About Raspberries

[Mackay]

This is my third year on my raspberry patch and I finally have a harvest. They are a thornless variety that does well in cold high altitude climates. I don't know the variety name.

What I need to know about is pruning. Should I prune the canes that produced this year or leave them?

 

[Collector]

If they are June bearing they produce on 2 year old canes,yes prune them off. Everbearing will produce on 2 year old canes in June/ July and on this years canes in the fall. I usually wait until late winter to prune them back it is easier to tell which ones are old canes and which are new.

 

[Mackay]

they are just producing now, in July, which could be due to our short growing season. Im sure the canes bearing fruit are two years old. Guess I will have to see what happens in the fall. How do you tell the difference between old canes and new canes in the fall?

 

[baymule]

I am a non-raspberry gardener, but plan on having some. Good questions, I want to know the answers too!

 

[Collector]

they are just producing now, in July, which could be due to our short growing season. Im sure the canes bearing fruit are two years old. Guess I will have to see what happens in the fall. How do you tell the difference between old canes and new canes in the fall?

ours are June bearers and are just now starting to produce well also. I prune late winter/early spring, it is easier to see which canes to cut out when the leaves are off the plants.
The old canes have gray bark sometimes flakey or scaley. we prune out all old canes and thin the new canes to 5 per foot or so keeping the sturdiest canes and removing the smallest or thinnest canes.We also top the canes to promote lateral growth of the limbs that is where the berries come from. The canes are topped between 5' and 6' feet.good luck with them

 

[Rick494]

Mine are June bearing. On mine, the old canes are similar to Collector's, and it still shows the stem where the fruit used to be. I usually prune them late fall/early winter, after the leaves have fallen.

 

[Carol Dee]

What ever we have are bearing now. I sure wish it was thornless. OW!

 

[baymule]

What ever we have are bearing now. I sure wish it was thornless. OW!

Good idea. When we get moved, I want thornless black berries and now ya'll have me wanting raspberries! But they will be thornless too!

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

my black raspberries are winding down now but i've gotten over 2 weeks of picking and may have about 2-3 more days before they are done. they produce on 2nd year canes. i have never cut them since we've moved in but once they have done for this year i will hack them back trying not to cut this years growth and then dig and move them to a better location. thorns on mine aren't too bad but they still scratch my hands while trying to get to those hidden berries.

my hope it to trellis them so it makes for much easier picking in the future.

 

[catjac1975]

My berrie picking buddy Gavin.