Autumn raspberries cutting pruning and manuring

[littlemoney]

I have just cut out my autumn raspberries. I have been told that I should have left this till Februay. I did it now as they were falling over the garden path.

My question is what difference does it make?

One year followed the suggestion of only cutting back to 3' to get an early crop but I had not early crop and the main crop was poor so I have reverted back to fully cutting out.

I also have some horse manure, about 3 months old. Can I put this around the canes as a mulch now and let the worms take it down for the winter though the soil is a bit dry.

Thanks

[Thelma Sanders]

They are usually cut down a bit later than this, as they may make some regrowth before winter. Don't think it will really make much difference though.

Leave it a bit later before adding the manure, If I were you, to avoid encouraging any early regrowth.

[Martin H]

It probably won't make too much difference, but if you leave the cutting down till later, it is more likely that the plant has sucked all the goodness it wants down out of the old stems and into the roots. I generally do mine after Christmas, cutting the whole lot down to the ground.

I would either soak the ground before mulching or wait until we've had a bit more rain. Ideally the soil will be moist but not boggy.

[littlemoney]

It probably won't make too much difference, but if you leave the cutting down till later, it is more likely that the plant has sucked all the goodness it wants down out of the old stems and into the roots. I generally do mine after Christmas, cutting the whole lot down to the ground.

I would either soak the ground before mulching or wait until we've had a bit more rain. Ideally the soil will be moist but not boggy.

Thanks. I hadn't thought about the canes taking any goodness from the old stems to the roots. I suppose I do this for bulbs but never thought that raspberries might do likewise. The canes were getting in the way and an animal, perhaps a fox, was breaking open my bags of horse manure so I thought I would try and spread it. It was only after I had cut the canes down that I realised how dry the ground was.

Just spent some back aching time moving the manure bags to a hopefully safer spot. Soak in the bath later.

As I am leaving the manure till later, is there any benefit in putting this down in the autumn or would next year be better. Never had horse manure before so I don't know what is the best time to use it.

[littlemoney]

They are usually cut down a bit later than this, as they may make some regrowth before winter. Don't think it will really make much difference though.

Leave it a bit later before adding the manure, If I were you, to avoid encouraging any early regrowth.

Thanks for the advice. Again I hadn't thought about possible regrowth but as I said in my other reply I haven't had access to horse manure before so I am learning.

[veggiechicken]

I cut out raspberry canes when they're dead - not before. If the tips die back, I cut those off and leave the rest of the cane. Obviously, this shortens them too so they don't flop as much.
With manure, if it still looks like "dollops", in my view, its too fresh and I would pile it up for a while until it looks like "soil".

[chris_m]

Just spent some back aching time moving the manure bags to a hopefully safer spot. Soak in the bath later.

That's a curious place to put your manure to rot

[littlemoney]

That's a curious place to put your manure to rot

Nice one Chris. I know mud baths are supposed to be good for you. Relieve aching muscles etc. Perhaps a manure bath will work even more wonders.

[littlemoney]

I cut out raspberry canes when they're dead - not before. If the tips die back, I cut those off and leave the rest of the cane. Obviously, this shortens them too so they don't flop as much.
With manure, if it still looks like "dollops", in my view, its too fresh and I would pile it up for a while until it looks like "soil".

Next year I will just shorten them. I hope a full cut down now will not affect them next year.

[veggiechicken]

Nice one Chris. I know mud baths are supposed to be good for you. Relieve aching muscles etc. Perhaps a manure bath will work even more wonders.

Might make you grow into bigmoney

Next year I will just shorten them. I hope a full cut down now will not affect them next year.

Don't think it will make any difference. I just cut mine when they're dead to avoid cutting out any new stuff.

[Bren In Pots]

In the past I've always cut mine down to 3ft to get that early crop this year I chopped them all down in January and the result was a bumper crop for me, so that's what I'm going to carry on doing.

[Greenleaves]

One of the jobs I do between Christmad and the New Year.

Down to the ground for me and only feed BFB

[littlemoney]

In the past I've always cut mine down to 3ft to get that early crop this year I chopped them all down in January and the result was a bumper crop for me, so that's what I'm going to carry on doing.

For 2 years I tried not cutting down to ground level and both the early and main crop were poor. This year reverted back to ground level and like you I had a good crop.

[littlemoney]

One of the jobs I do between Christmad and the New Year.

Down to the ground for me and only feed BFB

What is BFB please?

[veggiechicken]

Blood Fish & Bone fertiliser - like this Wilko Fish Blood & Bone 1.5kg at wilko.com