Im kerfuffled with my raspberries.......

[Munch]

Ok...... help!

I have had a good harvest of raspberries, they have now fininshed and the canes are dying that they were on.

I have new canes growing from the ground, some with flowers on even some that have fruit ripening on now.

I also have new canes growing from the ground with no signs of flowers on.

My plot neighbour has said there may be summer and autumn varieties but I am confused as the new growth is already fruiting, I thought they would be the autumn ones!

And what do I do for maintenance, am I right in thinking I cut the, already harvested, dying canes to the ground now?

This is a picture just to show you how many I adopted with the plot.... it was taken about a month ago.


Thanks

[WendyC]

I would definitely cut out the fruited canes to give the new canes room and see what happens with the others. You are right about Autumn varieties fruiting on new canes. Do you think the varieties have got mixed? Raspberries can wander around a bit.

[Munch]

I think they are mixed up all together!

So does that mean my autumn variety is WAY too early??

[SarzWix]

If you only ever cut down the canes which have fruited and are dying back, and eat the fruit as it arrives, then it doesn't really matter which is what?

[zazen999]

I just cut down the branches that have finished, as soon as they are finished. Then there's little argument.

I found after cutting back all my rasps at the lottie last year; that autumn ones fruit early if they can - so don't stress about it. They sort themselves out if you stick to the one basic rule above.

The other thing though is to make sure they don't crowd themselves out so be brutal and pull some out when they are far too close. They are brutes and will soon be jungle-istic in approach.

[Two_Sheds]

So does that mean my autumn variety is WAY too early??

Could be, mine are. I'm picking blackberries too

[Aberdeenplotter]

No rush to cut out the old canes. I do mine in the springtime when they are nice and dry and they then form the kindling for my post winter bonfire. At that time there is a clear difference between new and old canes which is a great help in identification of what can and should be cut out.

[Munch]

But............. sorry!............. Which is it that fruits from last years canes?

is it these canes that are not fruiting this year?

[Two_Sheds]

Summer fruiters grow fruit on last year's canes.

Autumn fruiters grow fruit on this year's canes.

(although you can muck about with the pruning and get summer fruits on autumn fruiters ~ by leaving some of the old fruited canes intact instead of cutting to the ground in late winter)

[jackie j]

I was told that summer fruiting ones are thornless and winter one are prickly is that right ? if so then problem sorted as to which is which.

[WendyC]

I would say my summer canes (Malling Jewel) are pricklier than the autumn ones ( Autumn Bliss). The Autumn Bliss have paler green leaves though, but this may not help either as varieties do vary.

[Two_Sheds]

I was told that summer fruiting ones are thornless and winter one are prickly

Not generally, it varies from variety to variety

[Aberdeenplotter]

I was told that summer fruiting ones are thornless and winter one are prickly is that right ? if so then problem sorted as to which is which.

Nope, just simply depends on the variety. The more modern varieties such as Glen Ample are bred to be thornless which is great when pruning.

[BUFFS]

Summer fruiters grow fruit on last year's canes.

Autumn fruiters grow fruit on this year's canes.

(although you can muck about with the pruning and get summer fruits on autumn fruiters ~ by leaving some of the old fruited canes intact instead of cutting to the ground in late winter)

i leave half of my late raspberries uncut so i get an earlier crop off them,then have the regular lates to look forward to.....just enjoy...

[Rabidbun]

Everything's early for me this year (blackcurrants were end of March if I recall correctly rather than September); I am currently picking my blackberries. My raspberries fruited around two or three months ago (Summer variety I think as fruited on old canes) and have now put out new canes which are around two metres high and fruiting again since I cut off the fruited ones!