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Raspberry canes, some with flowers and fruit, others just with foliage.

imeldatimeldat Posts: 5
in Fruit & veg
Hello everyone
I planted my first canes 2 years ago, and was delighted to harvest an abundance of raspberries last year.  This year I have canes which are in flower and fruit - but seem to have far more canes which are just foliage. All the canes are all in the same raised bed. I pruned last year, but misunderstood the advice and pruned them back to just above ground level.  I'm not sure what to do (if anything), with the ones which are just foliage and would really welcome some advice, please.
Thank you so much, in advance.
IMT

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Hi @imeldat and welcome to the forum  :)

    Do you know which variety of raspberry you have?  Some are summer fruiting and some fruit later in the late summer and autumn.  The pruning requirements of the two types are different ... 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • imeldatimeldat Posts: 5
    Hello Dovefromabove
    Unfortunately, I don't know. We were harvesting from mid-late July, if I recall correctly.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    Those sound like a summer-fruiting variety.  When you have harvested all the fruit from a cane, cut it to the ground.  Leave the non-fruiting canes alone as those will flower and fruit next year.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • imeldatimeldat Posts: 5
    Thank you so much, BobTheGardener. Please can you tell me if I will need to prune the non fruiting canes later in the year? They're growing vigorously.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    No, the non-fruiting canes should be tied into a support framework so that they can continue growing and provide you with lots of fruit next summer.

    This explains it https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-prune-summer-fruiting-raspberries/
     :) 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    If the canes are very tall,  you can gently bend them down to the top of your supports, so they arch down.  This will encourage even more fruit buds, giving you a bumper crop next year. Do it while the new growth is still flexible. 
    AB Still learning

  • PlashingPlashing Posts: 328
    Are you sure you haven't got primo canes because they will fruit twice, I have some that are in flower and set fruit with the other canes growing for harvesting in the autumn, I have autumn  bliss and polka they did same last year and we were picking from July until  late October so you maybe lucky and have two crops from them.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    There's a sure test to determine if they are a primocane type.  Do nothing to the new canes and if they fruit in autumn this year, that's what you have.  With those autumn-fruiting types, you are supposed to cut all the canes down to the ground in February.  They'll then produce new shoots in spring and a very large crop on those new canes in autumn.  If you don't cut them down in Feb, you'll get a small crop from sideshoots which will form on the old canes in early summer and another small crop from the new canes in autumn.
    Obviously, the best thing to do now is wait and see if the new canes fruit in autumn.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • imeldatimeldat Posts: 5
    Hello everyone.  As you've advised, I'll wait and see what happens with the non flowering canes and cut back the other canes once they've finished fruiting.  I'm also going to print your answers so that I have them to hand. Thank you all so very much for passing on your knowledge. :)
  • imeldatimeldat Posts: 5
    Plashing said:
    Are you sure you haven't got primo canes because they will fruit twice, I have some that are in flower and set fruit with the other canes growing for harvesting in the autumn, I have autumn  bliss and polka they did same last year and we were picking from July until  late October so you maybe lucky and have two crops from them.
    Hello Plashing. I do hope they fruit twice. Ihave everything crossed!

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