[scott40k]

Having taken on our plot in late summer, we delightfully discovered a lot of well established raspberries complete with fruit  

However,  I have no idea what variety they are (tbh I think there's a mix) and am at a bit of a loss as to what to do next??? I have obviously read up on cutting out the old canes, but the plants have been unattended for a few years and are rather 'messy'. They are also choked with nettles, which I have cut down once, but am loathe to weedkill/ dig up for fear of destroying the canes.

I'm hoping the canes can be salvaged or would you recommend I pull the lot down, clear the ground and start again?

Any tips or advice appreciated, thanks.

[blackisgreen]

hi ,i had a similar problem last year , what i did ws chopped weeds down then cut som cardboard like a collar round the cane and covered with manure ,this year no weeds and lots of fruit.the cardboard rots down over winter .anyway worked for me good luck steve

[scott40k]

Cheers for that! This option has crossed my mind before, but I'm so confused with which bits of the raspbery canes to chop down, I look at it for a few minutes, shears in hand, and then think nah and run off to dig somewhere else  :oops:

I need to learn to be brave....

[blackisgreen]

if you can get away with no fruit for a year chop most down its really up to you mate

[digital_biscuit]

i had no idea whether mine were summer or autumn fruiting so i left them, got a mini-crop in the summer and then HUGE amounts last/this month.....

Anyone really know why you should cut old growth back on autumn fruiters??

[noshed]

When I took my plot over I had loads of scruffy rasps. I dug up a lot of them and rationalised the rest into a row and thinned them out a bit. Then I cut them all back. This means I could get the weeds out. (This was in January). The first summer I had quite a good crop, then every year since they have been brilliant.
I just mulch them every autumn and dig out the suckers and give them to anyone who wants them.

[DD.]

Anyone really know why you should cut old growth back on autumn fruiters??

So the plant puts all it's energy into the new growth & to let light & air into it. It'd get a bit crowded in there if you never cut back.

[scott40k]

Thanks for all the replies.

I think they are definately summer cropping, but there's a mix of thorney and thornless varieties. I got enough crop to make one apple and raspberry crumble (well maybe two, but I just chucked the lot in one uber crumble! :oops: ). I'm assuming this was due partly to birds and partly to the canes being uncared for  for a number of years.

So if I cut it all right back, would it still shoot next year? Or should I leave the shoots that are this years growth?