If you grow raspberries, you need to know how to prune them. Raspberries benefit from annual pruning and you will get a better yield when you prune regularly. This post contains tips and methods on how to prune raspberries.
We grow a lot of raspberries. In order to keep the raspberries producing every year, they do need a bit of pruning. We prune our plants in the fall,but it is okay to prune in the spring too.
Raspberries grow on the previous year's growth. You want to save these new stalks when you are pruning. For pruning you will want a sharp pair of bypass shear pruners and cotton twine.
Here are the steps we use to prune our raspberries:
- Remove any old string holding your raspberries upright.
- Remove all old stalks. The old stalks are woodier than the new growth stalks. Cut stalks at the base.
- Keep 4-6 new growth stalks. Remove any extras.
- Tie the stalks together. We tie ours around a fence stake with cotton twine.
- Cut the tops off the new growth stalks. Ours are cut at about 5 feet tall.
- Remove all pruned stalks.
That's it! Not too tough of a task....especially when all I am really doing is taking pictures and hauling away the cut stalks! Pruning raspberries is one of the last tasks we do before winter sets in. It's a good feeling when we know the garden is ready for winter and the raspberries will be ready for the spring!
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Patty says
My neighbor who owned my house told my husband to cut the blackberries to about a foot. For quite a few years I let them go wild. Would get a lot of fruit. could not figure out who I was not getting many till I went out and saw my neighbor kids eating them. Started putting netting over them. I started getting more them a cup every couple weeks. My neighbor told my husband to cut to about 18" to 2'. I had a very sad crop for 2 years. Told my husband to leave them alone. They have gone wild and I got runner coming up in my yard. I get about 4-5 cups every couple days this year. last couple years would be 8-10 cups. But they are crazy growing this year so going to try to trim them back like you do for your raspberry bushes. I have them also and this was my first good crop this year. I freeze blackberries and eat the raspberries right off the bush. I don't get that many to even share. lol Thanks for the great pictures and showing me how to do this.
Kathy says
Wild blackberries can get quite massive. I hope the way we prune raspberries works for the blackberries. Good luck!
Kathy @ Garden Experiments says
I think this would be similar to what needs to be done for pruning blackberries, which is what I'm growing. I know they also grow fruit on the new growth not the old. I had not considered trimming back the new stalks to a certain height, but this will definitely help me keep them under control. They've been going a little bit wild in the past two years. Thanks for the tips and great photos!
Kathy says
I would love to have some blackberries! I have not grown them before and would be interested in hearing if they respond the same way as raspberries. Let me know how they turn out!
Thanks! 🙂
Mike the Gardener says
Wow! What a great set of photos. I just pruned mine back. This year was a great year for our raspberry bushes. Pruning them has really spurted growth each of their following seasons.
Kathy says
Thanks, Mike! Pruning is so necessary for a great harvest for next season.
Nicoletta @sugarlovespices says
Beautiful pictures and thorough descriptions on how to prune raspberries. We have a couple plants in our front but never done that. We definitely should follow your tips. Thanks!
Kathy says
They need some pruning. We do ours every year. Some choose to do theirs every year couple of years.
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
I like all the berries. And Raspberries are so delish! How fun that you can grow raspberries where you live! Thank you so much for wonderful tips, Kathy.
Kathy says
Raspberries are one of my favorites!
David @ Spiced says
Awesome! Thank you so much for sharing this. We have a number of raspberry bushes in our yard, but I don't think I've ever pruned them properly. 🙂
Kathy says
You've still got time before winter sets in...just think of how great your harvest will be come next summer!
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food says
Raspberries are so good! We have some growing wild around here and there's nothing like it 🙂 So satisfying picking your own. Thanks for the tips, girl 😉
Kathy says
I love going outside during the summer and picking some for my breakfast! For now, I will have to settle for the ones we picked and have in our freezer!
Laura ~ Raise Your Garden says
How exciting you are able to grow raspberries where you live!!!! They just don't like the climate where we are and although we try and try and try, few ever have any success. We thought about committing one whole raised bed to raspberries because that soil is imported. And when we do, we'll know how to prune!
Kathy says
I hope you can get the raspberries to grow. There's nothing better than harvesting your own berries. Your girls would love picking and eating them straight from the vines.