COBURG, Ore. – Spring sunshine has gardeners thinking about their raspberry patches, and experts say now is the perfect time to prune and prepare for a big harvest.
Chelsea Deffenbacher joined Caleb Johnson at Johnson Brothers Garden Market in Coburg to tackle an overgrown raspberry patch. The goal was to clean up old growth and set the plants up for maximum fruit production this season.
Johnson said neglected patches often have brittle, broken canes that need to be completely removed. But not all canes should go. Woody canes that are leafing out will produce the main summer crop of raspberries and should be kept.
“That’s going to be your main crop of raspberries is going to come from that cane this year,” Johnson said.
He recommended pruning wild branches that grow out too far or staking them back. Overgrown patches make it hard to pick berries and can lead to fruit rotting on the ground.
Johnson said to prune old canes as low as possible to clear space. Once the dead wood is removed, gardeners can lightly prune the canes they want to keep. That opens up room for new growth coming from the ground, which will produce fall berries.
New shoots typically grow upward on their own if there’s enough light and a staking system in place. But Johnson said some shoots may need to be tied or attached if they flop over.
For the best yield, Johnson recommended fertilizing in early spring as plants wake up and again in mid-summer when they start setting fruit. Deep watering also helps energize the root system and push out new growth and fruit.
Chelsea Deffenbacher joined KEZI 9 News as a morning news anchor and reporter in January of 2024. If you have a story idea for Chelsea, you can email her at: chelseadeffenbacher@kezi.com.
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