1st year raspberries - pruning question

[glut]

I have two rows of raspberries. One of Joan J and one of Autumn Bliss. I have read that neither of them need a frame as they are both sturdy (true?), but I am a bit confused about the pruning bit. Both were planted mid winter as single canes and are now starting new shoots from the ground. Do I cut the bit that looks like a dead stick down once the new stuff has grown? and will I get raspberries this year?
Every new think I try just reminds me of how little I know!

[Oleander]

I hope someone answers your questions soon, 'cos I want to know what to do with mine too! I've planted Polka, a descendant of Autumn Bliss, and they are sprouting from both the base and the actual cane, so I don't want to cut of the wrong bits, if any at all!

[Tangle]

If they are Autumn fruiting ones - which Autumn Bliss and Polka are - then they fruit on this years growth. They should be sprouting from the base now and will bear fruit starting about August, depending on the weather, until the frosts come. About mid winter you cut the canes down and feed the plants in the spring. They will fruit in the first year but will improve in later years. I havn't grown Polka which is new but is meant to be even better than Autumn Bliss. If the other variety is a summer fruiter then it fruits on new growth that it made in the previous year so won't fruit in the first year and with these you DO NOT cut out new canes.

[tamsin]

Joan J is autumn fruiting if that helps. I'm just waiting for some to be delivered

[TEB]

Both are Autumn fruiting and typically I would cut back to ground level about February as yours are new in I would probably leave it as is until next year, sounds brutal but they do come back

[glut]

Okay, thanks.

[Beetroot Bob]

We put joan J 's in at the beginning of Feb (our firt time growing Rasp's) should we be seeing growth by now ? We've got no signs of growth at all from our Joan J but our Glen Ample are starting to sprout nicely .

[percy charlie]

leave a few more weeks as each variety will differ slightly beetroot bob also some will send shoots at the bottom not all the canes will leaf up, if they show no signs by mid april have a look by removing some soil to see if shoots are growing underneath if not then they are probably dead this happened to me i had 10 summer canes that never did anything and 6 autum ones i bought 40 20 of summer and autum so 24 came to life and when they produce new canes i can split to replace what didnt survive. if they new and you got your garden centre receipt and they dont seem to be living you can always return them for an exchange.

[flossie]

I bought Joan J from QVC last year and they sold Polka this. The gardener said for both varieties to cut them back to about 6 inches every February.
For the Joan J we had quite a lot of fruit and was very pleased with them.
The QVC bod reckoned 1 pound fruit from each plant in the first year. I don't know if we got that much as most of the berries didn't go any further than from plant straight to mouth.

I will be interested to see how the Polka come along as I am thinking of buying some next year.