Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi everyone - can anybody tell me what I should be doing with my raspberries - they are at the moment in a 'slightly' shade area, under some overhanging elderberry trees. They don't do too much fruiting but are growing like crazy - they are spreading everywhere.

Can I ask, should I move them? Should I cut them back - do they fruit on last year's branches? And should I cover them in spring so the birds don't eat them?

Await to hear - thank you.
Judy

Hi Judy,

Is this the first year you put them in? Did you get no fruit at all? It's difficult to say if you should cut them back or not, because I'm not sure if you've a summer or autumn fruiting raspberry.

My raspberries did all of their growing earlier in the season and are fruiting now. They're autumn raspberries and I will cut them back when they have finished fruiting as they fruit on this season's growth.

The summer raspberries fruit on growth made the previous year, so if yours are going mad at the moment.... it makes me wonder if you've got summer fruiting ones and if that's the case you shouldn't cut them back. My loganberries are doing the same right now - they've gone crackers, but all I keep thinking is... the more they grow now... the more fruit next year

I'm sure someone here could help better if you give us a name? Do you know what variety you're growing?

All the best!
Slug

If you don't know whether they're summer of autumn fruiting raspberries wait a year. If they fruit next June/July they're summer fruiting so fruit on the previous year's growth. If they don't fruit next year, I'd buy some new ones.