What shall I do with raspberry bushes?

Question

I have a few raspberry bushes which fruited this year on straggly looking canes. Meanwhile big strong canes have grown up which did not bear fruit, rather like the wild 'stock' shoots from a rose tree. Shall I prune it all back? Also, what happens to mint when it has produced purple flower tips at the end?

Answer 1

Raseberry bushes..
The berrys come on the previous years grown canes. Next year the new strong canes you decribed will have all the berrys on them..Raseberry bushes are like taking care of flowers. once they have produced berries cut the little flowerett part off that had all the berries , it will make the plant keep producing more berries. in the spring of next year go in and cut back all of the old dead canes and remove them and the new ones will go crazy producing fruit for you. remember to keep trimming the old floweretts where fruit was and you should have a very good crop of raseberries.. and they spread so if you want new plants.. pull down the canes and cover with some dirt and it will root where you covered it then at the end of next year or when ever you see new shoots and stuff comeing from it you can clip away from the original plant and dig the new plant up and plant it where you want it..
also it is fine to trim bush if it gets to wild and straggely.. won't hurt it.
good luck and hope you get lots of berries.

Answer 2

Raspberries don't grow on old (last years) canes. If you prune the canes after they've finished fruiting and give them plenty of compost/manure then the new canes will grow strong and produce good fruit. Because the old canes are so woody and thorny it is tradional to burn them. The ash, added to compost gives a boost to the potash content of the compost.

Mint is a perenniel that will survive after flowering. If you are used to using the mint in recipes it is often better to remove the flowers before they open. This will stop the plant from putting a lot of energy into flower production. After flowering, the leaves on those stalks that had the flowers on tend to be a bit woody and are not as good for cooking.

Answer 3

Cut out to the ground all fruited raspberry canes as they fruit on new ones. Leave the canes that have grown and not born fruit. As with all flowering plants(mint), once they have flowered prune off the flower to prevent it going to seed and reducing the strength of the plant (energy is put into producing the seed)

Answer 4

Raspberries grow on new growth so cut down fruited canes and you are ready for next year

Answer 5

yes prune it hard and get rid of the obvious suckers , as for your mint once the flowers drop off you'll have a lot more mint as they self seed

Answer 6

Yes, you have to prune it. Let it be, it smells beautifuly.I like it so much.But you didn't cut it to use it later for tea?(the mint i mean, and the leaves of the rasberry are good for tea-dried, of course-)

Answer 7

Here is quite the tutorial for organic bramble patches

Basically your berries

Answer 8

dom't prune it... i think its better ya eat themm...haha