Emer Green
From November to March, you can prune fruit shrubs — including raspberries. In our video, we show you step by step how to prune both first-year and second-year canes properly.
💡 Tip: Remove old and weak wood so the plant can direct its energy into healthy shoots and produce a rich harvest next year.
📲 In the app under “Crops”, you’ll find a detailed, step-by-step guide to raspberry pruning
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As seasoned gardeners with years of experience, we often find ourselves reflecting on the many lessons our garden has taught us. One of the most significant revelations came from our journey with raspberry shrubs. From November to March, the garden enters a quieter phase, allowing us to focus on essential tasks such as pruning our beloved fruit shrubs, including raspberries. This article dives deep into the art and science of pruning raspberries, enriched with personal anecdotes and practical insights.
Pruning is not merely a chore, but a necessity for maintaining healthy raspberry plants and achieving abundant harvests. Reflecting on our early days as gardeners, we remember the unchecked growth and tangled canes that led to disappointing yields. This experience taught us the critical importance of pruning, which encourages healthy growth and enhances fruit production.
Pruning has a profound impact on the following:
Having shared countless tips with fellow gardening enthusiasts, we realized the need for a comprehensive pruning guide. Here's a breakdown of our step-by-step approach:
First-year canes, known as primocanes, are crucial for next season's fruiting. In our early gardening days, we mistakenly pruned them too aggressively, resulting in fewer fruits the following year. Now, we handle them with care, ensuring they have room to grow and develop.
Floricanes are the canes that bear fruit. After harvesting, these should be pruned to ground level. This clears the space for the primocanes to thrive. Our first successful floricane pruning was a triumph that filled us with joy and pride, marking a turning point in our raspberry endeavors.
When it comes to pruning, timing is everything. We learned that our local climate plays a significant role in determining the best time to prune. Living in a region with mild winters, we take advantage of the dormant season from November to March. The weather during this period is ideal, reducing the risk of infections post-pruning.
Reflecting on our past mistakes, we understand how easy it is to misjudge the pruning process. The most common errors include:
Each mistake came with its lesson, which we now share with fellow gardeners to help them avoid similar pitfalls.
While pruning is vital, the versatility of raspberries extends beyond the garden. Raspberries are not only delightful fresh but have a myriad of uses:
Raspberry leaves have been cherished for their medicinal properties, particularly during pregnancy. The red raspberry leaf is renowned for its potential benefits, providing a natural way to support pregnancy. As advocates of natural remedies, we've explored raspberry leaf tea with expectant friends, sharing the soothing experiences it offers.
Our journey with raspberries has been filled with trials and triumphs, each teaching us valuable lessons. As we continue to nurture our garden, we cherish the fruits of our labor, not just in the literal sense but in the wisdom gained. We invite you to reflect: How do the lessons learned in your garden shape your approach to life?
Whether it's through the art of pruning, savoring tea with raspberry leaf, or indulging in a white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake, the joy of raspberries extends far beyond the garden bed. Join us in exploring the endless possibilities of this delightful fruit.
Raspberries can be surprisingly sensitive during fruiting season. Here are the most common issues gardeners face:
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