No, not a new sort of ice-cream.

Earlier this year, in an effort to regain some control over the
very seriously overgrown veggie patch in our new house, we trimmed
all of the raspberry canes down to about a foot high.

Various people threw up their hands in horror, saying that if they were
a summer fruiting variety, we wouldn't get any raspberries this year.
Now it's summer however, we *do* have fruit. I recall too how at our
previous house we were delivered a number of bare-root raspberry canes
trimmed to a similar height late one winter and planted them out, getting
fruit in the summer of that year.

Why's that then? Is this summer fruit on old wood/autumn fruit on new
wood thing all a bit of a generalisation?

James

"James Fidell" wrote in message
.. .
: No, not a new sort of ice-cream.
:
: Earlier this year, in an effort to regain some control over the
: very seriously overgrown veggie patch in our new house, we trimmed
: all of the raspberry canes down to about a foot high.
:
: Various people threw up their hands in horror, saying that if they were
: a summer fruiting variety, we wouldn't get any raspberries this year.
: Now it's summer however, we *do* have fruit. I recall too how at our
: previous house we were delivered a number of bare-root raspberry canes
: trimmed to a similar height late one winter and planted them out, getting
: fruit in the summer of that year.
:
: Why's that then? Is this summer fruit on old wood/autumn fruit on new
: wood thing all a bit of a generalisation?
:
: James

No it's generally precise as far as summer raspberries are concerned. If you
cut the raspberries off some of those stems would have been new and if it
then sent up new ones they would bear fruit as it was an early trim. I'm
sticking to that lol!

In article , James Fidell
writes
No, not a new sort of ice-cream.

Earlier this year, in an effort to regain some control over the
very seriously overgrown veggie patch in our new house, we trimmed
all of the raspberry canes down to about a foot high.

Various people threw up their hands in horror, saying that if they were
a summer fruiting variety, we wouldn't get any raspberries this year.
Now it's summer however, we *do* have fruit. I recall too how at our
previous house we were delivered a number of bare-root raspberry canes
trimmed to a similar height late one winter and planted them out, getting
fruit in the summer of that year.

Why's that then? Is this summer fruit on old wood/autumn fruit on new
wood thing all a bit of a generalisation?

I would expect that your fruit is on off shoots from the foot high
canes, not on canes that have newly sprung from the base.

The flowering/fruiting pattern of many of the rosaceae (which includes
raspberries) is
Year 1: - throw out long new canes/branches to get as high as possible
Year 2: - (as well as throwing out yet more long new canes) producing
flowering side branches from last year's canes
Year 3: - throw out new canes, produce flowering side branches from last
years canes, continue flowering from the side branches of the first
year's canes - but since the plant has grown in vigour since then, these
won't e quite as fruitful as the ones from the second year ...

.... and therefore the pruning regime is - cut out completely (down to
the ground) the canes that fruited last year, to concentrate all the
energy on the more vigorous canes from last year which are branching and
fruiting this year, and allow to grow the new canes which will bear next
year's crop.

Of course, of you tell me that this year's new canes are fruting (as
opposed from branches from the foot long stumps) then I have to re-think
my whole understanding!
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

In article , Robert youcanteducatepork@sp
amex.com writes

No it's generally precise as far as summer raspberries are concerned. If you
cut the raspberries off some of those stems would have been new and if it
then sent up new ones they would bear fruit as it was an early trim. I'm
sticking to that lol!

Urg had a discussion about summer and autumn raspberries last year. I
recall suggesting that where the variety is unknown, newly grown canes
might be cut by about a third in order to back both possibilities.

I did that with ours and I am amazed at the success. We are just coming
to the last of a big crop from those shortened canes. At the same time
huge new canes have grown and are already budding up flower trusses for
autumn cropping. The summer crop have been good sized fruits and from
last year, the autumn ones will be huge berries. Later on we will cut
the new canes as before, they will also need some thinning out.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.