How to prune raspberries when you don't know what type they are?

[Susan BBPM]

I purchased an all season collection of raspberry bare roots the winter before last. Initially, I had them labelled, but in just 2 years the raspberries have managed to spread into each other. Also my labels have faded and now I have no clue which fruit on new shoots and which on old wood. They've been in the ground for nearly 2 years and it's just two big rows of all-sorts!

Is there a way to tell reliably? The best advice I found on Google is just to cut them all to the ground every few years.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

The only reliable way I can think of is to wait until they fruit, and then separate a piece and start again. They do spread quickly, I have mine contained in patches where there are paths all round, otherwise it is easy to end up with a raspberry garden, or they grow into each other as yours have.

 

[Susan BBPM]

Thanks. That's kind of what I found out on Google but hoped that Google was wrong!! LOL

I first started growing raspberries in containers about 3 years ago. I put them in the ground the winter before last.

What with birds, beagles and forgetting to water we've had about 3 raspberries in all that time so really I was hoping next year would be the payoff!!!

 

[Susan BBPM]

The only reliable way I can think of is to wait until they fruit, and then separate a piece and start again. They do spread quickly, I have mine contained in patches where there are paths all round, otherwise it is easy to end up with a raspberry garden, or they grow into each other as yours have.

Oliver, can you see any flaws in this plan:

1. Whenever I pick fruit on a cane pop some kind of marker on that cane.

2. At the end of the season cut out all the canes that are marked.

My thinking is that regardless of whether it's fruiting on new growth or old wood, once it's flowered that cane is done.

I know you can get a second flush of fruit on early fruiting canes, but I'm happy to sacrifice that.

 

[cntrlwagdnr]

Cut all you want, they'll grow more!! You can train as bushes, on trellises, whatever. More important is that they spread - like crazy!! Best way to plant in open ground is get a deep 5 gallon plastic bucket (or similar or larger container) and cut the bottom off. Sink it in the ground and plant in that. Otherwise the underground runners will be popping up all over the place - those things can go a long distance. Works great for other notorious spreaders too, like wisteria and passion flowers. Wish we still had some at our new (relatively) home... Mmmm homemade Raspberry Jam! No room now and I have enough trouble fighting the neighbor's freakin' thorn-less blackberry they planted against the fence (under a peach tree, mingling with the two apple trees and a nectarine way too close next to them in a little backyard - not to mention the blue spruce 4 feet from their house and 6 feet from a dogwood and a maple in their front yard!!!) Some people are not too bright.

 

[Susan BBPM]

Good advice too late!!

We have two big rows of raspberries - about 5 different kinds, all mixed in together. I'd say about 25 in total.

Fortunately the only thing near them is lawn, so we can (hopefully) keep them contained with the mower.

My understanding is that there are two varieties:

1. Fruits on old wood (last year's growth). (Early raspberries)
2. Fruits on this year's growth. (late summer, autumn raspberries)

If I cut them all down at the end of the season I won't get early raspberries.

But if I only cut down the canes that have fruited this year we should be good to go for both types?

I know that some spring raspberries can have a second fruiting in Autumn, but I'm prepared to sacrifice that.

 

[cntrlwagdnr]

Sounds like you are going to have to look carefully at what stems the fruit grows on, new or old growth. Ours did both! I would try both methods on different plants for one year and see what you get - assuming they are all the same.....

Mower is not going to do it, they will keep going underground. You have to either pull them up or kill them off it won't affect the mains plant. Of course, you could always become a commercial grower

 

[Susan BBPM]

Sounds like you are going to have to look carefully at what stems the fruit grows on, new or old growth. Ours did both! I would try both methods on different plants for one year and see what you get - assuming they are all the same.....

Mower is not going to do it, they will keep going underground. You have to either pull them up or kill them off it won't affect the mains plant. Of course, you could always become a commercial grower

Thanks!!

You've given me a whole new problem to worry about.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I would say the way to go is to 'unmix' them. If you dig them out and take single stems to grow on in containers you should be able to sort out enough plants of each variety. You could try your method for a crop next year and dig some to sort, or you could chop everything down, get a crop on the Autumn ones next year, and dig some to sort.
I have grown new plants from runners in the past and it was very easy, just not this year. No growth really, but we have only had 9% of our normal rainfall, so just a few stunted, dried up fruit. It is the same story all round, small, hard beetroot that won't cook, beans and mangetout stunted and making seeds instead of pods, chard running to seed before it reaches any size, leathery lettuce. It is really only the stuff in the greenhouses where I water that are doing well, chili cucumber and tomato, and I can't afford to go mad with a hose all over the garden every night. Sorry, I'll stop moaning on

 

[Susan BBPM]

I guess that makes sense. I'll try and figure out a plan that will let us make the move without losing fruit!!

We've had a pretty dry spring/summer too - especially when you consider how wet it usually is in the West of Scotland. It was the same last year. We have an area of wildflower meadow in our garden - that hasn't been cut since last August and it's about 6 inches high and very brown and sad looking. Likewise, our crabapple tree has very few leaves.

We have been watering flower and veg beds every night - or almost every night. In Scotland water isn't metered - we very rarely get hose pipe bans or even asked to save water. Plenty of it up here even in a dry summer. We also have several water butts collecting all the rain that does fall.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

There was a thing on the weather on the TV the other night said Scotland had had 60% of their normal rainfall, here in the South it was 9%.

 

[Susan BBPM]

There was a thing on the weather on the TV the other night said Scotland had had 60% of their normal rainfall, here in the South it was 9%.

WOW!!

We were very dry all though spring, but during summer we have had a few big rainfalls.

9% though of what already isn't a huge amount!!