Gardening Question of the Week: Can I Prune My Raspberries in the Fall?
Thursday November 5, 2009
Someone in the About Gardening Forum wanted to know if pruning their raspberry plants now, rather than waiting until late winter, would have any effect on the amount of raspberries the plants produce. I've always heard that leaving the canes in tact helps the plants make it through winter, although I'm not entirely sure why. We'd love to hear from other raspberry growers, about when you do your pruning. Do any of you cut your raspberries back at the end of the season and have you noticed any differences or problems?
Photo: Armin Baldemair / Stock.xchng.
Comments
I always prune my raspberries in the early to mid fall and have bumper crops of berries. I do cover the base of the plants that are left with leaves for winter protection though. I just wait to prune until the stalks that produced this year are really woody and basically dead before I go a-cutting.
I forgot to ask that you include what area you’re gardening in.
Since AdventurousC is mulching for winter protection and your canes are woody and dry by mid-fall, I’m guessing you’re in a cold climate and haven’t seen any ill effects of fall pruning. Good to know.
I live in Zone 4, and had always cut back the raspberries in the mid to late fall. I cut almost to the ground leaving just a few inches of stems remaining. Every spring there are dozens of new shoots, and they all produce an abundance of berries throughout the summer.
The best thing with Raspberries at least with my experience, is not to baby them. Just water them once a day. Put them in a hot and sunny location with little to no shade. Trim them all the way to the ground in the fall, otherwise leave them alone.
I started with 5 bare root almost dead plants, I ended up with over 100 in just 4 years.
I cut back my august/september bearing raspberries in the fall and they are fine. They are super-hardy, a weed actually, and grow back no matter what you do to them! Oh, I live in zone 7.
I prune many Blackberries and Raspberries (somewhat rare) in the late Autumn around Thanksgiving if all my clients leaves are cleaned. I cut them down, not even gently, to about 4 to 6″. Most of the canes by then, here on the high plains, are hollow. I prune them down because they look bad. I really believe that if you just leave them, all would be well. In my experience very few canes are viable in the spring anyway, so, for my clients it is more of an appeareance issue. The plants do produce well season after season, hey, they sucker all over the place anyway….mz
“I cut them down, not even gently…” I love it!
Well, the so called experts all say to wait until early spring, but I always listen to the folks who are actually doing the pruning. You’re the experts I trust and you all seem to agree that pruning brambles in the fall won’t stop them from thriving. Yea! The more I can get done in the fall, the more I enjoy the spring.