Hi, just wondering what I should be doing with my raspberry, boysenberry and blackberry bushes at this time of the year. I only planted them last year, but they are about 1-1.5 metres high and I have had some fruit off them. It looks like they are starting to die down, so should I be pruning them and do they need to be sprayed like other fruit trees?
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if they are/have been healthy then I wouldn't worry about spraying. i find that boysenberries and blackberries don't need spraying but i do with raspberries to control rust.
re pruning raspberries - the easiest method I think is to just to cut all canes off at base - i think in commercial orchards they just mow over the top of them. but there are different methods where you prune so you can get a crop off summer and autumn. i've had mine for a couple of years - still learning and experimenting about what works best. i think depends on variety too.
Hi Lisa
From my "fruit Garden Guide" book......(and confirmed by my dad who grows raspberries)....
Fruit bear on second year canes. Therefore once a cane has fruited, cut it right back to the base, leaving only the canes which have grown that year. These canes will bear next years crop.
To control budmouth, leaf roller, grey mould, cane spot, downey mildey - spray with lime sulphur in late winter before bud movement, then later at bud movement with copper oxychloride and all-seasons oil.
Apply heavy mulch to base to control weeds.
Hope this helps!
Replies
re pruning raspberries - the easiest method I think is to just to cut all canes off at base - i think in commercial orchards they just mow over the top of them. but there are different methods where you prune so you can get a crop off summer and autumn. i've had mine for a couple of years - still learning and experimenting about what works best. i think depends on variety too.
From my "fruit Garden Guide" book......(and confirmed by my dad who grows raspberries)....
Fruit bear on second year canes. Therefore once a cane has fruited, cut it right back to the base, leaving only the canes which have grown that year. These canes will bear next years crop.
To control budmouth, leaf roller, grey mould, cane spot, downey mildey - spray with lime sulphur in late winter before bud movement, then later at bud movement with copper oxychloride and all-seasons oil.
Apply heavy mulch to base to control weeds.
Hope this helps!