What is growing a fruit bush like raspberries? Experienced gardeners say: this process is incredibly simple and at the same time fascinating. It requires only the implementation of simple, but very important rules for caring for the plant. Today we suggest talking about the types, rules for choosing seedlings and the process of planting raspberries.
Types of raspberries
On the territory of the Russian Federation, only 3 types of raspberries can be found:
- The most hardy is considered to be raspberry traditional. It is distinguished by a regular harvest, medium-sized fruits - the weight of one berry is about 4 grams. This species perfectly adapts to environmental conditions.
- The largest crops are brought by raspberry remontant. In addition, it is incredibly resistant to cold. The weight of one raspberry of this species is also about 4 g.
- Great taste and large fruits are distinguished by large-fruited raspberries. This species is characterized by excellent transportability and abundant yields.
Why is it important to know what kind of raspberry belongs to, which you decided to plant on your site? This will help to choose the right plant care and fertilizers for him.
What varieties to choose?
Of course, completely different varieties are suitable for different regions of Russia. For example, in the south of the country, gardeners recommend cultivating Diamond Raspberries. From one bush you can collect about 3 kilograms of aromatic fruits. It is worth noting that they begin to pour in August, and therefore in other parts of Russia they will not have time to ripen. Another variety suitable for the south is Eurasia. Raspberries of this variety are characterized by large fruits, their weight is about 5 grams. From one bush you can collect at least 2.5 kg of berries. No less good is the yellow raspberry of the Orange Miracle variety. From one bush, reaching a height of 170 cm, you can collect about 2.5 kg of sweet dessert berries.
Speaking of raspberry varieties for the Moscow region, it is worth noting “Polka”. This raspberry is completely unpretentious in care, is resistant to various pests and diseases. In addition, "Polka" tolerates frosts well. Its fruits have a sweet and sour taste and good indicators of transportability. Another variety suitable for the region is Husar. Berries on shrubs of this variety begin to ripen in July. They have a rich red color, pronounced raspberry aroma. It is also important that the "Husar" is easy to care for, does not require garter. It tolerates frosts raspberries varieties "Patricia". Bushes begins to bear fruit in early July, which is why the variety is called early. The weight of berries can vary from 4 to 12 grams.
Among the best varieties for Siberia and the Urals, it can be noted “Scarlet Sail” - a variety that is winter-hardy and hardy, the beautiful “Runaway” with apricot fruits, and ripening berries together. No less popular is Kuzmin’s News. This variety is resistant to fungal diseases, it is characterized by high winter hardiness. Raspberry Barnaulskaya, which has incredible frost resistance, is also suitable for these regions of Russia. Sweet fruits will appreciate the variety "Reward".
Selection of seedlings
Before planting, you need to choose raspberry seedlings. They should not be very thick, but thin will not work. It is best to choose seedlings of medium thickness. It is important that they have a well-developed root system, the presence of one or two formed stems is mandatory. Gardeners warn: large raspberry bushes do not take root well. Of course, there should not be rot or mold on the shoots or roots.
An important stage is the transportation of acquired raspberry seedlings: their root system should be wrapped in a damp cloth, and then lightly dug with earth on its site. It is imperative to prevent the roots from drying out! The main rule: planting material cannot be kept in plastic bags, the fact is that waterlogged roots can rot.
Landing time
Experts recommend planting raspberries in the spring - from mid-April to early May. It is imperative to catch the buds. However, the weather also plays a significant role in this: for example, if the heat begins in May, planting raspberries should be postponed until the fall, otherwise you will have to plant seedlings all summer and water them.
Seat selection
A special role is played by the choice of place. Raspberry is a perennial plant. How old is raspberry growing in one place? Around 12-15! Therefore, you need to think carefully about how to plant it in a place convenient for both yourself and the bush. Gardeners recommend placing seedlings in areas protected from wind and drafts. Best if the place is sunny. It is worth abandoning the planting of raspberries in partial shade, otherwise its yield may noticeably decrease. Please note: shoots should be planted in the direction from the north-east to the south-west and from north to south.
