The Very Best Way To Prune Your Black Raspberry Plant

Pruning is an important part of caring for any raspberry plants. Black raspberry plants (Rubus occidentalis), which grow in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9, spread quickly, but that doesn't necessarily mean a larger plant will produce more fruit. For that, you will need to cut back old canes to train your bushes to be healthier and hardier. Luckily, the process is relatively simple. It just takes a bit of knowledge and careful practice.

For black raspberry plants, there are actually two types of pruning you will want to be aware of: Regular pruning and tipping. Regular pruning is generally done to all raspberry plants between fruiting seasons to remove old canes that no longer produce fruit. Tipping, however, is specific to black raspberry plants and a select few other bramble varieties. Both types of pruning are necessary to produce the best fruiting results.

Tipping and regular pruning should be done at different times to promote healthy fruit growth. This is different from red raspberry plants, which is part of why you don't want to grow multiple raspberry varieties in the same patch. You don't need to do any pruning during the first year, but you can tip to promote outward growth after the plant is over 30 inches high. However, once they bear fruit, it's time to prep your pruning shears. Regular pruning is done when the fruit is done bearing fruit and before the following season, usually at the beginning of winter or in early spring. Tipping, on the other hand, is done during the summer.

After the plant is done fruiting, usually sometime after August (although you can wait until winter when the leaves have also died), you will remove the old canes completely, leaving the healthy canes for the next season. This prevents the plant from spreading canes that will no longer produce fruit. In the spring, usually sometime in March, you will cut back the side branches to train for new growth. In the summer, you will tip the branches a few times, usually in July and August.

To properly prune your raspberries to ensure a juicy harvest, you will want to start by gathering the appropriate equipment. Just like any other bramble plant, the canes have sharp thorns, so you will want to make sure you have protection. Long sleeves and pants are essential, along with gloves. Use quality pruning shears that are freshly sharpened to help prevent plant disease.

For winter pruning, cut down the canes that are a faded, almost grey color, all the way to the ground. These are the old canes. Then, for the darker purple canes, select the best 3 to 6 canes to keep and remove the rest. Trim the selected canes down to about 12 to 15 inches. In the spring, you will prune again, but this time, cut the side branches down to somewhere between 12 and 18 inches in length.

Finally, tipping. In the summer, cut a few inches (around 3 inches total) off the top of the plant. The first tipping should be done when the plant is between 2 and 3 feet tall. Repeat the process after a few months when the plant recovers its height.