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Fruit & Orchards

Caroline raspberry plants in pots, what to prune?

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

Hello, these are my 5 potted Caroline raspberry plants. They have been in the garage all winter in the dark. As you can see in the pictures, there are brand new tiny stalks coming up from the dirt, and there are also tiny buds growing on some of the thick stalks that have bark.

1) Can someone please tell me what to cut if this needs to be done?

2) What does this do for the plant?

3) When should I cut?

4) When should I put these pots back in the sun? I believe I am in zone (7a), Suffolk, Long Island, NY.

5) I believe I have read that a 10-10-10 fertilizer is adequate, is that correct? When should I apply and how often?

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Comments (12)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
7 years ago
There's nothing on those to cut. They are very etiolated and light deprived and need all their foliage to recover. Get them out into the light outside in a sheltered spot until they are hardened off enough to go into the sun.
tye22tye
Original Author
7 years ago
Is this normal, or did I do something wrong?

What exactly do you mean by "hardened off enough"? Are you talking about waiting for the new stalks to grow bark?

I assume the new stalks will die if taken into the sun now?
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myk1; I kinda half-way wondered about that too, which is why I mentioned it - thinking someone may want to comment on that aspect of my pre-planting preperation. I've been trying to discount that in my own mind though by thinking that they say once Roundup hits the dirt it's done. The stuff I used was not target specific like poison ivy or anything, but it was the good stuff, like 46% or something like that. Then I thought, well..., Roundup is sometimes slow to show effects on broam, maybe 7-10 days, but then you have a good idea you hit it good and in a couple weeks it'll look like scorched earth. That these plants have been in 40 days, can it be that even Roundup would take that long to have an effect, and wouldn't it be getting 'em all? (I wish I hadn't said that...)But then again mostly Roundup is sprayed directly on leaves, so if there is any residual in-the-root action going on I wouldn't know that so maybe it would take longer to show an effect on my raspberries if it's first contact is with a root system somehow... Then I reasoned that heck, I placed a mound of new humus and topsoil that's made my planting bed maybe 5" or so higher than the original soil grade level, and that my understanding is that Raspberries are shallow rooted. I took care to not plant them too deep, etc. But I don't know I may just be trying to convince myself that I didn't doom my plants from the get-go! Do you have any thoughts on the tiny skinny little multi leged gray/brown worm things? I was just out there and noticed every plant had about on average 10 dead ones laying around them as a result of me spraying them earlier. Thanks!
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Wow- that's an insane yield. I've actually got about the same amount planted (~80' of several types), with far lower yields. I planted 5 Caroline last spring (Rolling River) and got about a dozen berries in late June (they were on the plants when I got them potted from CA). Then, in September I got a light crop from the primocanes. I got a very light crop earlier this summer. Over the last 2 weeks, they've started their fall crop. I get about 6-10 berries every few days. I'd love to be able to describe how many quarts I'm getting, but the most I ever collect is a handful, which I often bring in for the kids to devour. That was the fate of the berries pictured below (though those are Prelude, not Caroline, along with Anne and Prime Jan). But, this has pretty much been the case for all the raspberries I've grown so far. I think it has to do with the weed pressure. I've been much more successful in keeping the weeds down with Triple Crown blackberries, as they come from central clumps and I can mulch the heck out of the rest (they also form an impenetrable canopy). I haven't been able to keep the weeds down without killing the raspberries (doesn't kill all, but I don't get many canes breaking through) and not mulching leads to weed patches with low yields. It's actually crossed my mind to take some out and put in more fruit trees as at least then I can just dump lots of wood chips on the area...I'll probably give it another year and try to find a mulch which works- I read old leaves could be an option. Pine bark fines may also stay loose enough for the berries to break through.
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theforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)
7 years ago
To be honest, they didn't need to be taken into your garage for the winter. They would have done just fine outside in the pots and you wouldn't be dealing with weak, light depraved sprouts right now.

Hardening off means that you take a tender plant and gradually expose it to outdoor conditions. If you put your plants in full sun right now you will burn the leaves. If you leave them in wind too long the leaves can dry out. So you need to acclimate them slowly.

Rodney
Francesco Delvillani
7 years ago
Don't cut anything..
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
7 years ago
No, it's not normal. As Rodney explained, raspberries don't need to come inside in the winter. That's why you have that pale straggly growth. They were too warm so they tried to grow. But they didn't have enough light ergo pale thin stems. Take them outside for an hour or so then increase the time outdoors each day until they are out there all day and all night. The leaves will green up and the stems will become more robust. Don't cut anything off. They can't afford to lose any food making machines ie leaves.
tye22tye
Original Author
7 years ago
Ok thank you everyone for the advice.

@ Floral, I just wanted be clear that the plants were in an "unheated" garage all winter in case this changes anything. I see that you had stated that the plants were "too warm".
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
7 years ago
They must still have been warmer than outside because the plants started trying to grow. If stored in a dark place they need to be completely dormant or they end up like yours have. This is a plant which can cope with, and indeed requires, low temperatures in its dormant state. Lower than the mid 40s.
tye22tye
Original Author
7 years ago
Hey everyone. I had them on the porch for a week not in direct sunlight until they started looking better. I put them in the sun a few days ago all day and they look fully revived. Thanks everyone for your help.

Can someone please tell me how and when to fertilized? How often? I heard a 10-10-10?
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
7 years ago
Well done. Any chance of a new photo to encourage us?

Sorry I can't help with fertiliser question. I don't grow in containers and never fertilise anything.
tye22tye
Original Author
7 years ago
Absolutely. I meant to take some. I will report back.
tye22tye
Original Author
7 years ago
Here they are! Now that they seem to be on their way, one of my original questions was if I should prune the old cane. I have read that this is good to do. I assume it is the cane that is thickest with no green new leaves growing. When do you think is a good time to do this?
floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
7 years ago
Those look much happier. The old cane is completely dead so it doesn't matter when you cut it out.

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