Comments on: Stupid Thorns, Tasty Berries: How To Prune Raspberries (It’s Easy)

By: Cynthia Buhler

Cynthia Buhler — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:35:05 +0000

I am living in my parents home. They are not here to instruct on how they dealt with their berries over the years. The bushes have been here 30 or so years. I like to get all my pruning and clean up done now before the weather gets very wet and so there is less to do in the Spring,often cold and wet as well. (Seattle area) Can I prune back all canes to a foot from the ground and have them be OK next season? I did this last year and didn’t know if it gave me more or less of a harvest than I could have had. I covered them with commercially bought compost.

By: Sylvia Hoffmeyer

Sylvia Hoffmeyer — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:38:46 +0000

Hi,
I basically want to prune out this year’s fruit bearing canes but also would like to get a wild patch under control. They haven’t been pruned in years and are totally overgrown. Hard to pick berries and hard to even get into the patch. Really no rows, just solid canes.

Can I just cut off the canes I want to eliminate? And when would I do that? Or would I need to actually dig out the canes that have to go. That’s seems like it would be hard.

Thanks for your advice!

By: carole

carole — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 15:12:36 +0000

I pruned my raspberry bushes last summer after I havested my berries. I cut the old canes to the ground and topped the new ones to about four feet. Before winter the topped canes sprouted new vines that grew another three feet before winter set in. This season those new vines produced so much fruit that they collapsed on each other and it was hard to harvest the berries. Was I not suppose to top the new growth? I got much more fruit in doing this.

By: Genevieve

Genevieve — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:24:27 +0000

I’m not familiar with the variety… I would guess so, though!

By: Corinne

Corinne — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:22:28 +0000

One of my relatives decided to mulch my garden while I was away. I came back to find my canby raspberries trimmed back. Will I get any fruit this year?? I did not prune in the fall and like the above have a thick bunch. The leaves are barely coming out.

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:41:45 +0000

Thank you Gen….will do the colored yarn trick this season too!

By: Genevieve

Genevieve — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 14:17:14 +0000

If you have no clue what fruited now, if there aren’t little remnants of the stems that once held fruit and flowers on some of the stems, then instead of whacking the whole thing, I’d leave it be till next year. Best to err on the side of caution with new plants.

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 05:40:47 +0000

Yaaa! Finally sound advice on raspberry plants. I’ve been reading and studying only to get more confused. This is great Gen ..thanks! It is winter…I have not cut anything yet but is it still alright (once the snow is mostly gone) to cut them to the ground? We transplanted 6 plants last spring and we had a little fruit. I’m thinking next month once the snow melts of going out there and cutting them. I have no idea at this point which stems fruited or not.

Thanks!

By: Genevieve

Genevieve — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:06:32 +0000

Thanks, Chris!

By: Genevieve

Genevieve — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:06:23 +0000

Great advice, Kathy! I wish I knew of suppliers – I buy locally.