[missmoneypenny]

Last year I bought and planted Autumn Bliss form the RHS website. It fruited in July/ August.  I’m wondering 1) did they make a mistake and send wrong variety and 2) when should I prune. I guess I have missed the boat for summer pruning anyway, which I gather is straight after pruning. So I guess I should do it in late winter? Any other care I should do now. As grass is taking hold I’m thinking of putting rotted manure around the stems.

[New shoot]

The autumn ones generally start between late July and early August and then go on into the autumn, so I think you are OK with the ones you have.

The pruning is very easy.  Wait a few weeks yet until the leaves are off and the canes are dormant, then cut them right down to just above ground level.  Your new canes for next year will spring from the base.

They love mulch, so manure is a good idea 

[missmoneypenny]

Thanks new shoot, really concise and clear  . I’ll wait till the leaves are dormant.

[Oldswan]

They do seem to have been a little earlier this year and finished sooner but a July start is not unusual. They have a long fruiting season though so well worth growing.

[CHRISDONOHUE]

Autumn fruiting raspberries do start cropping very soon after summer fruiting ones.   The problem you have is that they are not cropping for long enough probably because they are fairly new plants and are insufficiently  established.   Many suggest cutting down to the ground in February when the plants are beginning to grow again after winter dormancy.

[Growster...]

We just love our 'Joan J' rasps!

The only issue I really have with later fruit, is that on the earlier varieties, I like to bend them over and keep them from getting too high, (which affects the yield). Preferably, they should start to bend downwards at the top, and they can really motor from then!

'Joan J' don't get too high, but just enough to become unruly at a time when they're forming flowers and buds, which we need to keep intact, so I suppose another wire lower down is the answer for next year.

Just to confuse the whole row, there are a few others (Glen Moy and Ample) dotted around in the pack, which I couldn't bear to chuck away, so they wander off everywhere and make life exceedingly difficult...