When you set out to prune your Raspberry bushes the first thing you need to know is that there are 2 basic types of raspberries, Summer-Bearing Raspberries (the regular type) and Everbearing Raspberries. Summer Bearing Raspberries produce one big crop in about July and Everbearing Raspberries produce once on last year's growth in about July and then again in the fall on this year's growth. 

How to Prune Summer Bearing Raspberries
After harvest, in the fall or in the late winter - cut out the canes that produced. It is easiest in the fall when you can see where the fruit was attached to the stems. Leave the fresh, new canes that have not produced as these will produce next year. The older canes that you are removing are more of a silvery-brown colour.

How to Prune Everbearing Raspberries
Cut the top part of all the canes to about 4 feet tall in the Autumn. The first crop of berries will be produced on these lengths next July. The second crop of berries will come on the new growth that shoots off the top of these lengths and from new growth that grows from the base in late summer and fall. Once established all raspberries may also benefit from thinning to make picking easier. Note: some gardeners (including me) prefer to cut all their everbearing raspberries canes to  6 inches from the ground in late winter, but while this is an easy method, keep in mind, that you eliminate the first crop completely. My reasoning for using this 2nd method of cutting all canes of my everbearing raspberries back to 6 inches is we find the late summer & fall crop is earlier and more abundant.

Once our raspberries were pruned and weeded we fertilized them with Fruit & Berry Fertilizer (or you can use our Organic Mix from our bulk bins) and then we mulched them with Seasoil.

Can't wait for homegrown raspberries.

Shauna Lambeth ©

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