[yamandmole]

We have just taken over an allotment that hasn't been touched for 40 years! Having cleared back most of the weeds, we have discovered three rows of raspberry bushes/canes. These have grown to around 5-6ft, and we have pruned them back quite drastically. A few raspberries have started to appear, but we are unsure as to what to do to improve the canes and develop growth. Any suggestions please? Do we have to prune back more drastically? A few new canes have started to appear - is there anything special we need to do to these?

Hoping someone can help

[sunshineband]

Raspberries come in two sorts -- those than fruit on thsi year's growth in the late season, and those that fruit on last year's growth in the early season. It's confused by the fact that if you don't cut anyhting down then you can get soem any old time.

Iiwm, I would leave them until the early autumn, cut them to about ten inches and give them a good feed of blood fish & bone. New shoots will come up all around next spring and then you'll be able to work out what sort they are. probalbly summer fruiting and away they'll go.

Any new canes will need a bit of support so you could make a sort of box shaped support with posts and wire to keep them tidy.

Hope that helps 

[Christine]

I think that this link tells you just about everything that you need to know.

You've done no harm at all by doing a heavy prune and as has been said, you'll need a year to find out which is what sort of raspberry. September next year you can do a text book prune. Just follow the support, feeding and watering (oh and picking/eating) on the link till then.

[yamandmole]

Many thanks to both of you for your helpful information.The few berries that are starting to appear are encouraging, but we won't hold our breath this season! Rest assured that the pruners will be out come Autumn....

[Kristen]

When you get the pruners out ...

... only cut canes that have had fruit on them. The ones that have no fruit on them will fruit next year - and then you can cut them down!

Summer fruiting product canes this year that carry fruit next year - so the bed is a mixture of last year's now carrying fruit and this year's young canes that need to be left until next year. Autumn fruiting varieties do it all in one year - produce canes in the Spring that fruit in the Autumn