raspberries, to cut back or not to cut back!

[sarraceniac]

I'm really pleased to see that everyone on this thread is as confused as me. I've gardened for a few years. My late dad was a head gardener but I never took any real interest until I retired myself. Up to this year I only grew my 'little shop of horrors' plants but after tasting a neighbour's own fruit and veg and finding it delicious, and seeing the price of it at Tesco nowadays I decide to revive my apple, pear, plum and cherry trees, look after my peach and apricot (all left from my dad's time) and plant some soft fruit and veg. Thus the interest in rasps. Guess all I can do is play it by ear. Wait for them to fruit and then cut back. But this thread has at least told me what to watch for so thanks everyone who has posted.

Just one thing Starloc, where is your garden? Canada? Over 100 canes? Is it all of Canada or just the Province of Ontario?

[starloc]

Im in Liverpool.....
its like a garden center here!, not much space at all in rows like a nursery, i am planning on moving somewere larger so i am growing the plants in pots first....

Things come in multi packs on the net, i get carried away!

3 rooms of the house are full of growlights and plants mainly citrus plants, but there are strawberrys and chillies, then theres the upstairs bathroom , its got the potatoes and a few kiwifruit plants...

Outside, its all in pots, so i can move them round to get to other plants, as well as the raspberrys its 20+ apple trees in 50L and100L pots, few pear trees, couple each of peach and nectarine,apricot,damson, plum , 5 *100L pots of rhubarb crowns, allsorts of goosberys, blackcurrents, wineberrys planted in 50L pots, mandarin and lemon trees in 280L pots , theres some more pots of strawberrys out there somewere as well!

I figured i may end up getting shut of some raspberry plants, but i have the big pots for them im planning 10 large square pots, about 300L each , about 10 in a pot, ignoring any weaker plants, and i also figured some will die

[Farmer_Gyles]

jenny - cut back the autumn ones (in feb) and don't touch the summer ones till after they've fruited

starloc - yours have been cut back for sale - no need to prune yet

[starloc]

Thanks, thats going to be easier , no need to worry about that then.

[sclarke624]

Hi I have ten autumn bliss raspberry canes, I have just received from crocus.co.uk. They are three foot high, don't know wether to cut them backin Feb or not. Any ideas.
Thanks

[sarraceniac]

starloc - yours have been cut back for sale - no need to prune yet

I reckon that will hold true of yours too sclarke624.

[sclarke624]

I wonder what don't prune yet means though .......not till they have fruited next Autumn or in Feb..........have I confused you more now hehe

[sarraceniac]

I wonder what don't prune yet means though .......not till they have fruited next Autumn or in Feb..........have I confused you more now hehe

It means that they have already been cut back, i.e. pruned, so just let them fruit.

[sclarke624]

Ace thankyou very much sarraceniac

[Guernsey Girl]

Well Hello! I am a forum virgin, but have clicked on to read everything you have to say very informative! so i joined too! I need help!! I have had raspberry canes for the last 3 years and have cut them back at this time each year they have produced good fruit so good in fact that we were still picking at christmas, wierd eh! anyway need to move them as i can not protect them from our feathered friends having them from breakfast lunch and tea! THE BIG QUESTION IS.... CAN I RELOCATE THEM NOW??? can anyone help they are pruned and there is some new buds on them.
Many Thanks in advance

[Farmer_Gyles]

hi guernsey girl, welcome to the vine, good to see you lost your forum virginity now!

i'm no expert, but using logic .....
when you buy raspberry canes, they have been growing and have been cut back for sale - that means they are generally on sale during the winter, when they are "dormant"
so - it's winter now, yours have been cut back (same as commercial growers / retailers) - therefore, in theory, should be fine to move them now ....

unless anyone knows any different ????

[Guernsey Girl]

To move or not to move!

Hello Farmer Gyles!
Thankyou so much, I am going to go for it and will let you know what happens!!

[Alan Farmer]

Canes normally come with instructions, however the Autumn varieties should be cut back to just above ground level in Late Autumn and then mulched, the summer ones cut back higher to where you can find a strong bud or shoot.

[sarraceniac]

Alan. The problem seems to be what we do with new canes. But I think it's answered.

[snohare]

Guernsey girl, rasps are just like most trees and shrubs really, for moving. You should find that as long as the temperature is low enough then your plants are dormant, and you can shift them with no problem. In theory they will grow from mid January onwards because that's when there is enough daylight to trigger growth - but they need warmth as well, at least 55 degrees I would think.
If you do have to wait until later in the year when they are growing, you can still transplant them if you are quick enough. Give them a good watering a few hours before lifting them, and as soon as they are out of the ground stick them into a pot of water or better still into a pot/bag of soil while moving them. They are more prone to shock if the roots are in putting on a flush of growth - fine white tendrils will be visible - so it's a good idea then to keep misting the leaves with cool water to keep their temperature. Hot leaves + no moisture from roots = wilting = no transpiration = shock + death.
I've seen fresh rasp runners lifted in midsummer (not on a hot day) crammed into a pot of soil, and they took months of neglect to die.
Rather like mine, then....