Gardening Tips: Unruly Raspberries

AS OUR SUMMER STARTS TO REALLY WARM UP, WE NOW NEED TO THINK ABOUT RASPBERRY PLANTS AND THE PROPER PREPARATIONS FOR THE REST OF THE GROWING SEASON.

TONIGHT ON GARDENING TIPS WE GIVE YOU SOME NEW IDEAS TO PREPARE PROPERLY.

"UNRULY RASPBERRIES ARE EASIER TO HANDLE THAN A BAD HAIR DAY.

YOU JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE PLANT GROWS.

MY NAME IS JULIE RILEY WITH THE UAF COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE, AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE RASPBERRY PLANT AND LITTLE BIT ABOUT PRUNING.

NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO PRUNE, BUT IT IS A GOOD TIME TO ASSESS WHAT YOUR PATCH LOOKS LIKE.

I'M OVER HERE AT UNIVERSITY PARK WITH MIKE SHULTZ AND WE HAVE RASPBERRIES THAT ARE GOING TO BE LOADED.

THIS IS A "FRUITING CANE.

RASPBERRIES ARE BIENNIAL, THEY PRODUCE BERRIES ON TWO YEAR OLD WOOD!

SO ALL THE CANES THAT HAVE RASPBERRIES THIS YEAR AFTER YOU HAVE HARVESTED, THEY'RE DONE.

AND THEY NEED TO BE PRUNED BACK IN ORDER TO MAKE FUN OR NEXT YEARS CROP.

SO HOW DO YOU KNOW?

WELL LOOK AT THESE BABIES, THESE ARE THE ONE YEAR OLD PRIMAL CANES. LOOK AT HOW TALL AND STRAIGHT AND STOUT, THEY ARE NOT BRANCHED, AND THIS IS GOING TO GIVE YOU YOUR BERRIES IN 2019.

SO WHEN YOU ATART TO PRUNE, YOU DO THE EASY THINGS FIRST,

GET RID OF ANYTHING THAT IS DEAD OR DAMAGED, AND WE'LL DO THAT RIGHT NOW. I'VE GOT MY LOPPERS HERE. THIS IS THE RIGHT TOOL.

WE GO RIGHT DOWN TO THE BASE, AND TAKE OFF ANYTHING THAT IS NOT DEAD OR IS NOT GOING TO BE FRUITFUL.

ONLY FOUR TO FIVE CANES PER SQUARE FOOT. THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS WANT ENOUGH ROOM FOR NEW CANES TO GROW FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

I'M JULIE RILEY, JOIN ME NEXT WEEK WHE WE WILL BE DIVIDING OUR NATIVE WILD IRIS.

GARDENING TIPS IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY MIDNIGHT SUN FAMILY MEDICINE, A PROUD PARTNER OF MOMS EVERYDAY.