raspberry plants??

[Andrew in Cardiff]

i grew autumn raspberrys last summer, the plants were given to me as small shoots and by the end of the summer they produced some fruit. do i need to do anything with them right now or soon? such as, do they need pruning or do i just leave them?
regards,
Andrew.

[Mrs Dobby]

Autumn Rasps need to be cut back to the ground in late Feb or early March, as they fruit on this seasons growth! I'm hoping to do ours next week, after the predicted freeze has passed over us!

[nick the grief]

If they are Autumn fruiting ones you can cutt them off at ground level & give them a mulch (but don't bury the crown !) and looke forward to a bigger crop this year

[valmarg]

OH was looking on the RHS website re Autumn fruiting raspberries. Depending on how many plants you have, if you want an early crop, cut some of the plants down by half, and they will start fruiting earlier than the plants cut down to ground level, thereby extending the fruiting season.

Next year you could cut the 'half cut' canes down to ground level, and cut the others down by half. (I think that makes sense).

valmarg

[Sue]

Hi
I'm really confused with all this pruning business. I've had autumn raspberries in the ground for a month now, obviously all they are at the moment are 18" long sticks, but the odd bit of greenery is starting to appear at the base. Do I have to cut these sticks back in their first year?
As for the summer ones, I've got primocanes , planted November 2005 and I don't know what to do with those.
best wishes
Sue

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi Sue,

Your newly planted Autumn Canes, I'd leave alone this year to get them established, then prune them back next Feb or March, the summer fruiting ones should be left alone now, they fruit on last years new growth, so dont prune until they've finished fruiting, then only prune those limbs that have born fruit, the new shoots that come this year are the ones that will carry the fruit next summer! Hope thats of some help!

[Alison]

OH was looking on the RHS website re Autumn fruiting raspberries. Depending on how many plants you have, if you want an early crop, cut some of the plants down by half, and they will start fruiting earlier than the plants cut down to ground level, thereby extending the fruiting season.

Next year you could cut the 'half cut' canes down to ground level, and cut the others down by half. (I think that makes sense).

I do this every year, discovered it originally due to laziness as I didn't get around to pruning properly and was dead chuffed to discover some bonus fruit.

[Sue]

Thanks Mrs D, I shall print off your reply and stick it up in my shed for when I have forgotten again what to do... memory not good...
best wishes
Sue

[Mrs Dobby]

Lol! Dont worry Sue, my memorys going too! lol!

Actually the reason I know the answer to that question was that I was asking it myself only a few months ago, just goes to show how much we all learn on here, despite (or is it because of) all the fun and banter!

[valmarg]

[QUOTE=Sue;63601]Hi
As for the summer ones, I've got primocanes , planted November 2005 and I don't know what to do with those.

Primocanes are autumn fruiting varieties, ie they fruit on the current year's growth. Personally, I would leave them for this year and prune them next year.

valmarg

[pigletwillie]

By half pruning the Autumn bliss you do indeed get a "second crop" from the old wood but this crop is at the expense of the much bigger yield you would get from the new canes that grow if they hadn't been weakened by struggling to produce twice.

If you struggle for room to grow both summer and autumn varieties its a logical solution, but at the cost of less fruit.

[smallblueplanet]

After reading the two raspberry threads we've decided we'd like to grow some autumn fruiting rasps - has anyone grown Joan J?

Generally how much room/sun do you need to give the plants, how many plants for two people? Also if we get the growing place wrong are they easy to move baring in mind they get cut down in Feb/Mar anyway?

Also do they need to be 'caged', should I start knitting a scarecrow or will there be enough fruit to leave them open?

Ta.

[PAULW]

SBP
I grow Joan J, plant about 2 ft apart mine are in full sun, I have 10 Joan J and 14 Autumn Bliss and I had 40lb of fruit in the freezer plus what we ate and gave away by november I had got sick of picking them and invited people to help themselves so unless you plan on making tons of jam 10 canes should be enough remember they will multiply anyway. You can move them when they are dormant no problem I dont have mine in a cage some of the early fruit can get nicked but as the cane grows it gets to whippy for the birds to stand on.
Hope this helps

[smallblueplanet]

Thanks Paul, I think we'll get 5 or 6 depending where we buy from then. I don't think we have room for 10 but of course as you say they can be multiplied.

What difference do you find between JJ & AB? Its always difficult to tell from the catalogues - where they're all always fab!

[pigletwillie]

If you ever have time on your hands SBP, you can gnit me a scarecrow with pleasure.