Pruning your everbearing and non-everbearing raspberry bushes

How to prune your raspberry bushes? We will start by giving a brief reminder by defining the two types of existing raspberry bush varieties. There are Everbearing raspberry bushes, which are varieties that produce fruit on both the previous year's canes and the new canes of the current season. Non-Everbearing raspberry bushes are varieties that produce fruit only on the previous year's canes. First of all, you should know that pruning raspberry bushes is not strictly necessary, but it can offer several benefits for the health and productivity of the plant. Here are some reasons why pruning can be beneficial:* Growth Encouragement: Regular pruning removes old, dead, or damaged canes, stimulating the growth of new, more vigorous canes.* Increased Production: By removing old canes or pruning everbearing varieties, you can encourage the production of new canes that will bear fruit.* Density Control: Pruning helps control cane density, promoting better air circulation between plants and reducing the risk of fungal diseases.* Disease Prevention: Removing diseased or damaged parts helps prevent the spread of disease and maintains the overall health of the plant.* Easier Harvest: Proper pruning can make harvesting easier by providing easier access to the fruit. However, it is important to note that some raspberry varieties, especially everbearing varieties, can produce fruit without extensive pruning. The decision to prune also depends on your gardening preferences and the type of raspberry bushes you have. If your raspberry bushes are healthy, producing sufficient fruit, and showing no signs of disease, minimal pruning may be sufficient. If you decide to prune your raspberry bushes, here is how to do it depending on the season and the type of raspberry bush. Clean-up pruning (late winter - early spring): * Remove dead, diseased, or damaged canes at the base. * Remove weak and spindly canes that compromise the plant's vigor. * Cut back second-year canes that have already borne fruit, as they will not produce again. Pruning non-everbearing raspberries (summer varieties): Non-everbearing raspberries bear fruit on the previous year's canes. After harvesting, cut back the canes that have borne fruit to the base to make room for new ones. Pruning Everbearing Raspberry Bushes (Autumn-Bearing Varieties): Everbearing raspberries bear fruit on new canes from the same year. Prune all canes back to the base in late winter or early spring to encourage the growth of new canes that will produce fruit in the fall. In the summer, during the fruiting season, you can pinch back new shoots above the fourth or fifth bud, about 30 cm from the ground, to encourage the development of lateral branches, which will increase fruit production. During the season, you can also thin out new shoots if they are too dense to promote better air circulation and prevent disease. Maintain a spacing of approximately 15 to 20 cm between canes for optimal growth. For practical and harvest reasons, you can also prune canes that are too tall to prevent them from becoming too long and bending under the weight of the fruit. To maximize production, you can prune all canes at the base in late winter or early spring. Alternatively, you can practice gentle pruning by cutting back only the canes that have borne fruit after harvesting in summer. Discover all our raspberry varieties by clicking here: [%UrlSite%]raspberry-c-3041