Rasberry plant.

jrby

I have the plant for three years now and haven't really pruned it. It produced only small fruit this year. last year wasnt too bad. Should i prune it and by how much and should i feed it (other than the with some plant food that I put down on everything!)

thanks

homer911

Raspberry canes would need pruning out regularly - some say to prune out the canes that have born fruit at the end of the season, others say they will fruit for 3-4 years before you need to prune out. You should have got new growth each year. The new growth each year bears fruit the next.

You could put a mulch on the canes, but they dont generally need feeding

Oldtree

rasberrys flower and fruit on last years canes, when a cane has fruited it should be removed in the following winter to allow space for the new canes.

unless you have a variety like autumn bliss that flowers and fruits on this years canes, in which case the canes are removed every winter.

You could give it an organic liquid feed now with some added liquid seaweed, I tend to chuck in a handful of chicken manure every winter and they seem to get allon fine.

jrby

so should i prune back to ground level?

jrby

a bit of a novice (in case you havent noticed!)

CorsendonkX

jrby wrote: »

so should i prune back to ground level?

Yes but wait till winter, raspberries also love moisture so the recent dry spell will have impacted on the harvest so far. Usually you try to plant them in the wettest part of the garden.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOzo4s9Z9jE

Technophobe

I have had an unbelievable raspberry harvest this year.........Soooooooooooo many and so tasty...

Ms2011

Technophobe wrote: »

I have had an unbelievable raspberry harvest this year.........Soooooooooooo many and so tasty...

Me too with both the red & yellow variety.

OP I give my plants a good prune right back in winter & it seems to really respond to this.
I generally only feed if I'm feeding the rest of the garden & it never seems to hinder the plant's growth.

redser7

Do you know for sure if it is a summer or an autumn fruiter? It will make a big difference to how you prune it.

jrby

Summer, I'm guessing as fruit has already ripened....

redser7

Cool. While the new canes still look new, tie a little piece of string round each of the best 5 or 6. In winter prune all the others away. Next spring give it a granular feed and then mulch it. Next summer when it is flowering give it a one off feed of tomato food and keep the soil moist.
Take suckers out too and plants them if you want to increase your stock.
Are you giving them any support at all?

jrby

thanks, this helps

Supercell

Hmm, my Joan J is an Autumn variety but has been fruiting for a month already this year. I'm guessing the cold spring followed by unusually hot and sunny summer so far has it confused.
It needs cutting down to ground level each year and fruits on new wood so I think you need to try and find out the variety! The Joan J is a common variety as its a heavy cropper and self supporting if thats any help.