[Sue32]

I planted new canes in spring - labelled summer fruiting Glen Cova, and cut the old original cane out when the new growth started as per instructions.  Didn't expect any fruit.

1 produced a few berries in August so I cut off the fruited top

Now I have fruit on 2 more of the new canes. 

Do I prune or not?  Heeeeelp please

[blackisgreen]

raspberries sometimes take a while to get started sometimes .
my summer raspberries were planted injanuary 2 years ago  they never got going till october then produced fruit ,the runners come up and produced fruit the next may then they stop and since then have another crop late sept ,after that i cut the old non prickly wood out and it all stats again in late spring ,so if theyre any new wood it will crop next year unlike autumn rasps as in winter /early spring they nedd cutting down to the grond for new growth  cheers steve

[tode]

The canes of Summer-fruiting raspberries shold be cut down to ground level once the fruiting's over.

[DD.]

Better clarify that with the OLD canes of summer fruiting raspberries should be cut down.

[Sue32]

thanks all - I'll cut the fruited canes down and leave the others.   

[coco]

Hope I'm OK to jump in on someone else's post.

I have had raspberries in my garden for a few years now and we get quite a bit of fruit from them.  They've now spread into quite a large patch in the corner of the garden.

Trouble is I never know exactly how much to cut off.  Anyone I ask says 'they only fruit on old wood, so cut off the new'  :blink: :blink: :blink: I have no idea what this means, and usually hack them down to about 6 inches autumn/winter time. 

At the moment they probably stand about 4/5 feet, but are leaning down onto the lawn.

So any advice much welcome as to how much I should cut off them.

xx

[DD.]

'they only fruit on old wood, so cut off the new' 

I really don't understand that - whether they be summer or autumn fruiting, if you cut of all the new shoots, you'll never get any raspberries!

Whatever the variety, cut all the stems that have fruited right down to within an inch or so of the ground.

[SG6]

Coco, they don't strictly fruit on "old" wood, they fruit on one year old wood. The key bit being one year old. :blink: :blink: It isn't new but probably isn't typically old either. I suspect that someone has said they don't fruit on new wood, they fruit on old wood. Hence your misunderstanding. You just haven't been told everything.

So you have to let the new wood survive to get to be one year old. So cutting out new wood now this means no one year old wood next year.

When I had summer fruiting raspberries I took the "lazy" option and left canes alone to grow. I found that they produced new canes, fruited on one year old canes, produced some fruit on two year old canes and then the canes died. The each year I cut old the now dead canes only. It was actually quite easy to see the difference in ages of the canes, whether new, 1, 2 or older.

It may not be the optimum approach but it worked for me.

Then I bought autumn fruiting ones and just chop them down every year, much less thought needed.

[tode]

For those who want a simple system, raspberries are very easy: once the canes have finished fruiting, cut the fruited canes down to the ground, leaving as little stump as possible.  At the same time you can take out any weedy ones.

The same system is used on blackberries, as well.

[coco]

Ahh thanks for that  all becomes clear

I think for the last few years I've definitely been using the 'lazy approach' and now have quite a large patch in my garden with long canes ... think probably best idea is to cut the long ones back and leave the shorter new ones.

thanks
xx

[GreenDavie]

Can I jump in too?

I have received some rasp canes from a friend which are "bare root" (I Think thats what you say isn't it?) only about six inch above the soil now they are planted.  anyway two things.....

Will I get tall plants and fruit next year?

and

The other point is.... can i move them next year as the place they are going to be going is not quite ready yet so they are in a temporary bed till then

Regards and sorry again to jump in

Davie

[DD.]

Fruit depends on whether they are summer or autumn varieties.

Summer - no, they will make canes to fruit the following year.

Autumn - yes, but don't expect masses. Either way the canes will take a few years to multiply

They should be OK to mave later, but the sooner the better.

[griff]

Now I'm confused, grown raspberries for last 25yrs This year cut back summer ones to leave new growth. But now new growth has fruit on. so where do i go now do i just leave alone a hope for the best,ore cut back again The raspberries are glen moy

[tode]

I think ther's been funny things going on with the rasps this year. Maybe the weather ?

If they really are Glen Moy (fruiting in Summer), then I think I'd just take off the tops after fruiting (the par that has born fruit). They'll get back in rhythm next year.

[SG6]

The reason you will get some fruit on new canes and some fruit on 2 year old canes is that raspberries will fruit if they possibly can, probably similar to bolting. They also haven't read the books that say they ONLY fruit on one year old wood.

With summer fruiting raspberries they might produce a little fruit on new canes BUT they will produce the greatest annual crop on one year old canes. Hence it is said that they fruit on one year old wood.

Simply put it isn't strict, it's a damn good approximation.

BUT don't cut off the new growth at the end of the first year, just because of a small crop, the chances are that you will miss out on a bigger crop the following year.