But unlike blackberries, black raspberries will come away from the central rasp, or white plug.

Jul 31, Prune raspberry bushes in late winter or early spring. With both types of red raspberries, the canes die shortly after they are done bearing fruit.

The canes that are past their prime are rough and woody in appearance. New canes have green stems, while the second-year canes Estimated Reading Time: 9 mins. Jan 24, On the bright side, pruning red raspberries only has to be done once or twice a year.

This simple task encourages new growth, promotes fruit production, reduces the potential for disease and makes it easier to pick the fruit. Neglecting your patch allows canes to grow too dense, which inhibits fruit from growing%(94).

Set up the proper trellis.

For summer-bearing (floricane) red, yellow, black, and purple raspberries: March- For red and yellow raspberries, cut canes back to feet tall before growth begins. March- For black and purple raspberries, cut side branches back to inches; prune all but 4 to 5 canes per hill to the ground.