SP 284-G
Berries
(Available online only.)
Pruning and Training
Caneberries (Blackberries
and Raspberries)
David W. Lockwood, Professor, Plant Sciences
"Caneberries" is a new term being used to replace from buds formed in leaf axils during the primocane year.
"brambles" when discussing blackberries and raspberries and Following fruiting, the floricane will die back to the crown
hybrids of the two. Brambles denotes the presence of thorns or (Diagram 1). In an established planting, both primocanes and
prickles on a plant, and, since most new blackberry introductions floricanes will be present in a planting. There are some
are thornless, it is no longer appropriate. Caneberries may be blackberry and raspberry varieties that will bear fruit on the
thorned or thornless, erect, semi-erect (semi-trailing) or trailing primocane in late summer and fall. These are referred to as
in growth habit. In Tennessee, both erect and semi-erect primocane bearing, everbearing or fall-bearing varieties.
varieties are commonly grown, but trailing varieties are seldom They will be discussed later in this fact sheet.
seen.
Pruning and training are distinctly different operations, yet
Proper pruning and training of canberries require
they are often used together to achieve a desired effect. Pruning
knowledge of their growth and fruiting habits. The root system
refers to making cuts or canes to promote growth in certain areas,
and crown of caneberries are perennial, meaning that they will
to adjust crop load, to increase fruit quality, and to remove
live many years, whereas the canes are biennial, meaning that
unhealthy or dead canes. Training involves positioning canes to
they have a two-year lifespan. The first year of this two-year life
increase sunlight penetration, air movement and spray coverage
cycle is called the "primocane year." During the primocane
throughout the canopy. It also is used to make cultural practices,
year, new canes arise from buds at the base of existing canes, the
such as harvesting, easier. Trellising is a good example of
crown or the roots depending on the type of canberry being
training. Together, pruning and training have many positive
grown. Growth during the primocane year is vegetative. During
the second year, called the "floricane" year, the canes will flower effects on yields, fruit quality, pest control and ease of
and fruit on short shoots, called "fruiting laterals," which arise management.
1
In a new planting, pruning is used to enhance plant canes is very important. Weak canes should be pruned out as
survival and growth. Training is used to support new they develop, and the row should be kept narrow, about 12 to 18
primocanes, especially with semi-erect varieties. In subsequent inches in width at the base, to prevent excess shading within the
years, proper pruning can lessen pest problems by removal of canopy.
diseased, insect-infested canes and dead canes. Various training
systems focus on separating primocanes from floricanes, making
harvest and subsequent floricane removal easier. Light Summer pruning (subsequent years):
distribution, air movement and spray penetration throughout the After the first year, a planting will have both new
canopy will be better where good pruning and training practices primocane growth and floricanes. Primocanes should be pruned
are employed. Total yields and fruit quality will both be as previously described. In the spring, floricanes will develop
enhanced in a well-managed planing. short-fruiting laterals that will bloom and form berries. Following
harvest, floricanes will die back to the ground. They should be
removed from the planting before the onset of growth the
At planting: following spring. Floricane removal shortly after harvest is easier
New plants may be started from 1-year-old transplants, and less damaging to developing primocanes than it would be
root sections or tissue-cultured plug plants. New canes on semi- later. Also, removal following harvest may lessen disease
erect trailing blackberries, black and purple raspberries arise carryover in the planting. Floricanes should be cut off close to
primarily from buds at the base of canes or from crown buds, ground level so that new primocanes will develop from buds on
whereas new canes on red and yellow raspberries and erect healthy tissue at or below the soil line. Prunings should be
blackberries arise from buds on the roots. After planting 1-year- removed from the planting.
old transplants, the stem section should be removed to force new
growth from buds on the crown or roots (Diagram 2).
Dormant pruning:
Summer pruning (first year): If not already done, floricanes should be removed. In late
For floricane-fruiting varieties, all canes will be winter, lateral branches of blackberries should be pruned back to
primocanes the first summer, and no fruit production should be about 18 inches in length for strong canes and 12 inches in length
expected. Even with erect and semi-erect blackberry varieties, for moderately strong canes. For raspberries, prune lateral
canes are apt to have a trailing habit of growth. They will become branches back to about 8 to 10 inches in length. Lateral branches
more erect in subsequent years. within 12 to 18 inches of the ground should be removed entirely.
