February–March (before bud break)

This is the main pruning window for almost everything.

May–June

July–August (after harvest)

September–October

November (pre-winter)

How they grow: Canes emerge in Year 1 (primocanes), overwinter, then fruit in Year 2 (floricanes) and die. You always have both ages of cane in the row.

Late Winter (Feb–March)

1. Identify floricanes — gray-brown bark, lateral branches (these fruit this summer — don’t cut them!)
2. Identify primocanes — green/reddish, unbranched, grew last summer
3. Thin primocanes to 4–6 per linear foot of row. Remove the weakest, smallest, and any growing outside the row
4. Tip remaining primocanes to 4.5–5 ft if they’re taller (improves fruit size, reduces wind damage)
5. Remove any dead, damaged, or spindly canes entirely

After Harvest (July–August)

1. Cut all spent floricanes to ground level — they’ve fruited and will die anyway. Removing them immediately redirects energy to the growing primocanes
2. Don’t touch the primocanes — they become next year’s floricanes

Notes

• Prelude sometimes produces a small fall crop on primocane tips. You can leave these or tip them off — your choice.
• Nova is nearly thornless, making pruning much easier.
• Row 1 will be in full production by Year 3 (2028). Expect 2–4 lbs per plant.

Further reading: OSU: Raspberries for the Home Fruit Planting (HYG-1421)

How they grow: Canes emerge in spring, fruit in late summer/fall of the SAME year, then can fruit again the following summer if left standing. Two management approaches:

Option A: Fall-Only Method (Recommended for Simplicity)

Late winter (Feb–March): Mow or cut the ENTIRE patch to the ground — every cane, 2–3" above soil. That’s it. New canes emerge in spring, fruit Aug–frost. No trellis maintenance, no floricane identification, no confusion. One crop per year but the total yield is similar.

Option B: Two-Crop Method

Late winter: Leave the strongest canes standing (they’ll produce an early summer crop as floricanes). Thin new primocanes as they emerge in spring. After summer harvest (July): Cut spent floricanes to ground. Late summer–fall: Primocanes produce the second crop.

More total fruit over a longer season, but significantly more pruning work and you need to maintain the trellis.

Summer

• Jaclyn produces heavy crops that bend canes to the ground — keep tied to trellis wires
• No summer tipping needed for primocane types

Notes

• Heritage and Caroline are in full production Year 1 with the fall-only method — no waiting
• Jaclyn starts bearing lightly in Year 1, full production by Year 2
• Ground cover (clover) establishes well under mowed primocane patches

Further reading: OSU: Raspberries for the Home Fruit Planting (HYG-1421)

How they grow: Floricane-only — canes emerge Year 1, fruit Year 2, die. Unlike reds, blacks do NOT sucker from roots. They propagate by tip-layering (cane tips root when they touch ground).

Late Winter (Feb–March)

1. Remove dead/weak canes. Keep 4–5 of the strongest canes per plant
2. Shorten lateral branches to 8–12" (leaving 12–15 buds per lateral). This is where the fruit forms — shorter laterals = larger berries
3. Remove any tip-layered plants growing where you don’t want them

Summer (May–June) — CRITICAL

When primocanes reach 24–30", pinch or cut the growing tip. This forces lateral branching, which produces next year’s fruit. Unpinched blacks produce long, floppy, unproductive canes. This is the single most important pruning step for black raspberries.

Check every 3–4 days during active growth — they grow fast.

After Harvest (July)

Cut all spent floricanes to ground level immediately.

Notes

• NEVER plant within 75–100 ft of red raspberries. Reds carry mosaic virus asymptomatically; aphids transmit it to blacks, which it kills. There is no cure.
• Bristol and Jewel are vigorous — expect 2–4 lbs per plant by Year 3
• T-trellis helps manage the arching growth habit

Further reading: OSU: Raspberries for the Home Fruit Planting (HYG-1421)

How they grow: Floricane-bearing like reds — canes emerge Year 1, fruit Year 2, die. Ouachita is erect (self-supporting); Triple Crown and Chester are semi-erect (need trellis).

Late Winter (late March — prune as late as possible for cold hardiness)

1. Remove all spent floricanes if not done after harvest
2. Shorten laterals to 12–18" on remaining primocanes
3. Remove weak or crowded canes — keep 4–6 of the strongest per plant
4. Tie remaining canes to trellis wires (Triple Crown, Chester)

Summer (May–June)

Tip primocanes to force lateral branching:

• Ouachita (erect): tip at 42" (3.5 ft)
• Triple Crown, Chester (semi-erect): tip at 48" (4 ft)

As primocanes grow, train them onto the trellis (for Triple Crown and Chester). Weave or tie them to the wires.

After Harvest (Aug–Sep)

Cut all spent floricanes to ground level. The new primocanes growing alongside are next year’s crop.

