[mrswashi]

Having finally become an allotment owner  I  was really pleased to see that there are several raspberry canes. They have some juicy fruit on them, but the majority are going mouldy or already dead. Please could you help..... :blink:.. How can I tell if they are summer or autumn raspberries.
Thanks
Manda

[angelavdavis]

My punt is on autumn, summer raspberries would have long dropped and gone.

[Bing]

my Autumn ones are 3 feet tall, Summer ones are over 6 feet tall.

[angelavdavis]

my Autumn ones are 3 feet tall, Summer ones are over 6 feet tall.

That's cos you should have pruned the summer ones after fruiting! 

[Bing]

my Autumn ones are 3 feet tall, Summer ones are over 6 feet tall.

That's cos you should have pruned the summer ones after fruiting! 

but they are new grows this year, I am expecting them fruiting next year and then the chop.

[angelavdavis]

OK, that wasn't clear in your initial post.  If you planted them late this year and wanted them to build up their energies, I personally would have removed all fruit early and allowed them to continue growing - not expecting much fruit next year.  They still fruit on new growth so need new shoots on which to fruit, so it might have been worth removing some growth to promote new growth next year.  

I might still prune them at 6 foot high unless you are in a very sheltered location as wind rock might damage them over winter.  

Mrswashi's sound like autumn fruiting which need pruning back to the ground mid winter.

[mumofstig]

I agree they do sound like autumn ones, so need cutting down to soil level as angela says

[solway cropper]

There is some debate about when to prune autumn rasps. The RHS says November but other 'experts' advise waiting till February. Mine usually carry fruit till the first hard frosts and then I wait for them to look dead before touching them. That could be any time the weather is right between November and spring. Doesn't seem to make any difference.

[DD.]

I agree with the last.

Done fruiting - look dead - weather's right - get in there.

Wait until February - weather's wrong - never get pruned.

Carpe diem.

[Salmo]

A good tip that appeared on here was to cut any canes that have fruited this year to the ground.

If they are an Autumn fruiting variety that will be all of them.

If they are a Summer variety that will leave canes that have grown this year but not fruited. i.e. they will fruit next year.

So simple but always correct.

[New shoot]

I prune my Autumn Bliss as soon as I can over the winter.  As DD says, go with the weather as if you wait until February, it can be too late.  Mine have been budding up by then in a mild year.

Good find to make on a new allotment though    Autumn fruiting raspberrries offer so much lush fruit for very little input  

[mrswashi]

Many thanks to all your replies. So helpful.
I've decided with your help to chop them right down in the next few weeks.
Thanks
Again.
I know I was lucky to be started off with these. Yippee