Pruning Autumn Fruiting Raspberries

Hello everyone!!

I am new to growing raspberries. I have 12 'Joan J' raspberry canes which are the autumn fruiting variety. I know that I have to prune them down to the soil, but when? Some say now, others say February.

Any suggestions please? :cnfs:

 

I always do mine in Feb/March, seems to work for me

 

Hello cauliflower ears!!

Thank you for your reply. I must admit I have done loads of research & asked lots of gardeners, & they all recommend Feb as the best time.

Thanks again!! :D

 

Is pruning the same as cutting them short after they have fruited?

I have to say - I am completely confused about raspberries. We bought a house this summer which had both summer and autumn varieties. We had a bumper crop this summer and autumn. The autumn ones were particularly good.

Now what do I do with them?

All the books I read start with "first buy a load of raspberry canes"....... but I already have them in the ground.

Do I dig them up, discard them and buy more? It seems a shame to do that when they produced such a lovely crop last summer.

Can anybody advise?

Susanna

 

Thanks Marley Farley.

It all makes sense now.

Susanna

 

I have heard of people leaving the friuted caines , untill spring when they will produce a smaller secondry crop around may ish, those caines are then cut back, fresh growth from the bottom will have already started and will speed up now last years caines are gone. This has the advanatage of giving two crops (one very early) the disadvsantage it reduces the overall yeild and pushes the main autumn crop backwards, for this reason id rather prune as suggested above in feb, get one big crop in Autumn and freeze they the excess....but it is another option

 

I planted some autumn fruiting raspberries as 12 - 14" canes, because that was how they arrived!

Come the summer, the short canes flowered and fruited straight from the old wood, not many mind, but a nice surprise in June.

Meanwhile huge chunky new stems were thundering up from the bases to give an impressive crop from the middle of september until the first frosts at the end of November.

So I cut them down to the same height the following year, and they did the same thing. Not sure if it affects the autumn crop or not, but I always mulch in winter and feed when they begin to flower the second time.

This winter I've already cut them down to 14" once again. Might try leaving more next year if this does work properly! I don't have any early fruiting canes.