Raspberries, Am I right in thinking...

[Bex]

I assume my raspberries are a late variety as they are fruiting now (they are inherited) so do I cut down when dormant? I also have some that I cut down last winter and they haven't fruited so they will be an early variety that will fruit next year? There is a lot of green growth on them.

Just trying to get my head round the early/late thing.

Thanks guys

[Jay22]

Mine are Glen Ample which I think are summer fruiting, they have only been fruiting for a short period and are still going but it's my understanding that the ones you cut right down are autumn fruiting but I don't imagine you would have fruit on them yet would they?

[Scarlet]

Yes Bex, you got it right. The canes that haven't fruited this year will be summer ones. Autumn fruiting canes will give fruit on the new growth.

My Autum fruiting canes have been producing for a week or so, though there are lots more to come
Autumn fruiting canes fruit on new growth and they all get cut down to ground in feb.
Summer fruiting canes fruit on second year canes, so you need to cut out the old wood that has fruited and leave the new growth.

[Scarlet]

my understanding that the ones you cut right down are autumn fruiting but I don't imagine you would have fruit on them yet would they?

We have better weather than you so ours fruit a little earlier!! My Autumn fruiting ones start late Aug and carry on through September.

[Thelma Sanders]

Yes, my Autumn ones are fruiting now, as well

[Martin H]

My autumn ones have been fruiting for the last couple of weeks.

Just to confuse things, my early summer raspberries (Glen Moy) often produce a second batch of fruit in late autumn on the new canes. I keep these canes and they still produce fruit in the proper season.

[Scarlet]

My summer ones do that if we have had a long summer! If they do I chop the top off in Spring.

To confuse matters, if you leave a few autumn fruiting canes unpruned they will give you an early harvest, not so big but it's a very welcome crop.

[Bren In Pots]

Mine are Autumn bliss and are fruiting now but to confuse things I cut a few canes only halfway instead of all the way to the ground and they fruited earlier just like the summer ones do, I didn't get a lot of raspberries just enough to have on my morning porridge.

[veggiechicken]

Mine are all mixed up and I don't worry whether they're summer or autumn cropping. If a cane is dead I cut it out. Keep it simple

[Strawberry patch]

I thought i had all Autumn bliss raspberrie canes in my garden..But i noticed the raspberrie canes in the corner of my garden didn't flower so i take it its summer raspberries plenty of healthy green foilage

[marchogaeth]

I assume my raspberries are a late variety as they are fruiting now (they are inherited) so do I cut down when dormant? I also have some that I cut down last winter and they haven't fruited so they will be an early variety that will fruit next year? There is a lot of green growth on them.

Just trying to get my head round the early/late thing.

Thanks guys

Yes Bex, you got it right. The canes that haven't fruited this year will be summer ones. Autumn fruiting canes will give fruit on the new growth.

Two things to say:-
A possible warning - My raspberries are definitely autumn ones but this year the new growth (see later for explanation) has been incredibly lush and very tall, there are almost no fruit on these canes - blame the season, I guess.

I cut all the previous year's canes off about half way up in February (leave them as cover for beetles etc over winter) these canes will come into fruit from mid July onwards and will crop until the new growth (in every year but this one) come in to fruit. These canes will probably die off completely and can be cut out. If they don't do it again.

So I don't disagree with you or Scarlet (wouldn't dare!) but thought you might be interested. I guess you leave the possible summer ones and see what they do next year.