All caneberries, including erect-growing varieties, appear Heading laterals will not decrease yields since most fruit will be
to show an increase in fruit yields and quality when a trellis is borne near the basal part of the laterals, and heading tends to
used to support and position canes. Trellis designs can vary from increase fruit size. Thin canes to about 4 to 6 per linear foot of
simple, upright ones using a lower and upper wire, to "V" or "Y" row. Weak, low-growing canes should also be removed at this
trellises where floricanes are positioned on one or both sides of time as they will bear few fruit and fruit quality will be inferior.
the trellis, and the primocanes are allowed to grow vertically in
the center of the trellis to rotating trellises that are turned Primocane-Bearing Caneberries
following bloom to position all developing fruit on one side of Primocane-bearing caneberries can be managed for a fall
the canopy. crop only or for a fall crop on the primocanes and then a summer
With the vertical "V" and "Y" trellises, the primocane is crop on the floricanes. The decision regarding which way to
allowed to grow until it surpasses its desired height by 4 to 6 manage them is based somewhat on the type of the caneberry and
inches. At this time, the primocane is tipped which stops upward the goals of the grower.
growth, stiffens the cane and encourages the development of A primocane will grow throughout the early and middle
lateral branches. More lateral branches translate to higher yields parts of the growing season. Fruit buds will be initiated in the
during the floricane year (Diagram 3). Since primocanes begin upper one-third to one-half of the primocane, and fruiting will
growth at different times during the summer and grow at occur in the latter part of summer and in the fall. This section of
different rates, several trips through the planting to head the primocane will then die back. If the canes are left in the field,
primocanes should be made. Heading primocanes while they are floricane fruiting will occur on the lower part of the canes in
still succulent and relatively small in diameter means that the early summer and then the rest of the cane will die.
cuts will heal more quickly than larger cuts, thus lessening the
potential for cane blight to develop. Primocanes should be Several red- and yellow-fruited raspberry varieties are
loosely secured to trellis wires. primocane fruiting. In many cases, growers decide to grow these
raspberries for the fall crop only, since the fall crop is the larger
Canes of vigorous erect or semi-erect blackberries should of the two. With primocane fruiting blackberry varieties, the
be topped between 48 and 60 inches aboveground. Less vigorous decision regarding fall cropping only is strongly influenced by
varieties should be topped at about 36 to 40 inches in height. climate. In cooler regions, the primocane crop is fairly large, and
Black raspberry primocanes should be topped about 24 to 30 the economics involved in maintaining the planting might be in
inches in height while purple raspberries should be topped about favor of growing for the fall crop only. However, in warmer
30 to 36 inches in height. Red- and yellow-fruited raspberry areas, the primocane crop is not that large, so the canes are
primocanes should not be topped. A support system for these retained for the floricane crop the following year.
2
When growing for the primocane crop only, primocanes a 12-gauge galvanized wire down the row on each side of the
are allowed to grow and fruit. Canes are then mowed to the crossarm. Position canes between the wires and either loosely
ground during winter, and the entire sequence of primocane tie them to the wires or hold them in place using clips between
growth and fruiting is repeated. Significant savings in pruning the wires.
costs are recognized with this type of system. Control of certain A double cross-arm trellis (Diagram 8) uses a 12- to
diseases can be accomplished through pruning. By mowing 18-inch crossarm at 3 feet and at 5 feet above ground. Wires
down the planting and removing the residue, disease that may should extend down the row on each side of both crossarms.
move from floricanes to primocanes will be eliminated since
Canes should be positioned between crossarms as they grow.
there will never be any primocanes. With raspberries, mowing
the planting down results in a larger primocane crop since there A temporary trellis designed similar to the single or
will be no fruiting stress on plants early in the summer. double crossarm trellis can be used in primocane-bearing
caneberries being grown for the fall crop only. Holes should be
If growing for both the primocane and the floricane crop,
dug 3 feet deep about every 25 feet down the row and lined
the sequence of pruning cuts will be similar to those of a
with a piece of plastic pipe. In midsummer, insert posts 8 feet
floricane-fruiting variety with one exception. Pruning off the
in length in the holes. Attach 18-inch long crossarms at 30 and
dead portion of the primocane following fruiting may lessen
60 inches above ground. Use a heavy twine instead of wire
disease carryover from one year to the next and will make the
down the sides of the crossarms to contain the canes. Following
planting easier to work and more attractive. Diagram 5 shows
harvest and before new primocane growth begins in spring,
the pruning operations involved in a primocane-only fruiting
remove the twine and the posts to permit mowing down the
program (Diagram 5A) versus the pruning operations in a
entire planting (Diagram 9).
floricane-fruiting variety (Diagram 5B).
