Who does not dream of tasting the fragrant raspberry berries with the onset of summer? This is the most popular berry among amateur gardeners. They can talk endlessly about the varieties, planting, cultivation, taste and color of these fruits. And what a tasty and healthy jam is obtained from raspberries!
Only the short life of this berry is short: its usual varieties bear fruit in the middle of summer, once a year - it depends on the variety and the region of cultivation. But what to do raspberry lovers living in Siberia and wanting to grow this berry there?
Not so long ago, “Siberian” raspberries were bred by breeders - varieties for Siberia, specially designed for cultivation in this region.
General information about raspberries
Raspberry is a representative of the Rosaceae Luss family - Rosaceae, a genus of Rubus L. It is a perennial shrub with a shortened life cycle of the plant aerial part. The root system is a rhizome with multiple subordinate roots that extend to a depth of 40 cm.
Rhizome shoots two species: reproduction and substitution. The aerial part of the plant develops in two cycles: annual shoots grow in the first year until the autumn cooling, in the second year they produce crops, dry out and are removed.
It has been established that the raspberry crop directly depends on the height and diameter of the shoot: the higher the stems, the greater the number of fruit twigs formed on them, and, therefore, the larger the crop. Therefore, it is necessary to take timely care to create optimal conditions conducive to the development and growth of annual shoots.
What should be the raspberry variety for Siberia
Raspberries do not require any special care, however, this plant is quite susceptible to cold weather, which limits the possibility of growing it in areas with harsh climates. Therefore, before undertaking the cultivation of this crop, it is necessary to study the varieties that are most suitable for the soil and climatic conditions of the region where raspberries will be grown. Varieties for Siberia should be, first of all, frost-resistant, managing to ripen before the onset of cold weather and resistant to pests and diseases.
Successful cultivation of raspberries in a year requires about 75 days with an absolute temperature of more than 10 ° C and annual average active temperature from 1600 to 1800 ° C. In Western Siberia, the regions located south of the Khanty-Mansiysk – Krasnoyarsk geographic line satisfy these criteria. In Eastern Siberia, these are small areas in the basins of the Selenga, Angara and Yenisei, and in the Far East almost the entire Amur basin is suitable for planting.
Siberian raspberries
Raspberry negatively reacts to very low humidity of air streams: at a relative forty percent air humidity of less than 40%, the so-called "air drought" begins, which is not even affected by soil irrigation. It leads to a sharp decrease in productivity and deformity of berries.
Regarding the Southern Urals, Siberia and the Left Bank of the Volga, the extreme aridity of the continental climate significantly affects these regions.
Breeders bred raspberries specially adapted to harsh conditions. Varieties for Siberia, the most popular in the northern region, are as follows:
- Siberian Wisp - a variety with standard terms for ripening berries;
- Early sweet - precocious raspberries that tolerate Siberian frosts;
- Barnaulskaya is a super-resistant variety to frost;
- Reward - frost-resistant appearance with sweet berries;
- Gift of Siberia is a winter-hardy medium-late variety, highly resistant to diseases, black berries.
Cultivation conditions
Of all existing berry crops, only raspberries are the most demanding on the availability of lighting. The productivity of its shoots increases with improved illumination. To achieve this, trim, normalize and select the optimal support system.
Raspberries in the garden are demanding of soil moisture and react poorly to lack of moisture. The greatest importance is given to precipitation at the beginning of the growing season.
Raspberries, distinguished by great exactingness to dampness, at the same time can not stand intense overmoistening. Excess water in the soil leads to the death of the rhizome due to lack of oxygen, the growth of the processes slows down, and the maturation of their tissues is delayed. In plants, cold resistance and productivity are instantly reduced. In addition, the amount of pathogens is growing in moist land.
Raspberry is also very demanding on the mechanical and fertile composition of the soil where it grows. There is nothing better than planting raspberries in medium slightly acidic loam with good drainage.
How to choose a site for landing
The site, which it was decided to choose for planting raspberries, must meet the following criteria:
- It is desirable to have a watering system (or water well) near a water body.
- The humus content required when planting, should be within 8% in slightly acidic or neutral soils.
- The subsoil should be well permeable and, at the same time, moisture-absorbing. To do this, you can make plowing and loosening.
- The soil water level on the site should not be higher than one and a half meters from the surface of the earth, since excessive moisture is detrimental to raspberry propagation, and even more so spring flooding. Saucers and lowlands are not suitable for planting. In addition, air masses stagnate in such unfavorable areas, which slows down gas exchange processes and leads to the development of fungi and freezing in winter.
- A significant role in the area is played by the protection from the wind blow, especially squall during the period when the branches are full of fruits.
Cultivation features
In the same place, raspberry bushes can produce good crops for about eight years. For this comes, as they say, "fatigue of the soil." It is expressed in the fact that the supply of nutrients is running out, while the root system is aging. In addition, various pathogenic microflora accumulate on the plantation, and raspberries deteriorate.
The description of the solution to this problem contains various cultural systems:
- The plantation is laid on half of the planned area. After four to five years, the landing moves to the second half, and the first writhes.
- With sufficiently large areas, a new plantation is broken up annually. This ensures the presence of all age groups and a continuous turnover.
- Alternating plantings of raspberries, vegetables (except for nightshade) and “fumes”.
