Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Broadback wrote:
Having had my raspberries for a number of years I decided it was time
they were replaced. Last Winter I duly planted a number of stools.
These have grown well producing fine canes. Now my old raspberries
have finished the canes (as normal) are tatty and dead looking, with
new growth starting to show at the base. This is the time I would
normally cut them down, though this year they are being dug out. My
question is this, the new canes are strong and healthy, do I cut
them down to make room for the new canes which will crop next year,
if so when? Or do I leave them and they will crop on these canes
next year?

The latter. Raspberries (and most semi-woody rubi) crop on the
previous year's growth, which dies off in the following winter.
Cut them out now, and you will get no crop next year, though
you won't kill the plant.

Apart from autumn-fruiting raspberries, which you cut down in February,
and they throw out vigorous canes which fruit the same year. But there's
a trick you can do...got a note somewhere...hang on...yes, here we a

On GQT, 11 Feb '07, Seabrook said that with Autumn Bliss, you could
prune down only as far as the last fruiting shoot (taking about a thrid
off), in spring (I guess he meant late February). You then get a crop in
June, after which you cut right down in the conventional manner, and it
will fruit again in August. I've never tried this, but Peter Seabrook
seems an old-style gardener who knows whereof he speaks --in spite of
his unfortunate attitude to peat-mining* and regrettable taste in
rockeries and such-like. I haven't dared to try, as I don't actually
klnow what variety I've got; but I don't see why this shouldn't work
with other autumn-fruiting vars, though presumably not the late ones.

*Quote: "What do these scientists know? They haven't done the research."
Not even North Sea fishermen use that one
any more.

--
Mike.