Prune autumn-fruiting raspberries in late winter, usually in February. For one main crop in late summer and autumn, cut every cane right down to ground level. New canes will emerge in spring and produce fruit later the same year.
If you want an earlier summer crop as well, some of last year’s canes can be retained. In that system, only the section that fruited in autumn is removed.
How to prune for one autumn crop
The simplest system is to remove all old canes before new growth starts. Cut them as close to ground level as practical rather than leaving long stubs.
- Cut every old cane to ground level.
- Remove the cut material from the row.
- Allow the new primocanes to grow from the base in spring.
These new canes will flower and fruit in the same season. The system keeps pruning simple and prevents old wood building up in the row.
How to prune autumn raspberries for two crops
Strong, established autumn-fruiting raspberries can also be managed for an earlier summer crop followed by the normal autumn harvest.
Keep around 6–8 strong canes per metre of row. On those canes, remove only the upper section that fruited the previous autumn. Cut the remaining old canes completely to ground level.
The retained lower sections produce fruiting laterals in summer. Once that crop is finished, cut those canes out at the base. Meanwhile, new canes growing from the ground will carry the later autumn crop.
One crop: cut every cane to ground level. Two crops: retain a limited number of strong canes and remove only their previously fruited tops.
Is double cropping worth it?
It can extend the picking season, but the summer crop is usually modest and the following autumn crop may be slightly reduced. It also leaves more old wood in the row and makes pruning less straightforward.
Double cropping suits vigorous, established plants better than weak or recently planted ones. Cultivar also matters: some autumn-fruiting varieties respond well to the system, while others are better treated as a single-crop plant.
Thin crowded new canes in summer
Autumn raspberries can produce more new canes than the row needs. If growth becomes crowded, remove the weakest shoots and leave the stronger canes roughly 10 cm apart.
This reduces congestion and improves light penetration without leaving unnecessary gaps in the row.
Do not prune summer-fruiting raspberries the same way
| Raspberry type | Where it fruits | Main pruning method |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn-fruiting | Current season’s canes | Cut to ground level in late winter for one crop |
| Summer-fruiting | Previous year’s canes | Remove fruited canes after harvest and retain new ones |
Cutting summer-fruiting raspberries completely to the ground in late winter removes the canes that were due to crop that summer. If the variety is unknown, check when and where it fruits before pruning the whole row.