Topic: Type of rasberry

[Orfy]

I've been lucky enough to take over an allotment a few months ago with 30mtrs of rasberries.
I have meen told there are two main types and that you have to prune(not prune) at different times.

How do I tell what type they are and what do I need to do differently.

Cheers,
Dave

[machman5]

Hi Orfy  :),
The 2 types are Summer fruiting and Autumn fruiting.  I have only grown Autumn fruiting before and I know that with these you only cut out the growth that has already produced raspberries, leaving the fresher greener stems for next years fruit to grow from.  I do the pruning in the spring so that the dead stems provide a bit of shelter and protection for the fresh growth over winter - also, it is easier to tell the old (brown) from the new (green) by then.  The Summer one, I think, you prune it all back in the Autumn, after fruiting, and new growth will appear the following spring.

Not too sure with the Summer one although I was given some last year so will be following this thread myself!  :-\  ;)

Good luck with the Lottie anyway!  ;D
Donna

[Orfy]

Thanks  :)

I think they are starting to produce fruit now so am I right in thinking they will be the summer ones?

[Leonnie]

Summer fruiting raspberries fruit on last years new shoots. The canes are long and will fall over unless supported, so if they're tied into wired supports and flowering and developing fruit now then they're likely to be summer fruiting raspberries.  Don't do any pruning now. In the late autumn cut out the canes that have fruited. But leave the new canes that have not fruited, if you cut these out it means no fruit the following year. These new canes can be tied into the wire supports.

Autumn fruiting raspberries fruit on the current years growth. The canes grow in a bush habit and are self supporting so won't need tying into wire supports. They'll start flowering and developing fruit a little later in the year. Each Feburary, before they start producing new growth, cut all the canes down to ground level.

Remember to give both kinds of raspberries a good thick mulch in the spring to conserve moisture in the ground to to provide them with the energy they need for producing an abundance of fruit. :)