How to Manage Pests

Pruning caneberries

General pruning guidelines for semierect or erect blackberries:
Other than removing any broken canes or roots, little pruning is done in the first year, though plants should be trellised as soon as the canes are long enough to reach the trellis wire. After the first year, pruning is done twice a year. The first pruning is in the winter. At this time, the lower side branches that are below the lower wire are removed. The laterals at the top of the trellis should be headed back to 12 to 15 inches. This will promote larger fruit by removing excess fruit wood. The next pruning is done just after the harvest. After harvest those canes that have born fruit are removed by cutting them down to the ground. During the spring and early summer though, replacement canes are growing out of the crown. These new canes are gently bundled off to the side, where they will continue to grow until the harvest is complete. After the harvest, the new canes that were growing from the base are trellised by wrapping them around the top wire and back down to the bottom wire in a fan shape.

Pruning raspberries:
On summer-bearing varieties, prune out spent fruiting canes any time after harvest. Keep 10 to 12 of the healthiest new canes and tie them to the top trellis. Late during the following winter, tie canes or wrap in a semicircle. This forces the lateral branches to grow in at a convenient height. In April, remove the first flush of new vigorous canes by cutting back when the growth is 7 to 10 inches high. New canes will develop shortly thereafter. This practice increases yield. For fall-bearing raspberries, remove the top half of the canes after fruiting, or remove the entire cane to the ground. If you leave half of the cane, you will get a summer crop the following June. If you remove the whole cane, you get only one crop in the fall, which is the preferred crop.