- 1). Cut back raspberry canes that produced berries all the way to the ground once the last of the raspberries has been produced and picked. This helps prevent the spread of disease or infestations of insects. It also encourages the plant to produce more next season. Always use freshly cleaned hand pruning shears or lopers. This will prevent disease. Wash your cutting tool well if you use it to prune back diseased canes.
- 2). Do not cut back or prune canes that didn't produce berries in the current season. Doing so will prevent them from bearing fruit next year.
- 3). Prune back any canes that produce a second set of flowers after the plant's main growing season. The berries that develop from these flowers rarely develop fully and are prone to mold. If you cut such canes back, it will prevent the spread of this mold, which can affect next summer's production.
- 4). Prune off extensively long canes after the plant's fruit-bearing season, trimming them to a manageable size. If possible, cut off only the first foot or so of such canes. This makes damaging the plant less likely.
- 5). Cut off any foliage that doesn't fall off during the cool weather, after the plant has produced fruit. This helps prevent diseases like mildew and mold, and makes the raspberry plant a less hospitable place for pests.
- 6). Cut back all canes to about four feet in late January or early February.
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