Cutting back raspberries

[CalloftheHaunted]

(Complete newbie to gardening)

I've just taken over an allotment and it's in need of work. There are existing raspberry bushes that are about 60-70m high that apparently need cutting back. I don't know if they're early or late. Is there any way to tell? There are new buds coming out all the way up the stem. How far should I cut back, or is it too late and just leave it?

Thanks!

It's very hard to tell the difference when you don't know when they fruit! One way is to look at the canes. Are they roughly the same colour or are there some that are brown and some that are more grey-ish? Autumn fruiting raspberries come on the same year's growth, so canes tend to look browner and the whole plant is cut down to the ground over the winter. Summer fruiting raspberries come on the previous year's growth so plants tend to have a mix of last year's canes that haven't flowered yet, and canes that started growing 2 years previously, which have fruited and need to be cut out.

However, without something to compare against, it might be tricky to figure this out! You could just leave them and see for this year.

Just leave them and see for this year! Some of them will still fruit, I'd think. Failing that, ask one of the neighbouring old boys on your allotment, they might be able to help you.

Thank you! The canes are a brown-red colour all the way up. It does look like they've been cut down to the ground before. There's about 8 bushes so should I cut half back to see or is it far too late?