Pinching raspberry canes/insufficient branching

General Fruit Growing
#1

Hopefully, I can describe this effectively without a pic.

I pinch my black raspberry primocanes at 30-36" as recommended to encourage branching. The first full season (2021), when the floricanes were small/non-existent, the primocanes branched nicely - usually pushing about 6-8 laterals on each one.

However, the following season, 2022, when I had large, bearing floricanes present, the emerging floricanes only pushed 1-3 laterals when pinched, I believe because at 36", they’re still in the shade of last year’s floricanes.

This means this year’s floricanes came into spring with only a couple thick laterals on each cane, instead of about 6. While growing nicely and blooming, I can’t tell yet if it actually will affect my yield, but the plants look more “sparse” than last year. Am I the only one to notice this?

#2

Here is what you are describing

And this is what those small primocanes should look like after a year and before they break dormancy and become floricanes.

They dont talk about this… but your floricane needs alot of energy to push those fruiting buds, then it also needs alot of energy to set flowers and then again fruiting clusters. All the while that primocane is begging for nutrition.

Whatever your method of feeding… it is time to feed.