The development cycle of the aerial parts of raspberries is 2 years. Pruning raspberries after fruiting stimulates the growth of new stems to replace old ones, prevents the propagation of pests and diseases. According to the technology, it differs slightly for summer and autumn varieties. The best time for this procedure is the end of summer or September-October.
Summer varieties
Summer varieties are very popular and very productive. Berries grow on the side shoots of biennial stems. The number of lateral branches depends on the growth of the stem: on a long stem there are many, on a short stem there are few.
When planting, the stem is cut to 25 cm from the ground. In the first year, the bush does not bear fruit, so the flowers on the stumps need to be removed. New stems will appear from the ground, which thin out, leaving the strongest. The correct pruning of raspberries during this period is the pruning of hemp to a level of 25 cm to the ground.
A year after planting a bush, a number of strong stems grow, which are tied to a wire support. Its upper row should be at a distance of 1.5 m from the soil. The plant begins to bear fruit. Pruning raspberries after fruiting summer varieties is carried out to the soil level, since the stem "lives" only 2 years. Young stems are thinned, leaving an interval of 10 cm, and tied to a wire.
Autumn varieties
The fruits of autumn varieties grow on the side branches, which are located at the top of the stem. When planting, the plant is pruned in the same way as raspberries of summer varieties. In early spring, all stems are completely removed - this stimulates the rapid growth of young shoots, which will bear fruit in September. Pruning raspberries after fruiting is to completely remove the aerial parts of the bush.
There is nothing wrong with it - in the spring young stems will appear. Among them there will be weak ones, so raspberries need to be thinned out and only powerful shoots should be left: they will gain strength faster. If necessary, plants are tied to a wire. Since autumn varieties grow, branch, bear fruit in one year, raspberries are pruned after fruiting every year to the ground.
The one-year development cycle of the remont raspberries (autumn varieties) has the following advantages:
- pests and diseases do not have time to multiply;
- stems do not freeze, since they are not in winter.
There is a drawback: a short summer is not always enough to realize the fruiting potential. Therefore, with the onset of cold weather, there can still be flowers and berries on the branches.
The stems of the repairing varieties can be left in the second year for fruiting - they do not dry out, unlike biennials. In this case, the young shoots will give the first crop, and the shoots of last year - the second. There will not be many berries, but an extension of the period of fresh fruits will occur.
So, we examined how and when to trim the shrub. Pruning raspberries for the winter is the removal of two-year-old shoots of summer varieties and annual stems of autumn varieties to soil level. It must be remembered that all cut branches are removed from the site and burned, as otherwise they can become a source of pest distribution. Take care of your plants and they will provide you with a high yield!