Heritage raspberries, often called fall-bearing or everbearing varieties, require a specific pruning strategy that differs significantly from traditional summer-bearing types. These plants produce fruit on canes in their first year of growth, offering flexibility in harvest scheduling. Annual pruning manages this two-year cane cycle to maximize the quantity and quality of berries. By understanding the plant’s life cycle, a grower can choose the optimal method to achieve either a single, large fall harvest or two distinct crops per season.
Understanding the Growth Cycle of Heritage Raspberries
Heritage raspberries grow on biennial canes, meaning each cane lives for two years before dying. First-year canes, known as primocanes, emerge from the root system and grow vigorously throughout the spring and summer. Unlike summer-bearing varieties, Heritage primocanes produce fruit at their tips in the late summer or fall of their first year.
Once the fall crop is finished, the fruited portion of the cane dies back, but the lower part survives the winter. This overwintered cane is now called a floricane, which produces a second, smaller crop lower down its length the following summer. After this summer crop is harvested, the entire floricane dies to the ground, completing its life cycle. Major dormant pruning should occur in late winter or early spring, typically between February and March, before new growth begins.
Annual Pruning: The Single-Crop Method
The single-crop method focuses on maximizing the fall harvest. This strategy eliminates the smaller summer crop in favor of a larger, concentrated yield in autumn. This method is preferred because it streamlines maintenance and results in a greater volume of high-quality fruit.
To execute this, all raspberry canes—both floricanes and primocanes—must be cut down to the ground during the dormant period in late winter. Canes should be severed within two or three inches of the soil surface using sharp loppers or hedge trimmers. This pruning forces the plant to dedicate energy to producing new primocanes.
Every new shoot emerging in the spring will be a first-year primocane, destined to produce berries that fall. This yearly clean-slate approach minimizes disease risk and simplifies patch management. The single, abundant harvest typically begins around late August or early September and continues until the first hard frost.
Pruning for Dual Harvest: The Two-Crop Method
The two-crop method provides two separate harvests, one in summer and one in fall. This technique involves selectively pruning only the spent parts of the canes in late winter to encourage a second fruiting cycle. The first step is identifying the floricanes, which are the canes that fruited on their tips the previous fall.
In late winter, remove only the dead tips of these floricanes, cutting back just above the highest healthy bud. The remaining lower portion of the cane will branch out and produce the summer crop, usually in June or July. Leave the new, unfruited primocanes untouched, as they will produce the later fall crop.
Once the summer crop is finished, cut the spent floricanes completely down to the ground. This mid-summer removal improves air circulation and directs energy toward the developing primocanes for fall production. This dual-crop strategy provides a longer harvest window but often results in two smaller yields.
Cane Thinning and Trellising
Regardless of the pruning method, cane thinning ensures optimal light penetration and air circulation. In late winter or early spring, after the main pruning, select only the thickest, most vigorous canes to remain. Remove all weak, spindly, or damaged canes entirely, cutting them flush with the soil.
The ideal density for maximum yield is to leave four to six strong canes per linear foot of row. This spacing prevents overcrowding, allowing sunlight to reach lower leaves and speeding up the drying of foliage. Heritage raspberry canes are tall and can become heavy with fruit, causing them to flop over, which reduces berry quality and makes harvesting difficult.
Trellising
Providing support through trellising is recommended for these varieties. A simple T-trellis or a double-wire system can be installed by running parallel wires along the row at heights of approximately three and five feet. The canes are then gently tucked or tied between these wires. This keeps them upright, organizes the row for easier picking, and ensures the fruit remains clean and well-exposed.