Raspberries- support or not?

[mikedigitales]

Yep I'd echo realfood's comment, I support my summer fruiting and use the supports to build a temporary fruit cage to keep the bird out in the summer/autumn.

[sugar]

The 'side shoots' that come up next year, are the fruiting stems for the year after, if you cut them out, you'll have no branches for the year after. Or if you have too many still, you could dig them out and plant them elsewhere as new canes.
Cut the tops back now (when they're too long for the supports) rather than next year, when there's fruit on them.

I'm well aware of how to cultivate raspberries. The side shoots I'm speaking are not the new canes that appear every year.
When you cut back raspberry canes, most of the more vigorous varieties will produce sideshoots on those canes, that will get almost to the same height as the initial cane.
Those side shoots not only make your plantation too dense but more importantly, those side shoots are even more prone to cracking under the weight of the berries. Of course, you can cut those canes back as well, but I wonder why. You will be cutting back the best fruit.

Like I mentioned before, some varieties don't need a support. The canes of Joan J, Pokusa and Autumn Bliss don't get that tall in my garden (150 cm) and there are more raspberries varieties dat don't get that high and will probably be OK without the support.
Several varieties get much bigger. In my garden, the tallest Himbotop canes are about 250cm high, Glenn Magna and Tulameen also exceed 2 m. The canes will simply crack under the weight when unsupported when there is a storm or heavy rain. I have about 15 m of raspberries planted in my garden, there are always some canes that I forget to support and I either loose them or need to attach them to prevent from cracking.

A picture of Himbotop this year. The upper wire is about 150 cm high. You see some canes bending over because the are not attached. Those canes easily crack


There is a way of reducing the height of those autumn canes and perhaps reducing the need of supporting the canes: cut back the canes halfway during winter. You will get a second yield in summer and the new canes will not get as high. But you'll loose yield by doing so. The picture below shows the same Himbotop canes, the 3 canes at the right were cut back 100% in winter (no yield in summer, more vigorous canes), the 3 to the right were cut back 50% in winter (summer yield)




Some of the modern autumn fruiting raspberries need an additional wire support for the fruiting canes. Those canes are taller and crack under the weight of the raspberries (see link for picture) . The red clips are dedicated raspberry cane clips available for professional raspberry growers, haven't found them yet.

http://blogimages.seniorennet.be/fru...631c84342f.jpg

[northepaul]

Just trying to be helpful - thought thats what you wanted?


Personally, I wouldnt let mine grow that tall but bend them across the wires.
I have never had side shoots with tulameen, other than the next years fruiting canes...? Perhaps its different climate, different country....?

The Joan J and Polka are autumn fruiting - these dont need support.....but then you already know that....

I'll go now

[Alison]

I think a lot of it depends on how you're growing them, I find that even my autumn ones need some support as otherwise they hang over the nearby path but certainly don't bother tying them in.

[sugar]

Just trying to be helpful - thought thats what you wanted?


Personally, I wouldnt let mine grow that tall but bend them across the wires.
I have never had side shoots with tulameen, other than the next years fruiting canes...? Perhaps its different climate, different country....?

The Joan J and Polka are autumn fruiting - these dont need support.....but then you already know that....

I'll go now

Himbotop is autumn bearing

[zazen999]

Sugar - not quite sure why you are being so aggressive.

Some people don't tie their raspberries in - it's not a crime.

[sugar]

Sugar - not quite sure why you are being so aggressive.

Some people don't tie their raspberries in - it's not a crime.

I really don't see how I'm aggressive. I was just trying to give advice.

[Alison]

I really don't see how I'm aggressive. I was just trying to give advice.

One of your posts did come across as rather agressive (the one with the photos and loads of text) which is often a problem when people are just taking the written word with no body language / tone back up. Often happens to me too so you do need to be very careful.