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Pruning is an essential part of gardening. It is done to control disease by removing damaged parts of the plant. In the case of raspberries, pruning helps increase the fruit size and quality, therefore, producing higher yields. Raspberry canes pruning depends on the type of berries you’re growing and their growth characteristics. Generally, raspberries are perennial. Their stems, more commonly known as canes, however, are biennial. Raspberries are able to produce fruit for many years but their canes, which bear the berries, die after two years. The following is a list of the most common raspberry canes pruning practices according to raspberry type. However before doing anything, make sure that you’re equipped with the proper raspberry canes pruning tools: the sharp hand shears and the lopping shears.
During the first year, the canes of purple, black, and summer-bearing raspberries don’t bear fruit. Their second and final year marks fruit production, and then, death. Summer-bearing raspberry canes pruning should start in March or early April. The first thing to do is to remove all weak and unhealthy canes that are at ground level. The second step in raspberry canes pruning is the removal of cane tips that have died because of winter-induced injuries. Only the most vigorous canes should be left. These canes are usually around ¼ inch in diameter when measured 30 inches from the ground. The remaining canes should have a 6-inch gap from each other. After the last harvest, old fruiting canes should be pruned off at ground level and destroyed.
Unlike summer-bearing raspberries, fall-bearing raspberry canes yield fruits twice. The first fruits arrive during early fall, usually at the tip of the canes. The second batch arrives during summer and usually appears on the lower portions of the same canes. Raspberry canes pruning for this type starts just like that of summer-bearing raspberries: the removal of damaged canes between March and April, leaving vigorous canes to grow. However, for fall-bearing raspberries, tips should be pruned off since fruits will usually appear on the side shoots of the remaining canes. After pruning, these plants will usually need one to two feet for hedge growth.
Black and purple raspberries, on the other hand, grow canes only from buds that are at the base of existing canes. This prompts a different pruning technique. Black and purple raspberry canes pruning starts in summer. Three to four inches should be pruned off canes that reach 30 inches in height in order to encourage later shoots. All dead canes should be removed after harvest. Dormant raspberry canes pruning for black and purple raspberries is only done to remove damaged canes and those that are less than half-an-inch in diameter.
Proper raspberry canes pruning will not only make the management of these shrubs easier, it will also help them improve the quality and quantity of their yields.
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about pruning and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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