[Sweet Pea 2]

Hi

I have no idea whether my Raspberries are summer or Autumn fruiting and they maybe a mixture.  I seemed to get a crop from July/August and they were cropping until the first frost I think.  What is the best way to prune them if you aren't sure?

[JayG]

From the fruiting times they sound more like autumn-fruiters.

Check each cane for evidence of having fruited (generally looking "spent" but particularly look for the remains of the fruit clusters.) All such canes can be cut down to near the ground.

Remove any that are particularly weak (they won't produce much) and leave the ones you are unsure about until you have decided which plants are which (it won't hurt to leave some canes on autumn fruiters - if they are still alive they will produce a small crop of smaller berries in summer before the autumn crop proper on the new canes.)

[Sweet Pea 2]

Thanks.  I will do that.  Also I'll try and note down the timings next year, so I can be more sure.

[Kristen]

Not sure you need to bother though?

If you cut down what has fruited, and leave what hasn't, as Jay recommends, that will work well for either Summer or Autumn fruiting types.

In effect, for Summer fruiting you will be taking out about 50% of the canes, and if they are Autumn fruiting you will wind up chopping down 100% of them

[Sweet Pea 2]

Ok Thanks.   I am going to try and write down more this year.  I still suspect I may have a mixture, so unless I get really organised and label them (unlikely) I shall probably go for this method each year.

[Kristen]

My New Years Resolution to "Label Better" fails every year too ... BUT ... I am good at taking digital photos. I wonder round the garden every week or two and photograph things, and its easy to refer back to.

(May help that my camera's PC software creates a folder for each date and the photos are in that folder, so everything is in chronological order)

Just a thought ...

[Sweet Pea 2]

I'm not that great with photo filing or downloading either, but I will give it a go.  I want to dig dig dig, or weed weed weed when they take over.  My half plot looks alot better now everything has died back.  Need to concentrate on keep it under control this year.