New raspberry canes: to prune or not?

I bought 6 each of summer and autumn fruiting raspberry canes from my local garden centre, who insisted that they would fruit this year. However my RHS book advises pruning each cane to 9-12 inches tall to a bud and forgoing any fruit this summer in order to ensure loads of raspberries next year.

Who is right? Are they both right? Are they both wrong? I am hoping the garden centre is at least partialy right as it would be nice to have some raspberries this year.

Hey stoatus
How about pruning half then and leaving half.  I wasn't so brave got 1 autumn raspberry canes new the other week, they are about 2ft high..........Anyho pruned one  left the rest.  Breaks my heart chucking strawberry runners too, which I haven't had to do yet but I know this years new crop will give me more than I can give away.

My understanding is that autumn raspberries fruit on the current years' canes and summer raspberries on the previous years' canes. Therefore, for the autumn ones I would definitely cut them right down to the ground now.

I planted new autumn canes in November of 2007 - they were just little stumps. By April 2008 they were sprouting little green shoots. By the summer they were growing lots and lots of new canes and in September I had a huge crop of lovely raspberries from the new canes. The variety was 'Joan J'. I cut all the canes right down to the ground about 3 weeks ago and am presuming that come April the same thing will happen as last year.

At the same time (November 2007) I planted some summer canes. They were also little stumps (probably about 6 or 7 inches above the ground). They also started sprouting from the stumps in April. Over the summer I had a really titchy crop of raspberries growing on the old 'stumps'. However, lots of new, tall canes grew up from and around the old stumps. These didn't fruit. I have left these new, tall canes alone (they are currently bare and leafless and a bit sad looking) as I think these will be the ones that will fruit this summer.

I think Trillium's idea of pruning half of the canes is the way to go with regard to the summer ones. I hope this helps and hasn't confused you further!  :blink:

Thanks for the advice on the Autumn canes. I'll prune those and half the Summer ones. - Cheers!

Why not just do what you are supposed to?

That's a bit radicle isn't it?

But sound thinking though!

Radical is to throw away the summer fruiting raspberries.
Get some more autumn fruiting ones.
Then simply forget the pruning of old canes and keeping new canes.
Prune, grow, eat. Prune, grow, eat. Prune, grow, eat. Prune, grow, eat.

Maybe it is Lazy?
I'll think about it, but slowly, very , very slowly.

Well lets hope there are loads of smoothies on the way cos I've got a tste for them since chrissie pressie from daughter (of a smoothie machine, or a blender in disguise).
hehe