight (Didymella applanata). For Botrytis, sanitation drives control: remove spent floricanes after harvest and avoid overhead irrigation during ripening to keep canopy humidity below fungal thresholds. Cane Blight and Spur Blight overwinter in infected cane tissue; cutting floricanes to soil level and removing them from the site after harvest breaks the cycle. Thinning primocanes to 4–6 per hill improves airflow and measurably reduces mid-season infection. On the pest side, Spotted Wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii), Raspberry Crown Borer (Pennisetia marginata), Raspberry Cane Borer (Oberea bimaculata), and Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica) all require active management. SWD pressure peaks during late-season ripening; harvesting every 48 hours removes overripe fruit before egg laying, with OMRI-listed kaolin clay or spinosad timed to adult flight as backup. Crown Borer larvae girdle canes at the soil line — dig and destroy infested crowns in late summer and keep mulch pulled back from cane bases. Japanese Beetle responds well to early-morning hand removal when adults are cool and sluggish.

Phytophthora Root Rot: Moderately Resistant
Botrytis Fruit Rot / Gray Mold: Moderately Susceptible
Cane Blight: Moderately Susceptible
Spur Blight: Moderately Susceptible
Raspberry Leaf Spot: Moderately Resistant
Spotted Wing Drosophila: Susceptible
Raspberry Crown Borer: Susceptible
Raspberry Cane Borer: Susceptible
Japanese Beetle: Susceptible

• Harvest on a 48-Hour Cycle: Encore's late ripening aligns with peak SWD flight; picking every two days removes overripe fruit before female flies can complete egg laying.
• Cut Spent Canes at Soil Level Immediately: Leaving floricane stubs over winter is a primary source of Cane Blight and Spur Blight inoculum — remove and dispose away from the planting.
• Control Crown-Zone Moisture: Raspberry Crown Borer moths lay eggs near the crown; avoid deep mulch against the stem and keep a 4-inch clearance zone to reduce oviposition habitat.
• Thin Primocanes to 4–6 per Hill: Encore's fast growth produces excess canes; thinning in June opens the canopy enough to reduce Botrytis pressure without affecting total yield.

Our 365-Day Plant Guarantee: We ensure that our plants are delivered to you alive and healthy. If your plant does not survive its first year, you're eligible for store credit under these conditions:

1. Your location falls within the appropriate USDA hardiness zone for the plant variety (refer to our hardiness zone map).
2. You maintain the roots' moisture and plant within three days of delivery, following the instructions in our Planting Guide.

If you're concerned about your plant's health, please consult our guide, How to Tell if Your Tree is Dead or Dormant. Remember, our plants are shipped in a dormant state and may leaf out at different times based on their species. To check for plant vital