[barefoot nellie]

Hi everyone,
It's been ages since I've been on the forum, but am wondering if anyone can help me sort out my raspberries.

I planted both summer and autumn fruiting varieties but can't remember which are which and the tags I placed with them have lost their 'permanent' marker over the winter! Someone once told me that certain varieties have smooth canes and others spiny canes, but I can't remember which way around it went. I need to prune some of them now, but I have no idea which ones and I seem to remember that my autumn fruiting ones didn't fruit at all last year, with some of the canes only emerging late in the summer. I left those to grow, but now I'm all in a curfuffle with it all. Does anyone have a simple solution? I'm thinking I might leave them all to grow taller this year and then see what's what, but is this a good idea? They are all only about 2.5 feet tall. (sorry, I dont' do metres)

Thanks very much in advance for any advice, I somehow lost the plot with my fruits. 

Carla

[DD.]

My summer fruiting and autumn ones both have spines, so that's not really an indicator.

The canes won't grow any taller than they are now, but for this year you could leave them all in and find out when they fruit.

If you can see any dead flowers/fruit on them, they can safely come out regardless.

[Trillium]

You might be thinking of blackberries re smooth and prickly canes. Thornless blackberries are more popular now due to the minimized pain factor 

[gobs]

If you did not prune any and the summer ones fruited only this year, you might find the 'footprints' of this on the plants. You should have pruned these by now.

[barefoot nellie]

I think part of the reason I've gotten in such a muddle is some of the autumn fruiting ones that I had planted didn't start growing at all until late in the season. I thought they were dead. Then all of a sudden they sprouted up. I am reluctant to cut them down now, because they might actually have fruit on this year?? The summer ones I only planted last year and they didn't fruit at all...rubbish weather. We've had a very dry year last year and it's impossible to water everything and water everything enough. Because obviously, everyone else is watering as well, and there just isn't enough water to go around.

I suppose I'll just leave them all and sort them out this year. Weather permitting!  :blink:

I thought I did plenty to prepare the site, but maybe I didn't. could it just be that they had a hard time the first season and will bounce back this year?

[gobs]

Autumn fruiting ones, if you know, who they are , need to be cut back hard nowish. 2-3 inches.