There are summer raspberries and autumn raspberries, single-bearing and double-bearing varieties and also the ever-bearing variety. They are all cut at different times and differently. Which raspberries do you cut in summer and how exactly do you do it?
It is the summer raspberries that need to be cut during the summer. This is important so that you can continue to expect a bountiful harvest. But the way it is cut can be a bit tricky.
Why do you have to cut raspberries in summer?
Many people already know that raspberry bushes dry up and die at the end of the season. This is a normal process that repeats itself every year. Does summer pruning even make sense or can you just wait for the official pruning in spring instead? These are the benefits of cutting raspberries in summer:
- The plant can concentrate on forming new shoots instead of investing energy in the old ones, which will no longer bear fruit this season.
- Thinning prevents illnesses as better ventilation is guaranteed.
- Shoots that are not removed are given more room to grow.
When and how to prune raspberries during the summer season?
Now you know why it's important, but when do you prune raspberries and how exactly do you do it? At first the task seems a little complicated, but you will immediately realize that it is not that difficult.
The right time for the care cut
When is the right time? The harvest time for summer raspberry bushes is in June and July. Accordingly, you can cut the bush from around the end of July, but no later than August. If you have already completely harvested a shoot, you can remove it then.
Cutting raspberries in summer: This is what you should keep in mind when cutting
Summer raspberries only bear fruit on the two-year-old shoots (Autumn raspberries, on the other handalready at the one-year-old). So when you select the shoots to cut off, you should keep this in mind, because the annual raspberry shoots must not be removed. How you should prune the raspberry bushes:
- After harvesting the shoots, cut them off at ground level.
- All other (annual) raspberry shoots can remain standing unless they have grown very densely. In this case, you can thin out the bush a little. Those who ultimately remain will be the ones who will bear fruit next year.
- When thinning out, remove shoots that are very thick as well as shoots that are too thin.
- Ultimately, there should be around eight to ten annual canes left per meter, at a distance of around 10 centimeters from each other. Leave it to 15 or less.
- Very long shoots may also be shortened (but never during the flowering period).
- If you notice any sickly-looking raspberry stems, remove them immediately.
Not sure which canes are annuals and which are biennials?
Under no circumstances should you focus on the thickness of the shoots, as this can always vary greatly. Instead, it is the color that indicates age. Two-year-old rods are woodier and usually darker than the light brown younger ones. However, the fact that raspberries grew on the respective shoot (or not) remains the safest characteristic. In the following video you can see again how old and new differ in raspberry bushes (after the leaves have fallen to make it easier to see).
Do you still have to cut in the spring despite the summer cut?
Yes definitely. While you can in principle decide for yourself whether to cut raspberries in summer, it is a mandatory measure in spring. So if you forgot to cut your raspberries during the summer, that's not too bad, but in the spring it is.
How do I prune raspberries? Prune in spring to ensure that the raspberry shoots are kept under control and can grow healthier and stronger. Those with winter damage will then also be removed.
When do I prune raspberries in spring? In February/March you shorten the now two-year-old canes that you didn't remove in the summer. A second cut can then be carried out in May. This pruning makes the shoots thicker and stronger.
