When to Cut Down Raspberry Stalks

Summer-Bearing Raspberries

• The goal in pruning summer-bearing raspberries is to maintain the health of the plant, control size and remove dead floricanes, or one-year-old canes, without reducing the current crop. Cut out dead, diseased or weak canes to the ground in early spring, while the raspberry plant is still dormant. Cut back tips so the plant stands no taller than 5 feet high. After harvest, cut down the canes that produced fruit during the season to ground level.

Everbearing Raspberries

• Prune everbearing raspberries using one of two methods. Prune raspberries as you would summer-bearing raspberries if you live in an area with mild winters and you want both a summer and fall crop. Many growers prefer to harvest one large, high-quality crop from everbearing raspberries instead. In this case, mow down all the canes after fall harvest. New canes emerge in the spring and produce fruit in the fall.

Controlling Size

• Some gardeners prefer to keep the raspberry patch narrow to simplify harvesting tasks. Remove outer canes to ground level to keep the raspberry patch 12 to 24 inches wide if desired. Don't allow the raspberry patch to grow wider than 3 feet. Remove any suckers that grow up out of bounds while they are young.

Disease

• Raspberries are vulnerable to several diseases. If you notice yellowed, wilted leaves, cankers on the canes or black spots on the leaves, remove the diseased material immediately regardless of time of year, and burn it or discard it in the trash. Don't compost diseased plant materials.