Your curious questions answered
One of the questions we’re asked most often at the nursery each winter is how to prune summer- and autumn-fruiting raspberries. Fortunately, it’s a simple task once you know which type you’re growing. Get that part right, and the rest is little more than a few well-placed cuts.
Summer-fruiting raspberries produce fruit on second-year canes. During winter, remove all canes that have already fruited (they’ll usually appear brown, brittle and woody) by cutting them to ground level. The remaining young canes should be tied to supports, as these will produce next season’s crop.
Autumn-fruiting raspberries are even easier. Simply cut every cane back to ground level during winter and allow the plant to produce a fresh flush of canes in spring.
The illustration below provides a simple step-by-step guide to pruning both summer- and autumn-fruiting raspberries.
