Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Did we kill raspberries?

tomhumftomhumf Posts: 65
in Problem solving
Hi,  We are new gardeners. Last year we planted raspberry canes which fruited well over summer. After summer we cut most of them back to just above ground level.

Perhaps this was a mistake. The couple of stems that were left are starting to get buds on but I see no sign of growth from the stumps. 

Did we make a fatal error with our pruning? 

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    You may have cut off the canes that would produce this year's fruit.
    The canes that produced berries last year should be cut to the ground late in the year.
    The new canes that grew last year and did not produce berries will produce berries this year.
    So you may have removed both old and new canes.
    If that is what you have done, then no rasps. this year I'm afraid, but new canes will grow this year and produce berries next year

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    Do you know what variety (cultivar) they are.  That will determine the fruiting and pruning,  regimen.  
    AB Still learning

  • tomhumftomhumf Posts: 65
    Ok thanks both. I'm afraid I don't know the varieties. I'm pretty sure we had summer types on the left and  and autumn types on the right. Both types are sprouting from the remaining few stems, do they both get leaves around the same time? 
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    Yes, both will grow a stem & leaves this summer.  The autumn ones will fruit this year , the summer fruiting ones, will not.  Take the chance to label them once you know.  I read a great tip on the RHS  site with the summer ones. Assuming you are growing them  on wires, train this years canes up one side. Next year train the new canes up the other side of the wire. This makes it easier to know which ones to cut down in winter. 
    AB Still learning

  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    But to answer your original question, it's unlikely you killed them and certainly not by pruning them. Tough things, raspberries. Difficult to kill them by accident and not all that easy on purpose, either
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
Sign In or Register to comment.