Trellising Caneberries Diagrams 1-9
Support systems (trellises) perform several important
functions. They minimize cane damage and crop loss to wind Cane Growth — Fruit bud Formation —— Bloom — Fruiting — Cane Death
and make operations such as pruning and harvesting easier.
Light relationships throughout the canopy are better with a Primocane (First Year) Floricane (Second Year)
trellis than without, thus increasing the potential for high-
quality fruit and reduced disease potential. Yields on a
supported system may be higher and more accessible than with Diagram 1. Biennial life cycle of a bramble cane*
* excluding everbearing types
a non-supported system.
There are several good trellis systems. The two that are
outlined are relatively easy to construct and maintain:
The two-wire vertical trellis is very similar to the
kniffin system used with grapes. Posts are set about 20 to 25
feet apart. The size of the end posts should be based on the
length of the row. They need to be set deeper, have
supplemental anchors and be larger posts than line posts since
all wire tensioning is done from the end posts. The function of
the line posts is to hold the trellis wires at a certain height
aboveground. Trellis wires should be strong enough and tight
enough to avoid sagging as this will affect light relationships
within the canopy. End posts should be at least 8 feet long, with
2 feet in the ground. Line posts should be about 7 feet long with
1 1/2 feet in the ground. Use 12-gauge galvanized wire for the
upper trellis wire, which should be about 5 feet off the ground
for blackberries. For the lower wire, 14-gauge galvanized wire
positioned 3 feet off the ground should provide good early
support for canes. Fan out primocanes on the wires and tie them
loosely to the wire. Top the primocanes during the growing
season once they get about 4 to 6 inches higher than desired Diagram 2. Head the rooted cutting just above the
(Diagram 6). ground line to force bud break from crown buds.
A single cross-arm trellis (Diagram 7) appears to work
well with red raspberries. Posts are set about 20 to 25 feet apart.
They should extend above ground about 5 feet. End posts
should be set about 2 feet deep and line posts about 1 1/2 feet
deept. Attach an 18-inch crossarm to the top of the posts and run
3
P
(A) Remove floricanes (F) immediately after harvest. (B) Lateral branching as a result of primocane heading.
Head primocanes (P) during the summer.
Diagram 3. Summer pruning blackberries, black raspberries and purple raspberries.
(A) Before dormant pruning (B) Head laterals.
Remove laterals on lower 12 - 18 inches of canes.
Remove excess canes.
Diagram 4. Dormant pruning of blackberries, black raspberries and purple raspberries.
4
Primocane Harvest
Allow primocanes to grow. Mow down the planting late
Maintain a row width of 12 to 18 inches. in the dormant season.
(A) Primocane crop
Primocane Harvest
Allow primocanes to grow. Remove dead tips of primocanes.
Maintain a row width of Thin canes to 3 or 4 per foot of row
12 to 18 inches. during the dormant season.
Floricane crop Primocanes
Harvest summer crop.
Remove floricanes after harvest.
Retain developing primocanes.
(B) Primocane and floricane crops
Diagram 5. Pruning everbearing raspberries for the primocane crop only (A)
or the primocane crop and floricane crops (B).
5
5 ft.
3 ft.
(A) During summer, tip primocanes 4 to 6
inches above the top wire.
5 ft.
Primocanes
3 ft.
(B) Lateral branching as a result of tipping
primocanes.
5 ft.
3 ft.
(C) Head laterals to 12- 18 inches in length.
Remove laterals on the lower 18 inches of canes.
Cut off weak and diseased canes.
Diagram 6. Fan system of pruning and training semi-erect brambles on a two-wire vertical trellis.
6
12
”-1
8”
5 ft.
.
25 ft
Diagram 7. Single cross-arm trellis.
12
”-1
8”
5 ft.
3 ft.
.
25 ft
Diagram 8. Double cross-arm trellis.
7
12
”-1
8”
5 ft.
30 in.
.
25 ft
3 ft.
Diagram 9. Temporary trellis for everbearing raspberries.
SP 284-G(Rev) 09/14
Programs in agriculture and natural resources, 4-H youth development, family and consumer sciences, and resource development. University of
Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture and county governments cooperating. UT Extension provides equal
opportunities in programs and employment.
