Choose summer or autumn fruiting
Raspberries grow as perennial roots that send up canes. Summer-fruiting cultivars crop on floricanes: canes grow one year and fruit the next summer. Autumn-fruiting cultivars crop on primocanes: the current season’s canes fruit towards late summer or autumn. Some autumn cultivars can be managed for an earlier summer crop as well, but this requires retaining selected canes and a different pruning plan. Check the cultivar label before pruning.
Choose a sunny, sheltered row with fertile, well-drained soil that retains moisture. Avoid ground where raspberries or related brambles have recently grown if disease has been a problem. Install posts and two or more horizontal wires before planting, and leave room to pick and prune along both sides.
Plant and establish the canes
Plant bare-root canes while dormant, generally from late autumn to early spring, when soil is workable. Pot-grown plants can be planted at other times if watered reliably. Space canes around 40–50 cm apart in a row, adjusting for cultivar vigour and support style; keep rows far enough apart for airflow and access. Plant at the nursery soil mark, firm gently and water well.
Mulch with mature compost and keep the root area weed-free. Tie summer-fruiting canes loosely along wires as they grow; autumn types can be supported in a narrow row or with a simple frame. Water deeply during dry weather, especially while flowers and fruit are developing. Raspberries dislike drought during cropping but should not sit in waterlogged ground.
Prune each type differently
After a summer-fruiting crop, cut the old, woody canes that bore fruit down to ground level. Tie in the strongest new green canes to fruit next year and remove weak or crowded shoots. Keeping old and new canes on separate sides of a wire makes the job easier. In late winter, shorten any canes that extend beyond the support, following the training system.
For one autumn crop, cut all canes down to ground level in late winter, before new growth becomes established. New canes will grow and fruit that same year. If you want an earlier summer crop as well as an autumn crop from an autumn-fruiting cultivar, retain selected canes and remove only their fruited tips after the summer harvest; this is more involved and can reduce or shift the later crop. Keep a note of the chosen system.
Pests, harvest and storage
Check for raspberry beetle larvae in fruit, aphids, cane blight, spur blight and grey mould. Remove diseased canes and overripe berries, improve airflow by thinning, and avoid overhead watering late in the day. A fine mesh cover can deter birds, but secure it over a frame and inspect it frequently so wildlife is not trapped. Use healthy certified stock and remove unwanted suckers that spread beyond the row.
Pick ripe berries every few days in dry weather, handling them gently. They are ready when they release easily and have full colour for their cultivar. Refrigerate promptly and use quickly; freeze surplus in a single layer before bagging to keep berries separate.
Common mistakes
- Cutting every cane down after summer fruiting, which removes next year’s crop.
- Leaving all old canes in autumn-fruiting rows when growing for one autumn crop.
- Mixing old and new canes so pruning becomes difficult and the row overcrowds.
- Letting the row dry while fruit develops or allowing suckers to invade neighbouring beds.