Do I need to prune my raspberries?
There are two types of canes on your raspberries – primocanes and floricanes. The primocanes are first year canes and their sole purpose is to grow nice and tall. In the second year, they become floricanes and those are what produce the berries. Once the berries have been harvested, the floricanes die back and should be cut off at the base in late summer or early fall.
Primocanes, on the other hand, shouldn't be pruned during the growing season. However, during the colder months when the canes are dormant, you should inspect them for signs of disease or damage and cut out any suspect canes. You can then leave the canes at their full height and harvest lots of smallish fruit next year or you can cut the canes back to about the five foot level and harvest fewer, larger berries next year.
Raspberries are more productive when they are restricted to a hedgerow of between ten and twelve inches wide. So when you're pruning your canes this winter, be sure to remove any that are growing beyond that width.
If you have any questions or comments, please send them to me at vanessa@gardenmuse.ca.
