When should I prune my raspberries?

A: Now. For fall-bearing raspberries like Fall Gold, cut all canes to within 6-8” of the ground. This type of raspberry produces fruits in late summer on new wood.   

Everbearing raspberries like Heritage are pruned differently. All the dark colored canes that produced fruit last year during the summer should be cut to the ground.  Keep all the new, lighter canes that grew last year. Once the old canes are removed, select the strongest remaining canes from last year and prune them to 4 feet tall.  Remove any thin, spindly growth at this time as well. 

Keith Funk is handling our Q & A this year. You may have visited one of Keith’s Denver area gardens on a tour or know him from his years at Echter’s and now at Nick’s Garden Center. For 30 years he’s been heard every Saturday morning from 7-9 with fellow Wise Guy, Jim Borland, on the Garden Wise Radio Show on Legends 810AM.