Blackberries and Raspberries have the same growth and fruiting habits. The perennial root system survives many years while the top growth, canes, are biennial, living only two years.
Primocanes are the first-year’s canes. They are typically green and for most varieties, do not set fruit. The second year these canes have a thin, brown bark and are called “floricanes”. Floricanes fruit and then die. Each year new primocanes develop so the berry plant has both primocanes and floricanes present after being established.
Tipping, or pinching off the top two to three inches of primocanes encourages branching (lateral growth) and can increase fruiting yields by three to five times the following year. Everbearing berry plants do produce fruit on the primocanes and should be pruned differently than the traditional plants that do not fruit on the first year’s growth.
Blackberries: Traditional – Tip at 4 feet
Blackberries (everbearing) – Tip at 25 to 30 inches high. Laterals are also tipped when they reach 25 to 30 inches
Black Raspberries – Tip at 3 feet
Purple Raspberries – Tip at 36 to 40 inches
Red Raspberries – Do not tip
(Cynthia Domenghini)
Primocanes are the first-year’s canes. They are typically green and for most varieties, do not set fruit. The second year these canes have a thin, brown bark and are called “floricanes”. Floricanes fruit and then die. Each year new primocanes develop so the berry plant has both primocanes and floricanes present after being established.
Tipping, or pinching off the top two to three inches of primocanes encourages branching (lateral growth) and can increase fruiting yields by three to five times the following year. Everbearing berry plants do produce fruit on the primocanes and should be pruned differently than the traditional plants that do not fruit on the first year’s growth.
Blackberries: Traditional – Tip at 4 feet
Blackberries (everbearing) – Tip at 25 to 30 inches high. Laterals are also tipped when they reach 25 to 30 inches
Black Raspberries – Tip at 3 feet
Purple Raspberries – Tip at 36 to 40 inches
Red Raspberries – Do not tip
(Cynthia Domenghini)
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