Raspberry canes that fruited this summer should be cut to the ground, while new green shoots stay for next year’s harvest. If you are wondering exactly how to winterize raspberry plants, the process is simpler than you think and takes less than an hour. Getting this right in late fall means a bigger, cleaner crop next summer.
Most gardeners lose raspberry canes to winter kill, not because of extreme cold, but because of drying winds and rapid temperature swings. The good news is that a little mulch, a sharp pair of pruners, and some basic knowledge about your cane type will solve 90% of the problems. Let us walk through the entire process step by step, so your patch comes back strong in spring.
Know Your Raspberry Type First
Before you touch a single cane, you need to know which kind of raspberry you have. This is the most common mistake people make when they try to figure out how to winterize raspberry plants. The pruning method is completely different for summer-bearing versus fall-bearing (everbearing) varieties.
Summer-bearing raspberries produce fruit once a year on two-year-old canes. These are the classic June or July croppers. Fall-bearing raspberries produce a crop in late summer or fall on the tips of new canes, and sometimes a second crop the following summer on the lower parts of those same canes.
If you are not sure which type you have, watch the fruiting pattern next year. If it fruits heavily in June and then stops, it is summer-bearing. If it waits until August or September, it is fall-bearing. This single detail changes everything about your winter prep.
Summer-Bearing Raspberry Care
For summer-bearing types, you only keep the green, flexible canes that grew this year. These are your fruiting canes for next spring. The brown, woody, or brittle canes that produced fruit this year are done. They will never fruit again, and they only invite disease and pests.
- Cut all brown, fruited canes down to soil level
- Keep the green, vigorous new canes (primocanes)
- Thin the new canes so they are about 6 inches apart
- Remove any thin, spindly, or damaged new canes
This is called the “mow and go” method for some, but you still need to protect the remaining canes. They will stand all winter and fruit in early summer. If you cut them down now, you lose next year’s crop entirely.
Fall-Bearing Raspberry Care
Fall-bearing raspberries give you a choice. You can either cut everything to the ground for a single fall crop, or you can do a partial prune for two smaller crops. Most home gardeners prefer the simple method of cutting everything down.
If you cut all canes to the ground, you will get one big harvest in September. This is the easiest way to winterize raspberry plants because there is almost nothing left to protect. The roots are extremely cold hardy and will push up new canes in spring.
If you want two crops, you must identify the lower green sections of the canes. Keep those lower parts, and cut off the upper fruited tips. This is more work and leaves more material exposed to winter damage, but it gives you an early summer crop.
How To Winterize Raspberry Plants
Now that you have pruned correctly, it is time to protect the canes that remain. The main threats are freezing winds, ice damage, and temperature fluctuations that cause the canes to split. Here is the full process from start to finish.
Step 1: Clean Up All Debris
Rake up all fallen leaves, old fruit, and pruned canes from around the base of the plants. This is not just for looks. Raspberry leaves and debris harbor fungal spores and overwintering pests like the raspberry cane borer. Remove it all and dispose of it in the trash, not the compost pile.
Weeds are also a problem. They compete for moisture and provide hiding spots for insects. Pull any weeds that have grown up around the base of the canes. A clean patch is a healthy patch.
Step 2: Water Deeply Before The Ground Freezes
This step is often overlooked, but it is critical. Raspberry canes that go into winter with dry roots are much more likely to suffer from winter desiccation. The roots cannot take up water when the ground is frozen, so they need a full tank of moisture before then.
Give your raspberry plants a deep, slow watering in late fall. You want the water to soak down at least 12 inches. Do this before the first hard freeze. If you get a warm spell in winter and the ground thaws, you can water again, but do not water if the ground is frozen solid.
Step 3: Apply A Thick Layer Of Mulch
Mulch is the best friend of the raspberry plant in winter. It insulates the roots, prevents heaving from freeze-thaw cycles, and holds in moisture. Apply a 3 to 4 inch layer of organic mulch like straw, shredded leaves, or wood chips around the base of the canes.
Do not pile the mulch up against the canes themselves. Leave a small gap around the base of each cane to prevent rot. Spread the mulch out in a circle about 2 feet wide around each plant or along the entire row if you have a hedgerow.
In very cold regions, you can increase the mulch to 6 inches. However, remember to pull the mulch back in early spring so the soil can warm up. Leaving it too thick in spring can delay growth and encourage crown rot.
Step 4: Consider Bending And Burying Canes
This is an old trick for extreme northern climates. If you live in an area with harsh winters and little snow cover, you can bend the remaining canes down to the ground and cover them with soil. This protects them from drying winds and extreme cold.
To do this, gently tie the canes together in bundles. Then, bend them over and pin them down with landscape staples or a light layer of soil. Cover them with 3 to 4 inches of soil, then add a layer of mulch on top. In spring, carefully uncover them and stand them back up.
This method is a lot of work, but it is the only way to guarantee survival in places like northern Minnesota or Canada where temperatures drop below -30°F. If you have milder winters, you can skip this step entirely.