Raspberries will feel best on a plateau of medium elevations and gentle slopes located on the north-western or western side.
Seedling Care
Since raspberries are planted and seedlings have to be bought, as a rule, at different times, it is very important to preserve the planting material: it is temporarily dug up or crushed, making sure that the root system does not dry out due to insufficient compaction with the ground.
Raspberry bushes are not distinguished by high frost resistance of aboveground parts. The stems of most varieties deteriorate already at minus 28 ° C. Therefore, in Siberia and the Urals, they must be sheltered for the winter. Usually in the Urals and in Western Siberia, bending of stems to the ground with snow sprinkling is sufficient. In the Far East and in Eastern Siberia it is brought to cover them with soil (in the image of vineyards).
The tops of the stems on raspberry bushes, as a rule, do not bring a full-fledged crop, but spend nutrients on flowering and bud formation. In addition, they often freeze. Therefore, they must be cut off immediately after the plants come out of wintering.
Ways of row spacing
The degree of hydration of the plantation is the primary factor affecting the choice of the method of row-care that raspberries require. The description of the technology for the removal of moisture or its conservation is as follows:
- In the area of excessive moisture, tinning of the aisles is usually carried out, that is, planting between rows of special lawn grass. Its leaf mass increases the removal of excess moisture and provides the best water-air regime in the soil layer where the roots are located. Therefore, even in wet, rainy weather, there is no dirt and slush in the aisles.
- With a lack of moisture or excessive evaporation, the aisles are mulched with straw. A light layer of mulch usually has a temperature a couple of degrees lower than air temperature. Therefore, on it after the sun sets, moisture condenses from the air and returns to the soil. That is, the so-called "dry watering" of the garden occurs.
Also, the light color of the mulch reflects the rays of the sun, giving light to the rows below, which has a beneficial effect on how raspberries develop - varieties for Siberia need additional lighting.
Landing organization
Having purchased planting material, it is time to start breaking down the site. The plantation is divided into rows-rows, trying to orient them across the slopes (with large areas) and across the movement of adverse winds. It is also desirable to orient the row from north to south, which makes it possible to evenly illuminate bushes from all sides of the row, and this, in turn, has a positive effect on their productivity.
Planting raspberries in Siberia is possible both in autumn and spring. At this time, you can do without watering, that is, natural hydration.
Depending on the amount of work, planting can be done manually if the plantation area does not exceed one hectare, or mechanized if over.
If a manual landing is carried out, then first pegs are driven in the rows, and a wire or cord is stretched between them. Next, the bushes are planted in pairs, that is, two in one hole. Half a meter recede between the holes and the roots of the seedlings in the previous one fall asleep from the next hole.
Stamp grades for the cold region
In the general case, the stem is the part of the trunk that is visible from the surface of the earth to the first branch. The stamp has no lateral branches and shoots. In relation to berry crops, the name of the variety “standard” means that the plant has a strong trunk and does not need a garter, trellis or supports.
The shoot of the standard raspberry variety is a stocky, straight-stemmed trunk with a height of about one and a half meters. It does not have a drooping top, dense wood, and among the people this raspberry is called a raspberry tree.
Stamp raspberries in Siberia are represented by such varieties as Stambovaya-19, Krepysh, Tarusa and others. They have hard and thick trunks, in the second season they give a lot of fruit branches with a plentiful harvest. If on such a stub cut branches of substitution, then the raspberry bush will resemble a tree that will not clone even when it is under the load of the crop. If you leave these branches, they will bend over, full of berries, but will not reach the ground.
The shoots that have been fertilized are cut, as in ordinary varieties.
Growing remont raspberries in Siberia
Recent research by breeders has brought new varieties to the market called remontants. It is recognized that repairing is the best raspberry for Siberia. Such plants can bear fruit for two seasons, but annual cultivation is more often practiced. The yield of these varieties exceeds the fruiting of the usual four to five times.
In addition, repair varieties are more resistant to disease, transportable and most are not spiny.
One-season cultivation provides that after harvesting and the onset of frost at the end of October, the fertilized shoots are cut or mowed to the soil level. In the spring, new branches grow, then the process repeats. It is important to prevent thickening of landings.
Varieties of remont raspberries for Siberia are represented by raspberries of the varieties Babi Leto, Hat Monomakh, Heracles, Bryansk Divo, Inaccessible, Chif, Kalashnik and others having a small growing season.
To quickly grow shoots in the spring after thawing the ground, they are covered with black covering material, and after the emergence of sprouts, trellises are installed. Wake raspberries as early as possible - this is the secret to growing this berry in Siberia.
Pros and cons of remodeling annual raspberries
The advantages of this raspberry culture include:
- the removal of prolific stems simplifies the control of pests and diseases;
- no need to shelter for the winter;
- the use of chemicals is minimized;
- extended consumption of fresh raspberries;
- varieties do not need garter and device trellises;
- dense berries that do not crumble allow organizing mechanized harvesting over large areas;
- repairing varieties give few shoots of substitution and shoots, which simplifies the fight against thickening, but complicate the propagation of raspberries.
The main disadvantage of these varieties is the high price of seedlings, due to the difficulties of reproduction associated with a small number of offspring. This is due to the fact that annual repair varieties devote all their energy to the formation of a bush and a crop on it, so that the roots and processes do not have time to develop.