Sue Sanderson – our horticulturist expert
Sue Says
The main way to find out would be to wait and see whether they fruit in the summer or the autumn. Another indicator is that many autumn fruiting raspberry canes are more self supporting than summer fruiting varieties with shorter, sturdier canes. Summer fruiting raspberries fruit on fresh shoots that develop from last years stems, whereas autumn fruiting raspberries produce their fruit on new stems that grow from the base of the plant this year.
If fruit is beginning to develop in June then they are probably summer fruiting canes and you should prune them as soon as the fruit has been harvested around the end of July. Cut back all of the old stems to about 7cm (3) above ground level, leaving just this years new stems which can be tied in to your trellis and grown on for next years crop.
If they fruit towards the end of the summer and into autumn then they will be an autumn fruiting variety and you can prune all stems back to 7cm (3) above ground level in February.
