[Billb]

Just got a couple of plots today, loads of work to do but on one of the plots, I think there are loads of raspberries. First thoughts were dig them up but now I'm not sure as there's plenty of room to grow other things.

I've looked on youtube and cutting them back all seems a bit cryptic. Should I cut them right back, tidy the bed up and see what happens. What do you think?

[compostqueen]

I inherited millions of em.  I saved some for sure and they were ok. I cut them back and they fruited ok. You won't know til you try.  You could buy some new ones when you get time and space

I had dire warnings of disease but chose not to chuck the baby out with the bath water 🙂

[New shoot]

The way they are growing, I would say they are autumn raspberries and you do cut the whole lot down over winter.  Summer ones tend to be grown on posts and wires as you cut out the fruited stems and tie in the new growth each year.

If you have plenty of room, keep them.  Autumn rasps are lovely and produce loads of fruit.  Cut them down, carefully weed round them (they are shallow rooted) and treat them to a mulch of compost or stable manure 

[victoria park]

If you cut them all down now, you run the risk of losing this Summer,s crop if any or all are summer fruiting and already standing tall. If they're autumn fruiting, the new canes will not have appeared yet and it's ok to cut last year's fruited canes down
. I would cut down any canes with signs of old withered fruit on them, they will probably be autumn fruiting

[Billb]

Thanks for all the replies,
The plot hasn't been looked after for some time as the previous owner has been very ill
I've chopped the ones at the edges that were hanging over the paths. I'll tidy the beds up, mulch and see what they do. I could always dig them up at the end of the year if they don't produce anything. There's also some sort of tree there, is that the done thing putting a tree in amongst them?

Here's some better pics

[Flowertot]

It may just be the angle of the photos but, to me, the second and third photos look like raspberries (individual canes) but the first photo looks like bushes - perhaps currants?

[Billb]

Thanks Flowertot, I have never grown anything like these ever before and showing my total ignorance on the subject. I've just googled currents and I think you're right that the first photos are in fact blackcurrants.

I'm going to keep them I think, chop a few back, tidy them up, give them a bit of a mulch and see what happens.

I just might regret it if I get rid and I can always get rid if they don't produce.

[New shoot]

Those posts in picture 3 are the standard type for autumn raspberries.  Picture 1 does look like blackcurrant bushes. 

Not sure about the tree in picture 2, but it could well just have been seeded in there by a bird, rather than planted be design.  Its hard to see, but possibly blackthorn   

Is this 3 different beds?  I'm going by the fence line in the background.  Bed 1 blackcurrants then, bed 3 rasps - probably autumn ones.  Bed 2 in the middle not sure.  That could be summer rasps gone to ruin a bit, with a weed tree for good measure.  In the pics you put up in the welcome forum, you have strawberry plants as well.

Someone had a well established fruit garden at one time.  I think hanging fire on total clearance and seeing what happens is a good strategy