Willamette raspberries

[Snoop Puss]

I know there are lots of threads about raspberries and pruning summer and autumn ones. But I'm not sure what Willamette are. There's all kinds of contradictory info online about whether they're early summer, mid-summer or autumn. So I thought I'd turn to a reliable source, you lot!

The label says harvest July to September, which I take to be late summer. Berries are now forming on the original cane, and lots of new little canes are springing up from the base. So I'm guessing they're summer fruiting ones and the cane now bearing fruit should be cut back at the appropriate time. But I could be wrong...

Anyone with any advice on type and pruning? Also, any tips on identifying the canes to be cut back would be useful. Do they look different (browner, say, or dead looking)? Or would I do well to tie a bit of string round those that are fruiting so I know to cut those ones back?

Thanks.

[ameno]

Autumn raspberries can fruit on last year's cane if those canes are left on over the winter rather than being cut back, so that isn't proof enough.
The old cane which is currently flowering can be removed after it has finished fruiting regardless of which type of raspberry you have (it will die after fruiting, anyway).
To tell whether it is a summer or autumn raspberry you will have to wait until the new canes growing up this year are bigger. If those new canes fruit this same year, it's an autumn raspberry. If they don't, it's summer.

[Snoop Puss]

Autumn raspberries can fruit on last year's cane if those canes are left on over the winter rather than being cut back, so that isn't proof enough.
The old cane which is currently flowering can be removed after it has finished fruiting regardless of which type of raspberry you have (it will die after fruiting, anyway).
To tell whether it is a summer or autumn raspberry you will have to wait until the new canes growing up this year are bigger. If those new canes fruit this same year, it's an autumn raspberry. If they don't, it's summer.

Thanks, Ameno. Great to hear your advice.

I bought them this year from Lidl. They were basically just sticks no different to the stakes in the pots.

By the sound of it, then, fundamentally it doesn't matter which they are, summer or autumn. Just cut back the canes that look dead... And enjoy any fruit. Bit worried our summers might be too much for them. But it's worth a try.