Should I prune out a late crop of summer raspberries?
David Bell, by email
ABOB SAYS Usually summer raspberries fruit on canes that grew the preceding year. However, they can vary this behaviour depending on pruning and growing regime.
You say your new canes produce a small crop, presumably from buds near the tip of side-shoots, and those buds will not fruit again. But if the shoots are trimmed back then buds lower down on those shoots may burst and fruit.
However, the danger is you’ll then leave too many canes so the resultant crop may be poorer as the root system is feeding more than it can manage comfortably.
To get better overall quality and size of berry I’d remove partially fruited canes except in places where there is no virgin cane nearby to fill the gap. I reckon on average soils canes should be left no closer than a generous hand width.