Autumn Raspberries

[Alicante]

Wanted to ask for opinions about the care of Autumn raspberries.
Every year I cut down the old canes in February and mulch and feed them at the same time. This year I was talking to another allotment holder who always cuts his canes down and mulches them November. So I decided to do the same as I needed to move compost out of one compost bin and only wanted to move it once!
Did half of my raspberries until it got too dark to see what I was doing and then started to think that I might have made a stupid mistake. Does very cold weather kill raspberries? I luckily didn't disturb any hibernating ladybirds or large beetles.
So I guess what I'm asking is do you think I have made it likely that the canes won't survive the winter? And if it doesn't matter why do we do in February or March?
Thanks

[MarkPelican]

I always cut mine down now (in fact I've already done it) and put a couple of inches of well rotted compost on them. Then in the spring I feed them with Blood Fish & Bone, just as the new growth is starting to show. I also thin them out at that time because otherwise they go mad and I can't pick them.

I do this because I was "told" that leaving unsupported canes could mean that they get rocked by the wind overwinter and this would damage the plants.

I put compost on them now because one year I did it in spring, just as the new growth was coming through and it seemed to burn the new growth.

[Alicante]

Thanks for the reply.
I suppose that if you have always pruned your raspberries in November and not killed them then mine should be ok as I am a bit further south.
I thought that I might leave the rest of the row and do them in February or March and see if I can spot a difference in the time it takes the new shoots to appear.

[Kirk]

You prune them when they are dorment. Which is in effect generally anytime from November to Febuary - when it is COLD. Had it been a mild November it may have been worth considering leaving them a bit longer.
Could try New Years Day.

[lottie dolly]

Tried cutting mine back last week,but still green and hard to cut,the leaves are brown and coming off,so i shall leave them longer,plenty of time yet,the new shewts will start to appear when it warms up next year.

[Perseus]

Did half of my raspberries until it got too dark to see what I was doing and then started to think that I might have made a stupid mistake. Does very cold weather kill raspberries? I luckily didn't disturb any hibernating ladybirds or large beetles.
So I guess what I'm asking is do you think I have made it likely that the canes won't survive the winter? And if it doesn't matter why do we do in February or March?
Thanks

You only cut half of them?
Someone once - a seemingly very knowledgeable person ?! - came and did a talk and apparently, once they're established, you don't have to cut them all back. He suggested leaving half of them uncut and then you can get more of a crop. (I'm talking Autumn raspberries here....)
I didn't follow his advice as at the time I had both Summer and Autumn raspberries and a lot of them........ Thinking of doing it now though.

[Thelma Sanders]

You only cut half of them?
Someone once - a seemingly very knowledgeable person ?! - came and did a talk and apparently, once they're established, you don't have to cut them all back. He suggested leaving half of them uncut and then you can get more of a crop. (I'm talking Autumn raspberries here....)
I didn't follow his advice as at the time I had both Summer and Autumn raspberries and a lot of them........ Thinking of doing it now though.

You can leave some to get an earlier crop, on the non-pruned ones, but I really don't think it gives you a bigger crop, just that you get some earlier.
Cutting my Joan J (Autumn rasps) down to the ground gives me a bigger overall crop - but it comes all at once in the Autumn.
and no, the cold weather won't bother the rasps, mine are already all cut to the ground

[Alicante]

Thanks very much for the replies!
It makes sense that they are pruned when dormant and that anytime from November to March would be ok.
I find it interesting that sometimes as a gardener I do things without really knowing why I do them. I just do them because that is the way I have been told, either by family or by other allotment holders.

[Bigmallly]

I don't cut any of my JoanJ's down to ground level. I may take them down to around 4ft let them fruit in Summer then cut out the old canes after fruiting ready for the Autumn crop.

[Thelma Sanders]

It's weird how they grow on different allotment plots. You cut yours down to 4ft - yet mine never get above waist high.

[MarkPelican]

It's weird how they grow on different allotment plots. You cut yours down to 4ft - yet mine never get above waist high.

Different varieties also has an impact. Half of my raspberries are Polka and they grow 5ft tall but then there are some others (I don't know what they are) and they only grow to 3 ft.

[Thelma Sanders]

BM and I were talking about the same variety, though- JoanJ.
That's why I noted the difference in growth between his plot and mine

The next plotholder planted Polka and yes, they grow as tall as the Summer varieties lol

[Bigmallly]

Mine grew to around 8ft in a netted walk in tunnel.......I'm convinced that debris netting creates a micro climate.

[veggiechicken]

I have JoanJ and an assortment of motley raspberries - autumn and summer that are mixed up. Since I have no idea which are which I prune them all the same - cut out the dead canes during winter, when I can see them. If the canes are still alive but have fruited, I cut off the dead fruity bit on the top and leave the cane. If it dies later, I cut it down.
This is not a recommendation - just what I do and it works for me

I've found that Autumn rasps are taller than summer ones and are always more than 5-6'. Joan J is by far the tallest.

[Greenleaves]

Like Thelma's Joan J, mine only reach about 4'. I cut all mine back to about 6" around the new year.