Quote:
Originally Posted by FarmerShawn
IThe second year, after the canes have borne fruit, they will die. That is what you must prune out, as well as thin the new canes that have emerged. It's that late summer, early fall pruning chore that is a hard one for me to get done. I just don't seem to have enough time at that time of year. Even so, the recommended life span of a berry patch is short, I think about five years, and mine has been there for almost forty. Shawn
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My berries start ripening in early July. I didn't know pruning is usually done in the early fall. I've always done my pruning about this time of year while the plants are dormant, just as the last of the snow is melting. It is much easier to pick out the old dead canes which have turned white after the winter, and see the weakest new canes to prune out.
My patch was a wild thicket at the edge of the woods that the previous owner cleaned up and cultivated. She said she started thinning and pruning them when they moved in in 1999, and they've been bearing beautifully for me ever since I moved in 10 years ago. I don't spray or mulch, but will throw a little 5-10-10 on after pruning. I've never seen a disease on them yet.