Notes

• Blackberries are less cold-hardy than raspberries — prune as late as possible in spring to assess winter damage first
• Triple Crown produces the largest berries of the three
• Chester is the latest season and most cold-hardy
• Ouachita can be managed as a hedgerow without trellis

Further reading: OSU: Pruning Erect Blackberries in the Home Garden (HYG-1431)

How they grow: Multi-stemmed shrubs. Fruit on one-year-old lateral shoots growing from older wood. Oldest canes (6+ years) decline and should be removed.

Years 1–2: NO PRUNING (almost)

Remove ALL flower buds — the plant must establish roots, not fruit. Strip flowers as they appear in spring. The only pruning is removing dead or broken branches.

Year 3: Light Pruning

Allow the plant to fruit for the first time. Only remove crossing branches and dead wood.

Year 4+ (ongoing, late winter)

1. Remove 1–2 of the oldest canes at ground level each year (identified by thick, dark, peeling bark)
2. Open the center — remove crossing branches and inward-growing shoots for light and air
3. Tip leggy branches to encourage bushier growth
4. Remove twiggy growth at the base
5. Remove horizontal branches below knee height

Notes

• Prune in mid-March after the worst cold has passed
• Bluecrop is vigorous and may need more thinning than other varieties
• The goal is a vase shape — narrow at the base, open at the top
• Never remove more than 1/3 of total wood in a single year

Further reading: OSU: Pruning Blueberry Bushes in the Home Garden (HYG-1430) · OSU: Growing Blueberries in the Home Garden (HYG-1422)

How they grow: Multi-stemmed bushes. Fruit primarily on 2–3 year old wood. Canes older than 4 years decline. Open-center bush form.

Late Winter (March)

1. Remove all canes older than 4 years — identified by dark, rough, peeling bark
2. Keep a balanced mix: 3–4 canes each of 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year wood (9–12 total canes)
3. Open the center — remove inward-growing branches for airflow (reduces powdery mildew)
4. Remove low-hanging branches touching the ground (fruit contact = rot)
5. Thin if crowded — gooseberries sucker freely and will become a thorny thicket if ignored (especially Pixwell)

Notes

• Hinnonmaki Red is sweeter and can be eaten fresh; Pixwell is tart and best cooked
• Powdery mildew is the main disease concern — good airflow through open pruning is the best prevention
• Wear heavy leather gloves when pruning Pixwell (thorny)

Further reading: OSU: Growing Currants, Gooseberries, and Jostaberries in Ohio (ANR-0162)

How they grow: Very similar to gooseberries. Fruit on 2–3 year old wood. Multi-stemmed bush.

Late Winter (March)

1. Remove canes older than 4 years
2. Keep 8–10 canes total — balanced mix of ages
3. Open the center for airflow
4. Remove any suckers growing outside the desired footprint

Notes

• Red Lake is self-fertile — no pollination partner needed
• Planted in Row 4 with the gooseberries
• Very similar care to gooseberries — same pruning timing and technique

Further reading: OSU: Growing Currants, Gooseberries, and Jostaberries in Ohio (ANR-0162)

How they grow: Large multi-stemmed shrubs, 8–10 ft tall. American elderberries fruit on new wood AND second-year wood. Canes older than 3 years decline significantly.

Year 1

Minimal pruning — remove only dead or broken branches. Let the plant establish.

Year 2+ (Late Winter, March)

1. Remove all canes older than 3 years at ground level (use loppers — canes get thick)
2. Thin to 6–8 vigorous canes per plant
3. Remove suckers growing beyond the desired spread (elderberries sucker aggressively)

Alternative: Coppice Method

Cut ALL stems to ground level with loppers or sickle bar in March. The plant regrows entirely from new wood, blooms, and fruits in the same season. This approach produces more uniform fruit ripening. Note: this only works for American elderberry (York, Adams) — never for European varieties.

Notes

• York and Adams must be within 50 ft of each other for cross-pollination
• Elderberries are extremely vigorous — pruning is mostly about containment
• Use prunings as mulch or compost (they break down quickly)

Further reading: OSU: Elderberry Production in Ohio (ANR-0110)

Year 1

Remove ALL flowers for the first 4–6 weeks (June-bearing: Earliglow, Jewel) to establish roots. Ozark Beauty: remove flowers until July 1, then let fall crop develop.

After Harvest — June-Bearing Renovation (Earliglow, Jewel)

This is the most important annual maintenance for June-bearing strawberries:

1. Mow or cut all foliage to 1" above crowns — immediately after last pick
2. Narrow rows to 12" wide by tilling or hoeing the edges
3. Thin plants to 6" apart within the narrowed rows
4. Fertilize with balanced fertilizer (10-10-10, 5 lbs per 100 ft of row)
5. Water to encourage new growth

New leaves and runners will regrow by fall. The bed renews itself. Replace beds entirely every 3–4 years (or sooner if vigor declines).

Everbearing (Ozark Beauty)

• No annual renovation — skip the mow-down
• Remove runners as they appear — Ozark Beauty fruits on the mother plants, not the daughters
• Remove spent flower stalks periodically
• Replace plants every 2–3 years

Always disinfect tools when moving between red raspberries and black raspberries to prevent viral transmission.

All from Ohio State University Extension — authoritative for Zone 6b Ohio: