Hello, We have had some Raspberry canes in the ground now for atleast ten years. I cut out old canes yearly and prune them in the spring. Wondering if I should dig them up and only pant back younger canes? If I do this should I do one row one year and the other the following year? Not sure if doing this diminishes the amount of berries one would get? We get berries every year, but like some fruits, it seems that the berry size can diminish as the canes get older? If anyone has information that would help, it would be much appreciated.
Go to: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1421.html This will tell you how to prune your raspberries. Hope it helps.
Hi; it wouldn't hurt to renew you raspberry bed. The production will drop of after a period of 8 to 10 years. Also move the raspberries to a different location in your yard. This raspberries will do better in a new location. The old site will not produce raspberries as well due things like viruses etc. This is some of the cultivars that you can grow there. The links are from the BC berry production guide http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/berries/production_guide_pdf/raspberry_variety_newplant.pdf http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/berries/production_guide_pdf/raspberries_mgmt.pdf You can also transplant some of more vigorous healthy canes from your old planting to help establish your new bed. Hope this helps Cheers Kim
Hey prairiegrapes, In my Mother's garden she had the same raspberry bushes planted in the same site for 40 years, with no loss of production.... it is how you maintain them that really matters. Add manure , cultivate, prune and thin as needed, and replace less vigorous canes, most simple.
Good advice as well. I guess it all depends on the general health of the patch. When we did the BCMAFF berry tours up in the Okanagan back in the day growers would rejuvenate the patches about every 4- 5 years. it depends a lot on the variety and the planting health. I've seen old beds that are still doing well and others that looked terrible after 5 years. In a back yard it's a little different. It sounds like the patch is in decline so it might not be a bad idea to relocate the patch in a different spot. Cheers