Summer or Autumn Raspberries

hilltopgardener

Hi All, I have recently moved house and have inherited a mature raspberry bed. How can I tell if they are Summer or Autumn raspberries without knowing when they fruited last year?   

Forester2

It will be difficult to tell until they have fruited so let's hope you have a good crop in early summer and then you will know and be able to prune accordingly. 

Topbird

Agree it is difficult to tell from just looking at the canes at this time of year.

Assuming that all the canes do look the same - I suggest you cut down half the canes now. The timing of crop maturity and amount of crop on the differently treated plants should enable you to work out whether you have summer or autumn fruiting plants for the next season - and at least you'll get half the potential crop this year.

Just hope the previous owner didn't mix and match in the same bed (as it were!) - it makes life difficult.

Welshonion

It is not difficult to tell.  Autumn bearing raspberries do not put up new shoots until the Spring. 

Summer raspberries will already have grown the canes that will fruit in the Summer this year.

 

Dovefromabove

Cut back any canes that have borne fruit - they'll have side shoots and the remains of the fruit clusters.  If they're autumn fruiting you'll have no canes left.  If you have unfruited canes left then you have summer fruiting raspberries.

Whichever they are - enjoy