Raspberries

[JohnnyWilde]

Hi

I planted some Rasperry canes "Malling Admiral" around 6 weeks ago, my first attempt, should I of cut the existing canes down to the ground? also should I put feed in the water for them.

Any thought please.

[WendyC]

You are looking for shoots sprouting from the roots. These will grow and give you fruit in summer 2017. The canes you have now are last year's and will die back anyway, so yes, they might as well come off. I'd leave a stump to show where they are. I would have planted them singly rather than two to a hole.
As far as feed goes they won't need anything but will appreciate a mulch of organic matter to keep the roots cool and moist.

[JohnnyWilde]

You are looking for shoots sprouting from the roots. These will grow and give you fruit in summer 2017. The canes you have now are last year's and will die back anyway, so yes, they might as well come off. I'd leave a stump to show where they are. I would have planted them singly rather than two to a hole.
As far as feed goes they won't need anything but will appreciate a mulch of organic matter to keep the roots cool and moist.

Hi and thanks WendyC that's FAB

[SaraJH]

You are looking for shoots sprouting from the roots. These will grow and give you fruit in summer 2017. The canes you have now are last year's and will die back anyway, so yes, they might as well come off. I'd leave a stump to show where they are. I would have planted them singly rather than two to a hole.
As far as feed goes they won't need anything but will appreciate a mulch of organic matter to keep the roots cool and moist.

That's interesting, I'm planting Aumtumn canes today. They are the same length as Jonny's.. So I plant and then cut right back? I'd like fruit this year as I understand that, unlike summer rasps, Autumn rasps produce fruits on the current year's growth.

[WendyC]

That's exactly right. Autumn raspberries should be cropping around August in current year's growth, depending on variety. The summer ones fruit in June and July, on the previous season's growth.

[Alison]

You are looking for shoots sprouting from the roots. These will grow and give you fruit in summer 2017. The canes you have now are last year's and will die back anyway, so yes, they might as well come off.

I think this is where the confusion has arisen. If they were sumner varieties the existing canes would be in ones to fruit this year and ones coming u for next year. For autumn ones the canes are no use but the new shoots will fruit this summer ie 2016, not 2017. You might however want to stop them fruiting this year to encourage root growth but I'm not sure there us any need for raspberries.

[Bigmallly]

Raspberries confuse me every year so I've given up trying to understand them & as a rule, any that are showing new growth I leave alone, any that aren't get cut to the ground. I don't care if they are summer or autumn varieties, I treat them all the same. Much easier on my small brain.

[WendyC]

I think this is where the confusion has arisen. If they were sumner varieties the existing canes would be in ones to fruit this year and ones coming u for next year. For autumn ones the canes are no use but the new shoots will fruit this summer ie 2016, not 2017. You might however want to stop them fruiting this year to encourage root growth but I'm not sure there us any need for raspberries.

Sorry I looked up Malling Admiral and found it to be summer fruiting on Ken Muir's website. The existing canes on the ones Johnny has planted have been cut short already do even if they are summer fruiters he's not going to get a crop this summer, but I suppose a few might give him a taster.

[SaraJH]

That's exactly right. Autumn raspberries should be cropping around August in current year's growth, depending on variety. The summer ones fruit in June and July, on the previous season's growth.

Thank you, I'm growing Polka.

[Scarlet]

Raspberries confuse me every year so I've given up trying to understand them & as a rule, any that are showing new growth I leave alone, any that aren't get cut to the ground. I don't care if they are summer or autumn varieties, I treat them all the same. Much easier on my small brain.

If you don't prune your Autumn canes down in Feb they don't die off and will give a small early crop on last years wood and the new canes will also crop a bit later in the season. I often leave some Autumn canes unpruned but as a result the late crop will be much smaller than the pruned ones.

[Alison]

If you don't prune your Autumn canes down in Feb they don't die off and will give a small early crop on last years wood and the new canes will also crop a bit later in the season. I often leave some Autumn canes unpruned but as a result the late crop will be much smaller than the pruned ones.

I used to do that when I only had autumn ones. Now that I have loads of sumner ones I want to maximise my autumn ones so I cut them back the other day

[Scarlet]

I've got 2x15ft rows of Summer raspberries but they don't perform as well as the Autumn ones (possibly too dry) so I often leave a few unpruned. I pruned them late this year - too cold for me last month, just did the essential ( I don't use any water on my my "plot" - except GH - as I'm on a meter)

[veggiechicken]

I'm just a lazy chicken and don't worry about whether the raspberries are summer or autumn. They're all muddled up anyway!
If the cane is dead its cut out, Any canes with new growth are pruned back to that growth and left to get on with it!
Life's too short............. to worry about raspberries and their confused growth habits!