Raspberries tend to send out lateral roots, and spread. You could start with three plants of each variety, and these would double in number in two or three years. Raspberry seedlings need protection from rabbits until they get up to 12 inches or so.

Hi Weeper-
It really doesn't matter how many raspberries you plant. Raspberries will take over an area no matter how big, so it's more about time.... I plant raspberries perhaps 2 feet apart. By the 3rd year, the bed is completely filled in. If you wanted to plant them 4 feet apart, perhaps it would take an extra year for the entire bed to fill in. Make sense?

The thing I'm most worried about for raspberries is your zone. I'm not sure how well Heritage will do there. If Heritage would do well there, then for me, I'd rather have other varieties (like I mention in many of my posts) like Caroline, Prelude, Anne, KiwiGold, etc. Looks like Nourse says Boyne and Latham will work in zone 3, so you may be ok at least with them.

Good luck,
-Glenn

Here is a link that might be useful: Raspberries - Comparison Chart

It's funny the way places can get hooked on growing just one or two varieties, and they don't even think about trying some new ones! Boyne is what most people grow here(Saskatchewan, Canada), and Heritage is one of the more common everbearing. And it looks like on that chart there are more hardy variaties anyway! I wonder why nurseries don't stock some of those other variaties.

We have another kind up here, "Fall Gold" that is supposed to be good, and it is certainly hardy (if the frost doesn't get your crop!). Thanks for the clarification of how fast raspberries spread! I knew they were invasive and weedy, but I wasn't sure how long it would take them to increase. I'll probably get 3 of each then.

I'm guessing from the lack of response that all you States people don't grow Saskatoons? I have no idea how far south they can even grow. You're missing out! (Of course, I don't even want to know what wonderful fruit you can grow..I already KNOW I'm missing out. ;))

Hi Weeper-
I'd stay away from "Fall Gold" if you could. (I've been posting a lot of the same advice lately, so hopefully the other readers will forgive me). There are only 3 yellow varieties that are ever talked about: 'Anne' which is arguably the best tasting variety of raspberry that is out there... very large berries, but not a very productive plant. 'Kiwi Gold' which has a unique and good flavor, and is extremely vigorous. And 'Fall Gold' which doesn't have any of the positive attributes of the other two. If you look at my 'My Page', you'll see that I'm growing Anne and Kiwi Gold, but I have never grown 'Fall Gold' simply because the posts here on this forum are always poor. My only hesitation with recommending Anne and KG is your zone 2b/3a. I don't have any experience with what will and won't grow up there, but given a choice, I'd take Anne or KG over FG any day.
Yep, I do have a Regents serviceberry (Saskatoon), but for some reason, the berries always turn black and shrivel up. O'well.
Good luck,
-Glenn

I grow blueberries here in Madison, Wisconsin. I'm sure you could grow blueberries in Saskatchewan, but I'm not sure which variety would do best. Half-high and lowbush blueberries get covered by snowdrifts during the winter, so these varieties have some natural protection from the cold. I don't know what Saskatoons are, but I am curious.

I've planted saskatoons and they didn't survive.

I would figure out how many blueberry bushes I'd want and then get the same number of Saskatoons as I would have gotten of blueberries.

Check the mail order nurseries. Bareroot berry vines are often sold in bundles of 5. If that is the case in your area, I suggest that you get 5 of each.