Step 5: Build A Windbreak
Drying winter winds are often more damaging than the cold itself. If your raspberry patch is in an exposed area, consider building a simple windbreak. You can use burlap stretched between wooden stakes, or a row of evergreen boughs stuck into the ground.
This windbreak does not need to be tall. It just needs to break the force of the prevailing winter wind. A 3 to 4 foot tall barrier on the north and west sides of the patch is usually sufficient. This simple step can prevent the canes from drying out and turning brown.
Step 6: Protect Against Rodents
Mice and voles love to eat raspberry canes in winter, especially under a thick layer of mulch. They will chew the bark right off the base of the canes, which kills the entire cane. You need to protect against this while still keeping the mulch.
One easy solution is to wrap the lower 12 inches of the canes with hardware cloth or a plastic tree guard. Another option is to avoid using grass hay as mulch, as it attracts rodents. Straw or shredded leaves are less attractive to them.
If you have a serious rodent problem, you can skip the mulch and use a different approach. Instead, mound soil up around the base of the canes. This provides insulation without giving the mice a cozy home right next to the bark.
Winterizing Raspberries In Containers
Raspberries grown in pots need extra protection because their roots are exposed to cold air on all sides. The roots of container plants are much more vulnerable to freezing than those in the ground. You have a few options for overwintering them.
The best method is to sink the entire pot into the ground in a protected spot. If that is not possible, group the pots together against a south-facing wall and wrap the pots with burlap or bubble wrap. You can also move them into an unheated garage or shed.
Water the containers well before storing them, but do not let them sit in standing water. The canes themselves do not need pruning until spring, but you can remove any dead or broken ones now. Check the pots occasionally during winter to make sure they do not completely dry out.
When To Uncover In Spring
Knowing when to remove the winter protection is just as important as putting it on. If you uncover too early, a late frost can kill the buds. If you wait too long, the canes may start to grow in the dark and become weak and leggy.
Wait until the danger of hard frost has passed, but do not wait until the soil has warmed up completely. A good rule of thumb is to uncover the canes when the daytime temperatures are consistently above 50°F. Pull back the mulch from the base of the canes to let the soil warm.
If you buried the canes, uncover them as soon as the soil thaws in spring. Stand them up and tie them to your trellis or support system. Do this on a cloudy day to prevent the sudden sunlight from shocking the canes.
Common Winterizing Mistakes To Avoid
Even experienced gardeners make mistakes when preparing raspberries for winter. Here are the most common ones and how to avoid them. Pay attention to these, and your patch will thank you.
- Pruning at the wrong time of year
- Cutting down all canes on summer-bearing varieties
- Using too much nitrogen fertilizer in fall
- Leaving dead canes in place over winter
- Applying mulch too early in the season
Do not fertilize your raspberries in the fall. Nitrogen encourages new, tender growth that will not harden off before winter. That new growth will die back and can stress the whole plant. Save your fertilizer for early spring.
Also, do not prune too early. Wait until the canes have gone dormant, which is usually after a few hard frosts. Pruning too early can stimulate new growth. If you prune too late, you risk damaging the canes if the ground is frozen and you have to walk on it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I Cut Raspberry Canes Down To The Ground In Winter?
It depends on the type. For fall-bearing raspberries, yes, you can cut everything down. For summer-bearing raspberries, you should only cut the brown, fruited canes and leave the green new canes. Cutting everything down on summer-bearing types will eliminate your crop for next year.
What Is The Best Mulch For Winterizing Raspberry Plants?
Straw is the best all-around choice. It is light, insulates well, and does not compact. Shredded leaves also work well. Avoid grass clippings, as they mat down and can trap moisture against the canes, leading to rot.
Can I Leave Raspberries Unpruned For Winter?
You can, but it is not recommended. Leaving the old fruited canes in place increases the risk of disease and pest problems. The old canes can also break under heavy snow and ice, damaging the new canes. It is much better to prune them in late fall.
Do Raspberry Plants Need To Be Covered With Burlap?
Only if you live in a very windy, cold climate. Burlap is used as a windbreak, not for insulation. It does not keep the plants warm, but it does stop the drying effect of winter winds. In most regions, a good layer of mulch is enough.
What Happens If I Do Not Winterize My Raspberry Plants?
You may lose some canes to winter kill, especially the tips. The roots will usually survive, but the above-ground growth may be damaged. This results in a smaller crop and weaker plants. Winterizing is cheap insurance for a good harvest.
Winterizing your raspberry patch is a straightforward task that takes less than an hour. The key is knowing your cane type and giving the roots a good layer of protection. Follow these steps, and you will have strong, healthy canes ready to produce a bountiful crop next summer.
Take a walk out to your patch today and look at the canes. Identify the brown ones and the green ones. Grab your pruners, make the cuts, and spread some mulch. Your future self, picking ripe berries in July, will be glad you did.