To prune or not to prune.....?

[Normans Mum]

Hi all
I really do need some advice, please!
I have had my plot for about two years, very much a novice grower! Last year I pretty much let everything do it's own thing and was able to identify a number of fruiting shrubs, namely loganberry and tayberry bushes.They were very overgrown, but appeared to have quite a lot of fruit, after which I waited til Autumn and then cut everything right back to ground level.
This year, there has been new growth which I tied in and expected fruit..... none.
So... now what do I do? Do I cut back again? Or do I leave well alone?

[veggiechicken]

As a general rule of thumb, you cut out the branches that have born fruit, new growth will carry fruit the following year!

[FB.]

Yes, as veggiechicken says: you need to get a two-year rotation cycle going.

Shoots grow in 2012.
Shoots fruit in 2013. Plant also produces some new shoots during 2013.
Just-fruited shoots are cut back after the leaves have fallen in late 2013. Young shoots are left to fruit the in 2014, with more growth appearing in 2014 which will fruit in 2015.

The only exception is the few varieties of autumn-fruiting raspberries. These fruit on current-season's shoots (my Autumn Bliss are cropping now) are the just-fruited shoots are normally cut to the ground each winter. Some can be left to summer-fruit (as opposed to autumn fruit) the following year.

But the simple summary for raspberries and blackberries is: if a shoot didn't bear fruit, leave it and it will fruit next year. If a shoot just fruited, cut it out during the winter.
Some people train young shoots to one side, and older shoots to the other side, to avoid confusion once all the leavs have fallen.

[Normans Mum]

Ah..... I see. Thanks, people!

[redser]

Or tie a piece of string to the canes that are fruiting so you can easily identify them later for cutting out.