Raspberry-less

[FruityLoop]

I inherited a plot in November 2012. I'm sure that the twigs at the back are raspberries but so far haven't produced any fruit. Does anyone know why this could be?

[FB.]

Incorrect pruning technique?

Are the plants alive?

[rustylady]

Photo of the "twigs" would help.

[AllInContainers]

As far as I've been led to believe, once a cane has fruited it's finished and should be cropped back at ground level. It's down to the new canes to do the biz ... but if you ain't getting new canes, you ain't getting new fruit ...

[FruityLoop]

The plants are definitely alive, buds starting to show on them. I think I cut them right back last year at some point.... Would u normally cut them to the ground in autumn?


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[WendyC]

Sounds like they are summer fruiting raspberries. If the canes are definitely alive with buds then these will fruit this year. You can double check they are alive by scraping off a little bark. If it is green it is alive, brown is dead. Do not prune out these canes until they have fruited. Hopefully as the season progresses you will have new green shoots appear from soil level. These will be your canes for next year.
Whichever type of raspberry they are, you cut out canes after fruiting. They will be dead and brown so easy to spot.

[Kirk]

If they are summer fruiting then by cutting everything doen it means you will not have fruiting canes this year, this years growth will fruit next year.

If you want raspberry's this year then order yourself some Autumn fruiting ones now and get them in the ground. There is a good selection of Autumn fruiting raspberry's now so shouldn't have a problem and they crop pretty good as well.

However keep them seperate from the others, you don't want them to get mixed up. Otherwise working out the pruning will be a nightmare.

[WendyC]

However keep them seperate from the others, you don't want them to get mixed up. Otherwise working out the pruning will be a nightmare.

Not necessarily! Whilst I would agree it might be easier to keep them separate, the same principle applies. If it has flowered and fruited cut it out. For Autumn ones there won't be any new canes until the Spring, but for Summer ones the new canes will have already grown.

[Kristen]

If you want raspberry's this year then order yourself some Autumn fruiting ones now and get them in the ground

People often take a first year crop from Raspberries, but personally I would prevent them fruiting (remove flowers) and sacrifice a crop in the first year and get them to concentrate on building a strong root system for future years.

However keep them seperate from the others, you don't want them to get mixed up. Otherwise working out the pruning will be a nightmare.

If you cut out any cane that has fruited, soon after it has finished (thus you will still be able to see the "core" of the fruit hanging on the cane) then that will work for both Summer and Autumn fruiting. I agree better not to let them mix, but if they do (or you take on a plot and don't know what type(s) you have), then that may help.

[Kristen]

If it has flowered and fruited cut it out.

Sorry, hadn't read that when I replied.

[snohare]

They could be wild rasps, in which case they don't fruit. IIRC, the leaves and stems look virtually the same, the giveaway is that they come in clumps of spaced out stems, and often the stems are thinner and more frail than those of fruit bearing cultivars.