Raspberries are a very tasty and healthy berry. However, it, like most garden plants, requires some care. How to care for raspberries and where to start growing any berry shrubs - many are interested. And the answer to this question may be as follows. For raspberries to grow well and bear fruit for a long time, it is necessary to plant it according to certain rules:
- the landing area should be with fertile soil;
- the distance between the bushes is at least 50 cm;
- compost or complex fertilizer must be added to the planting hole;
- mandatory watering for each bush.
When planting young bushes - opinions are divided. Some prefer in the fall, others in the spring. You can choose any of the options according to your desire. After planting, the bushes must be watered until they are completely taken root. If you planted raspberries in the fall and the weather is rainy, then watering is minimal. In dry weather, you have to do it every day.
At the initial stage of development, care will consist in weeding, gartering, and trimming excess shoots. At the same time, care for raspberries in the spring is minimal. After all, it bears fruit on the shoots of the second year of development, only the repairing varieties are able to produce crops on the shoots of this year. Therefore, in the spring you will need to loosen the soil around the bushes and carry out the treatment with any approved pest drug. And then care will consist in weeding, removing excess shoots and watering if the summer is dry.
How to care for raspberries in the summer depends on its variety. Ordinary varieties in the summer period need only weeding and feeding if necessary. Chemical treatments should be discarded so that your berries are environmentally friendly. In the repairing varieties, it is necessary to regulate the number of shoots, starting from their growth, since you will receive the crop in the fall. Extra branches will only degrade the lighting of the entire plantation. It is recommended to leave no more than 4-5 shoots per bush.
Care for raspberries in the fall is expressed in the removal of prolific shoots. They are cut after harvest, close to the surface of the earth. It is recommended to pinch young shoots, in this case they give more lateral processes, which allows to increase the yield.
Experienced gardeners who know how to care for raspberries are advised to tie up varieties that are not able to support the weight of their own crops. The most commonly used support is in the form of trellis. It is installed along the entire row. Usually, along the edges and in the center of one row, columns are clogged, between which a wire is stretched. The bushes are subsequently tied to it. In winter, it is better to lay the branches on the ground so that they do not freeze in severe frosts.
Mulching the soil around the bushes gives good results when growing raspberries. This technique eliminates the need for permanent weeding, serves as insulation in winter and protects the earth from drying out in summer. However, each gardener decides for himself how to care for raspberries. Some prefer to mulch, others weave and dig the soil under the bushes in spring and autumn. But the main thing is to do everything in a timely manner, and then the harvest will be wonderful.