When I lived up there, we had full snow coverage over the bushes all winter, and snow came soon after the temperature dropped to freezing. The tops of the bushes will arch nicely, providing plenty of fruit. Here are several things to do now, as well as a few things to think about for next year. I found that it was impossible, so I decided to just let them grow and see if they would be productive. For decades, I’ve always pruned raspberry canes in the fall. This summer, with our lack of knowledge and proper care, the bushes were pitiful, the berries scarce. Since there usually was snow coverage already before the ground was frozen solid, we didn't cover the raspberries. Give your raspberry bushes some TLC this autumn to ensure a better crop next year. Raspberries are biennial, which means that canes last for two years. Early detection and treatment of plant pests and plant disease is important to maintain healthy raspberry plants Plants and trees experience life cycles through seasons unlike human beings, whose life cycles occur every day. Winterizing Raspberry plants. The amount and quality of our rest helps to determine how healthy and productive … "We inherited beautiful raspberry bushes along one side of our newly-purchased house, yielding loads of berries all last summer. A few years ago, I heard that it can be better to wait until late winter/early spring because if the canes still have leaves in the fall when you are hoping to prune them, those leaves are still producing “food” for … We moved to Colorado three years ago and in trying to clear the back yard for a garden, I tried to remove some raspberry plants along the fence. Keep the base of the bushes within a 12- to 18-inch footprint by pruning any suckers that poke up outside that boundary. Inspect your raspberry bushes from time to time to observe if any plant pests or diseases are visible, and use the appropriate method to solve the problem. Raspberry plants can survive frost in winter, and some can take temperatures down to -35 degrees Fahrenheit (-37 degrees Celsius). However, frost and cold temperatures can hurt raspberry plants in early fall before they go dormant, or in late spring after they break dormancy. Both the new canes and the old need attention and care to ensure that next year’s crop is spectacular. We require a certain amount of nutrients, water, and rest each day. Once pests take hold of a berry patch, they reproduce quickly. Asked October 17, 2016, 1:35 AM EDT. Be vigilant! For new raspberry plants , prune back the canes to 4 to 5 feet tall during the first few years of growth. The cold tolerance of raspberry plants depends on the variety and on environmental conditions.