How To Prune Raspberry Canes

Knowing how to prune raspberry canes is the single most important skill for a healthy, productive patch. Get it right, and you’ll be rewarded with abundant, sweet berries for years. Get it wrong, and you might face a tangled, diseased thicket with few fruits. But don’t worry—it’s simpler than it seems once you understand the basic rules.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know. We’ll cover the crucial differences between summer-bearing and everbearing types, the exact tools you need, and clear, step-by-step instructions for each season. Let’s get your raspberries in perfect shape.

Pruning isn’t just about cutting; it’s about knowing what to cut and when. The method depends entirely on whether your raspberries produce fruit once in summer or twice (in summer and fall). Misidentifying your type is the most common pruning mistake.

Identifying Your Raspberry Type

First, figure out which kind you have. If you planted them, check the plant tag or variety name. If you inherited them, observe their fruiting habit:

Summer-Bearing (Floricane-fruiting): These produce one large crop in early to mid-summer on canes that grew the previous year. The canes are two years old when they fruit.
Everbearing (Primocane-fruiting): These produce a moderate crop in fall on the tips of first-year canes. If left unpruned, they’ll then produce a second, smaller summer crop lower on those same canes the next year.

Essential Pruning Tools

Using the right, clean tools makes the job easier and protects your plants. You’ll need:

Bypass Pruners (Secateurs): For clean cuts on canes up to about 1/2 inch thick.
Long-Handled Loppers: For tackling thicker, older canes at the base.
Sturdy Gloves: Raspberry thorns are sharp! Protect your hands.
Disinfectant: Rubbing alcohol or a bleach solution. Wipe your blade between plants to prevent spreading disease.

Pruning Summer-Bearing Raspberries

These are pruned twice a year: right after harvest and in early spring. The goal is to remove the canes that have already fruited, as they will not produce again.

Post-Harvest Pruning (Summer)

After you’ve picked the last berry in mid-to-late summer, it’s time to prune. The canes that just gave you fruit are now exhausted.

Identify the spent floricanes. They’ll often look browner, more woody, and may have peeling bark compared to the fresh, green primocanes.
Using your loppers, cut these old fruiting canes all the way down to the soil line. Remove them completely from the patch.
Thin the remaining new green canes (primocanes), leaving the 4-6 strongest, healthiest ones per foot of row. Space them about 6 inches apart.

Spring Clean-Up (Early Spring)

Once the danger of severe frost has passed, give your patch a final tidy-up before new growth explodes.

Remove any canes that died over winter (they’ll be brittle and gray).
Tip back the remaining canes (last year’s primocanes, now floricanes) to about 4-5 feet tall, cutting just above a bud. This encourages larger berries.
Thin again if necessary, ensuring good air flow. Remove any weak or damaged canes.

Pruning Everbearing Raspberries

You have a choice here: one big fall crop or two smaller crops. The pruning method changes based on your preference.

For Two Crops (Summer & Fall)

This is the traditional method. Prune in late winter or very early spring.

First, cut off only the top portion of each cane that fruited last fall. The lower buds, which didn’t fruit, will produce the summer crop.
After that summer harvest, remove those entire two-year-old canes, just like with summer-bearing types.
Allow the new primocanes that grew that spring to produce your fall crop on their tips.

This method spreads out your harvest but the summer crop can sometimes be smaller and the patch more crowded.

For One Large Fall Crop (Simpler Method)

Most gardeners now prefer this easier approach. You treat everbearers like annuals, getting a single, heavy harvest in fall.

In late winter or very early spring, before new growth starts, cut all canes down to the ground. Yes, all of them!
New canes will sprout from the roots in spring.
These new canes will grow and fruit on their tips in the fall.
Repeat the following spring. This method controls disease, simplifies pruning, and often yields a more abundant fall harvest.

Pruning Black and Purple Raspberries

These types require a slight variation. They grow thicker and benefit from “tipping.”

In late summer, when the new primocanes reach about 24-30 inches tall, pinch or cut off the top 3-4 inches. This forces side branching, which leads to more fruiting sites the next year.
Then, follow the standard summer-bearing pruning schedule: remove old fruiting canes after harvest and do spring clean-up.

Common Pruning Mistakes to Avoid

Not Pruning at All: This leads to a congested, unproductive patch where light and air can’t penetrate.
Pruning at the Wrong Time: Cutting back primocanes of summer-bearing varieties in fall means no fruit next year.
Making Ragged Cuts: Use sharp tools. Crushed or torn stems are open doors for pests and disease.
Leaning Stubs: Always cut flush to the ground or to a bud. Tall stubs left behind will die and rot.
Forgetting to Thin: Leaving to many canes competes for resources. Be brave and remove the extras for bigger berries.

What to Do With the Prunings

Never leave the cut canes in the patch. They can harbor fungal spores and insect eggs. Dispose of them in your green waste bin or burn them if local regulations allow. Do not compost them unless you have a very hot compost system, as diseases can survive.

Aftercare Following Pruning

Once you’ve pruned, a little care goes a long way.

Feed: Apply a balanced organic fertilizer or compost around the base of plants in early spring.
Mulch: Add a 2-3 inch layer of straw or wood chips to supress weeds and retain moisture.
Water: Provide consistent water, especially when fruit is developing and during dry spells.
Support: Use a trellis or post-and-wire system to keep canes upright and make harvesting easier.

FAQ: Your Raspberry Pruning Questions Answered

How do you prune raspberry bushes for winter?

For summer-bearing types, you should have already removed the old canes in summer. In winter, just ensure remaining canes are tied to supports. For everbearers managed for one fall crop, you prune all canes to the ground in late winter.

What is the difference between summer and autumn fruiting raspberry pruning?

Autumn-fruiting (everbearing) raspberries fruit on new canes. You can cut them all down in spring. Summer-fruiting raspberries fruit on last year’s canes, so you must only remove the old ones that have fruited, preserving the new ones.

Can I prune raspberries in the fall?

You can remove the old, spent canes of summer-bearing raspberries in late summer/early fall after harvest. For major structural pruning, however, late winter is often better as you can see the health of all canes after winter damage.

How short should you cut raspberry canes?

When removing old canes, cut them flush to the soil line. When tipping or heading back canes in spring for height control, cut them to a manageable 4-5 feet, just above a healthy bud.

Mastering how to prune raspberry canes is a yearly ritual that ensures your plants stay vigorous and fruitful. It might feel drastic the first time you cut healthy-looking canes down, but trust the process. With each snip, you’re directing the plant’s energy into producing plump, juicy berries just for you. Grab your pruners, identify your raspberry type, and give them the trim they deserve. Your future self will thank you come harvest time.