|Red raspberries should be allowed to produce long, unbranched canes rather than branched canes like the black and purple varieties. The new canes are, therefore, unpruned during their first season's growth. At the start of the second season, they are topped to a height that will permit them to support themselves and keep the fruit off the ground. If the plants are supported by stakes or a wire trellis, they can be pruned to permit more fruiting wood.|
The old canes die after the crop is matured and they should be removed as early as possible in order to remove sources of disease.
KP, from WA, entered 1999-12-14