My red raspberries are spreading rapidly. What should I do?

Question:

My red raspberries are spreading rapidly. What should I do?

Answer:

Red raspberries spread rapidly as they sucker profusely from their roots.  To prevent the planting from becoming a wide, unmanageable thicket, red raspberries should be confined to a one- to two-foot-wide hedgerow.  Shoots growing beyond the one- to two-foot-wide hedgerow should be destroyed using a rototiller or spade.  Early spring is an excellent time to remove shoots growing beyond the one- to two-foot-wide hedgerow.