Gooseberries are bushes and you only prune them lightly if needed. Raspberries, on the other hand are cane (like brambles) and, if summer fruiting, fruit on second year wood. So after your summer fruiting raps. have finished fruiting cut out all the canes that fruited and tie the canes that have grown this year into the supports. Autumn fruiting raspberries whilst still can fruit on new wood so cut the canes to the ground in early spring - oh and no matter what the books say they do need tying into supports!

Hi Barty, you don't cut Gooseberries down, only to clip any branches which point towards the middle of the bush to help stop mould from forming. You need to keep the centre of the bushes open and clear of woody growth. No wonder you didn't get any fruit this year, as you probably cut off all the flowering stems!

With raspberries, you cut off the stems that have fruited this year. Cut them off to about 4 inches of the ground, and tie all the new stems to canes, or wires stretched between poles, to stop them waving about. You don't cut these at all, because next year's fruit will be produced on these new stems (canes).

Hope this helps. If you want more info. you could look it up on the net, or somebody else with more knowledge than me may come on with a more precise answer!! Annie

With gooseberries its a good idea to cut back all side shoots to not more than half a dozen buds, and shorten any leaders that are very long. Do this in February and follow with a dressing of sulphate of potash. This usually results in a heavy crop, which you can thin out , using the thinnings for cooking and leaving the rest to grow bigger for dessert. (I am a gooseberry addict!)
Raspberries, the others have sai it all.