Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi,
I have just decided to cut down my autumn raspberries as they are nearly finished. When we moved in last year the bed had a mixture of summer and autumn not a problem to cut last year but this year I thought I had left the new canes on the summer but hav e noticed that all the remainning canes have now fruited which means that this years summer canes have as well - should I cut down or leave? Has anyone else had this problem - since the bed is obviously quite old may well start again next autumn when I see what happens to this years canes.
Would welcome some thoughts before I cut all down to the ground!
Thanks
Hilary

Dear Hilary it's probably just me, but i can't get to grips with what you have wrote, sorry,

Now I know why I was never a teacher! What I was trying to say, really badly, was that my summer raspberries appear to have fruited in late Sept/October on this year's canes which I thought would be bearing the fruit next year. As they are muddled up with the autumn fruiting it looks as if all the canes in the bed have fruited this year and what to cut back is the question?
I hope this makes more sense!
Hilary

I'll look forward to the answer on this one. My early raspberries have just fruited (for the first time) along with my autumn ones. I don't know what to cut back if anything.

Dear Hilary and Chantal, theres lots of funny things going on this year, some things cropping late, others finishng earlier than they should.
I think i would leave the summer fruiting raspberries, maybe just take a foot off the top in February if they are very tall .
Also cut the Autumn raspberries right down in February.
The summer fruiting canes are normally thicker and a single cane.
Hope this helps.

And the answer is.........

I've taken the pragmatic approach thus far and pruned half of everything.

No doubt JB will have something to say about my stupidity!

Oh Tigger as though I would!!
JB.

Oh, in forgot to say, I bought some new autum fruiting raspberries at the end of last year and they went in straight away when they arrived. Although they've had a lot of fruit (relatively speaking) there's not one that's grown above 12". What's going on there?

Hi Chantal,
I don't know is the answer to your last posting.
They would do Tigger a treat as she wouldn't have to reach to pick them!!
JB.
PS I now await retribution!!!

Dear Johnboy, somehow i don't think you will have to wait very long for the forth-coming retribution.

And here it is JB........

I should think it's the dry year, Chantal. Raspberries like a lot of rain. They're also often not good in their first year. I'm sure they'll pick up next year. Mine weren't good the first year but this year we've been picking loads.

Autumn fruiting raspberries rely on the root system to make long canes I think yours have not established enough root yet, give them a helping hand next spring with feed and waterand see if you can get taller canes for the autumn

Hi
I read somewhere that Autumn Raspberries don't need to be supported like Summer ones.

Is this true?

As I am waiting for my delivery of Joan J, I need to know if I have to make a support or not?

And when is the best time to cut them back December or February?

Thank you

Amo

This months KG magazine has an absolutely excellent article on rasperries that answers most of the questions raised above, including the one about this years growth on Summer Fruiting Raspberries fruiting in the Autumn ( Don't cut them back).

And no, I'm not employed by KG!