How to Cut Back Raspberry Bushes

A thriving raspberry bush can produce pints and quarts of ripe raspberries in a single growing season. When left unmaintained, however, that same raspberry bush quickly grows out of control, making picking the ripe raspberries difficult, as the thorns on dead and unproductive canes may block the fruits of productive ones. Luckily, you can recover your plant by using pruners in the fall to cut back raspberry bushes, giving you a fresh start for the following year.

Hand pruners

Plant ties

Trellis, if desired

Wait until you harvest all berries from your bushes before cutting back the plant in the fall or winter.

Look over the plant to note two kinds of canes sticking up from the ground: first year canes that are green in color and tender, and second year or older canes that appear reddish brown and woody. Very old canes are brownish-gray and brittle.

Trace each of the older canes down to ground level where they emerge from the soil. Use hand pruners to clip horizontally across the base of the old canes one at a time, and then pull them from the bush area.

Clip off the old canes until all that remains of the raspberry bush are the new, green canes that are in their first year of growth. Discard or safely burn the removed canes.

Tie plant ties around the base of the remaining canes, if desired, to mark them for next year's pruning or mount a trellis behind the raspberry plant and tie the canes to the trellis. In the following year, cut back any canes that are attached to the trellis and tie the new growth to it.

If your variety of raspberry is a black raspberry, cut each plant to a single stem 2 feet tall with branches trimmed to 8 inches long.

Wear protective clothing and gloves when working with raspberry bushes.