Which raspberry runners do I prune?

[New2it]

We have a number of raspberry canes, which are a bit out of control! There are quite a few runners coming off of them (green stem, some smooth some prickly but from 2 different types of bush, and no fruit. Any that are away from te main canes I am pruning. But, there are loads that are near the base of the current canes, but are huge. I presume that some of these are supposed to be by new growth for fruiting next year - so how do I know what to cut?

I am worried that the whole garden will become one big raspberry patch - attractive for the fruit, but a bit stifling for the gooseberries and blackberries either side.

[rana]

Your raspberry canes should be fruiting now. The old canes will then go woody and traditionally should be cut back to the ground in late summer. The new canes will have started sprouting by then and will be shorter and lush green, these bear fruit next year.

If you have mixed up summer fruiting canes with autumn fruiting canes it's a tricky one, however I have a patch of raspberries which are never cut back and they still produce masses of fruit year after year. In your case you may just want to prune out any canes outside the designated area for raspberries.

[New2it]

so do I get 2 sets of new canes

I do have loads of fruit on the current canes, and have got lots of long green canes that must be around 6 feet tall - apparently from the same plants (very close to the base of the existing plants). Are these the next years canes, or are there another set that sprout later in the season. From what you are saying, I am wondering if there are another set to come. I sort of feel like these shoots are sapping strength from all the fruiting going on- but I don't want to cut them all off if they are next years fruit. Its interestig what you say about not needing to cut the fruited stems back - some of the one we have look old.

[shirlthegirl43]

Mine are throwing up runners now too - they will be left to fruit next year. Don't cut the fruiting ones down too early though, I have picked raspberries well into November the last two years (depending on the weather of course)

[Alison]

Summer fruiting raspberries fruit on last year's canes so you have to look after the new canes for next year's crop and make sure you only cut out the fruited canes in late summer.

Winter fruiting raspberries fruit on this years's canes so you cut the whole lot back in the winter / spring. If you fail to cut back you get two smaller crops, one in the summer on the old canes and another in autmn from the new canes. I only have autumn ones at home so have always left some canes for a more spread out crop but now I have a large summer row at the lottie I'll leave the home ones for just autumn cropping.

Raspberries are a doddle to grow, need very little care and then usually produce well.

[BayViewPlot]

I have lots of new sprouts around both summer and autumn fruiting rasps. They are so prolific that I am worried that they will promote rot or sap strength...

any opinions?

bvp

[rana]

I do have loads of fruit on the current canes, and have got lots of long green canes that must be around 6 feet tall - apparently from the same plants (very close to the base of the existing plants). Are these the next years canes,

The easiest approach is to tag all of the canes that have flowered and cut them back to the ground in late summer. You may find that the non-flowering canes will eventually produce fruit in August and they can be cut back to the ground later in the year. Any canes that haven't flowered/fruited can be left.

It does sound from your description that you have got a mixture of summer fruiting and autumn fruiting plants in the same patch.

[New2it]

thanks for all the advice. I think I'll try and tie in all the green shoots that aren't miles away from the bushes, and then wait and see what happens to them later this year/next. It's a shame I didn't post before I started pruning, but hopefully they'll produce enough to keep us going next year.

[Alison]

It's usually pretty obvious which canes have fruited and which have not so you don't need to get too hung up on marking them all.

[PAULW]

BVP
Its when there is no growth on your raspberries you want to worry!
Summer fruiting rasps produce fruit on last years cane at the end of the season this cane is pruned out and the new cane grown this year is tied up,
Autumn fruiting rasps are primo canes they produce fruit on the canes that grow this year and at the end of the season they are all pruned to about 3 inches