Do I Cut Black Raspberry Vines Back?

Raspberry Canes

• The canes of raspberries are divided into two groups. Primocanes are a first year's cane; some raspberries fruit on these young shoots. Primocane-fruiting raspberries, mainly red raspberries, produce berries in the fall. Floricanes are canes that are in their second year of growth. Black raspberries are all floricane-fruiting brambles. They bear fruit in the summer, and the floricanes are spent after their fruit has ripened.

Summer Tipping

• Black raspberries should be tipped throughout the growing season to keep their canes at a manageable size. Tipping consists of cutting the ends of the primocanes to prevent their bending over and burrowing in to the soil, thus forming new crowns that may become invasive or otherwise out of place. Tip black raspberry primocanes at about 28 inches, removing at least 4 inches of end growth to promote more lateral growth. Check tips frequently, since not all primocanes grow at the same rate.

Post-Harvest Pruning

• Once all of the berries on your black raspberry plant have ripened and are harvested, remove the canes that produced them. These old canes will not produce additional crops. Removing old wood can also help to prevent the spread of disease or pests that may have set up in the older part of the plant. Burn any diseased tissue that you remove.

Spring Pruning

• Black raspberries reproduce using basil buds instead of sending up suckers. If you've kept the tips of your black raspberries cut back so they cannot come in contact with the ground, you will have no young plants to remove. When spring arrives, but while the plant is dormant, cut back any diseased or winter-damaged laterals. Cut all laterals back to about 7 inches to promote optimal berry growth. This is also a good time to thin out extra canes. Leave only the best five to 10 canes per plant, cutting the rest to the crown.