Raspberry plants

[sheena]

I've never grown raspberry plants before and now i have a good crop, i was wondering if you kind ishers could tell me the best way to care for them after they have finished cropping.
Also have been told to bend a cane down into the soil and a new plant will grow, is this the best way and can anyone advise please?

[Green Aura]

I've never done that and the new canes grow up from the bottom and often everywhere else too!

We pretty much leave them to their own devices, just cut out the old dead canes (what the raspberries grew on last year) leave the canes you got raspberries on this year - they'll give support to next years canes. Does that make sense? Bit of mulch and that's it.

[Odsox]

If they are summer fruiting ones as I presume they are, then you need to cut all the canes that have fruited off at ground level.
All the new canes that have grown this year need to be left alone as these are the ones that will bear fruit next year. If you are growing them against a wire, the new ones need tying in to stop them getting snapped off in the winter gales. If the new canes are tall (5' - 6') then they can be bent over slightly to tie the tips to the wire, that stops them whipping about in the wind and is probably what that person was on about.

Autumn fruiting ones are a wee bit different as they fruit on new canes, so if you ever get some of those, you need to cut all the growth off in November or December.

That's about it, except possibly the mulch that GA mentioned.

[Millymollymandy]

Erm and lots of watering if you haven't had an abundance of rain, they really don't like to be dry or the fruit will be small and pathetic. It's particularly important to keep them well watered when they are newly planted, but it never fails to amaze me that something that can have its roots down almost as far as Australia (and spreading out towards the English channel ) can suffer from lack of water!

[sheena]

Thanks for all your help

[boboff]

Ummm

What I found is that last year I did not cut any down, and got raspeberries in the Summer, this year I cut them all down and will get them in the Late summer ( couple of weeks)

Last year I found the crop was very extended, and only picked about 1/2 lb a week, hoping for more this year in a shorter period so I can make wine.

Certainly cutting them right back in March has led to Allot more new growth and lots of new fruit from this years growth, the fruit also seams allot bigger on the new growth.

I was told the best thing is to cut the old wood in March, mulch with muck in April and there you have it lots of fruit in August / Sept. Based on me following this advice in the 2nd year I reckon its best as you "thicken" up the number of stems.