Tibetan (strawberry) raspberries are a type of plant belonging to the Rosaceae family. The Latin name sounds like Rubus illecebrosus. Many people mistake it for a hybrid obtained from crossing with a blackberry or wild strawberry. This is actually a type of raspberry.
This plant is with sprawling rhizome. The bush is formed spherical in shape. It rarely exceeds a height of 70 cm. The stems are flexible, covered with spikes. Leaves are lanceolate, with denticles along the edges, associated with mountain ash. Because of the roughness, they often cling to clothing. The flowers are white or cream, 5-petal, their diameter is about 4 cm. Fruits are large hairy drupes, densely fused on the receptacle.
Bright red berries are comparable in size to medium strawberries and resemble blackberries in shape. Tibetan raspberries bloom, usually in July, and begin to bear fruit in August. Flowering and fruiting lasts until freezing. The berries taste raspberry, strawberry and pineapple notes, but it is inferior in sweetness to an ordinary relative. A large harvest should not be expected from it, but the decorativeness of bushes with fruits towering above the leaves is very high.
Tibetan raspberry is not capricious, it grows well on any soil. Places prefers sunny. It is advisable to immediately dig in the fence, since the root system tends to creep over the site. Special care and shaping bushes
do not require. In dry times, they need watering, since their root system is superficial. In spring, the soil of the entire raspberry can be covered with rotted manure or compost, a layer of about 2 cm, and a little later with a 10 cm layer of mowed grass. This food should be enough for the whole season.
Fruits are raspberry Tibetan on the shoots of the current year. Reddened berries should be given a couple of days before harvest to increase in size and improve taste. In regions with cold winters, the entire aerial part is preferably cut off. The root system should be insulated, since its frost resistance is low. Next year, new shoots will grow from the buds of renewal on the rhizome.
Tibetan raspberries propagate by root offspring or by dividing bushes. In the first version, the procedure is carried out in the spring upon reaching the sprouts of 10-centimeter height. They are dug up with part of the rhizome and transferred to a new place. At first, they will need regular watering. The bushes are divided in the fall, after planting, the stems are almost completely cut, abundantly watered.
Unfortunately, due to non-transportability, Tibetan raspberries are rarely found on sale. Reviews growing this miracle are enthusiastic. People who first saw flowering or fruiting bushes do not pass indifferently, asking to sell or share planting material.
It is worth noting that the use of berries does not cause allergic reactions, they can be consumed even by children suffering from diathesis. Interestingly, in China, these fruits are considered a vegetable. They are used in salads and seasonings.
Tibetan raspberries today are rarely found in personal plots. She should be planted at least in order to surprise her guests and please the family with original and healthy berries.