After-Harvest Care of Raspberries

Pruning

• Raspberries fruit on year-old wood and each cane only fruits once. Pruning out the canes that just finished producing fruit removes the now unproductive wood and allows air circulation to the interior of the plant. Remove all canes at soil level so the tips don't grow back. Raspberries don't require heavy late summer pruning, though any diseased or insect ravaged canes do require removal. Also, trim out canes that grow outside the 12- to 18-inch-wide rows to keep the rows and plants tidy.

Irrigation

• Regular watering must continue even after the plants stop producing berries. Proper irrigation helps keep the foliage healthy, and the foliage absorbs the sunlight that fuels new growth on the plant. Water the raspberries once weekly, providing 1 to 2 inches of water each week. Continue to water the plants until they begin to go dormant in fall. Raspberries don't typically require irrigation if there is an inch or more of rainfall in a given week.

Weed Control

• Weed between the raspberry plants and rows weekly. Break up the top 1/2-inch of soil with a hoe to prevent weeds from rooting, and hand-pull any weeds that do root. Planting a living mulch, such as spring oats, immediately after the raspberry harvest. The oats cover the soil between the plants and suppress any weed growth. A living mulch adds nutrients and organic material to the soil once it dies in and begins to break down in autumn.

Winter Preparation

• Not all raspberry varieties survive cold weather well, so only plant types known to thrive in your climate if you live in an area that experiences freezing. Spreading a 2- to 4-inch layer of straw mulch over the soil surrounding the raspberry plants once the ground begins to freeze in late fall helps the plants survive winter. The mulch provides some insulation that moderates soil temperatures and protects the roots during winter. Frost heave, which occurs when the ground shifts during freeze and thaw cycles, damages raspberry roots. A thick layer of mulch prevents frost heave.