Often, for beginner gardeners, the question arises: how exactly to plant fruit bushes if a trench or tape planting is planned? It is necessary to plant raspberries in such a way that it is possible to freely pass between the bushes. This may be required for garter shoots, harvesting or processing plants. Gardeners say: in order to reduce the risk of freezing fruit buds, raspberries can be planted in one row along outbuildings. The fact is that it is these places that are usually best swept by snow.
Soil preparation
In general, raspberries prefer fertile loamy soils. But she absolutely does not tolerate the proximity of groundwater: her bushes begin to die, productivity decreases. For this reason, weed removal is recommended on time. The main thing that a gardener who plants raspberries in open ground should know - the roots of raspberries are superficial, which means that you do not need to deeply loosen the earth. For spring plantings, the soil should begin to be prepared in the fall. It is necessary to add ash and humus to it.
Please note: raspberries spread very quickly throughout the site. For this reason, it is recommended to immediately make a restriction: it is necessary to dig iron or boards into the ground to a depth of about 20-30 cm, which will not allow the roots to grow.
Seedling preparation
Before planting raspberries, it is necessary to inspect the seedlings, remove the roots that are damaged or rotten. From the roots, growths, tumors, branches should also be removed. Too long roots need to be shortened. It will be useful to immerse the roots of seedlings in a solution of mullein and clay. To prepare it, you need to take one part of clay, two parts of mullein and five parts of water. The mixture must be thoroughly mixed and immersed in raspberry roots.
Landing
How to place raspberries on the site? You can do this with bushes - that is, raspberries will grow in a bunch of 6-10 stems, the distance between them will be about 50 cm, and between the rows will be at least one and a half meters. When choosing this arrangement, gardeners advise to plant raspberries in a checkerboard pattern. Another option is a tape landing. The shoots are planted in one line, the distance between them is 20-30 cm. The distance between the tapes should be at least a meter. All excess shoots during tape landing should be cut. In addition, you will need a support or trellis. Gardeners recommend digging in neat columns at the edges of a line with raspberries and pulling on a wire: the first row is about 30 cm from the ground, the second is about a meter. Shoots must be tied to the wire, this will help protect them from strong gusts of wind.
The planting process itself when choosing any of the two options is exactly the same: in the ground you need to make a hole in which the roots can fit freely, water it abundantly. Then it is necessary to establish a sapling (strictly vertically), fill the roots with earth. At the same time, you should shake the shoots a little and gradually compact the ground. It is very important that the root collar is at ground level. The fact is that if you deepen it deeply, raspberries will grow poorly, and if you leave it above the ground, the root buds from which new shoots grow will dry.
Repair raspberries
Let's move on to raspberry remontant. Planting and caring for it practically does not differ from those procedures that are performed with simple raspberry seedlings. The only thing to consider is that the repair raspberries must be cut to the ground every autumn. Another important feature: almost all new varieties of raspberry remontant are characterized by an abundance of side shoots and crops. Therefore, it is extremely important to establish supports and tie up branches with berries so that they do not break.
Raspberry Care
What does caring for this plant include? First of all, pruning raspberries, watering them, timely fertilizing. Let's talk about everything in more detail.
It is very important to timely fertilize. For example, in mid-autumn raspberries should be fertilized with organic top dressing. To do this, you need to take two or three buckets of peat or humus on each raspberry bush and add about 100 grams of urea or nitrate. With weak growth of shoots at the end of April, a whole bucket of the so-called organic “talker” should be poured under each plant: it consists of one bucket of water, one shovel of manure, 5 grams of urea or saltpeter. After fertilizing, loosen the soil around the bushes and under them.
It is equally important to prune raspberries correctly: thin damaged stems must be cut. It is best to leave 6-7 healthy strong shoots. In the event that you leave a larger number of shoots and do not remove the shoots, the raspberry crop will significantly decrease. In early spring, gardeners recommend pruning the stems at a height of about 160 cm. This should be done because the middle is considered the most productive part of the shrub - this is where the largest fruits are formed.
Very often, beginner gardeners think about how to water raspberries. It is worth noting that raspberry trees usually do not need spring-summer watering. The exception is summer drought. But in autumn, the bushes need to be shed well with water, the fact is that at this time, growth points of shoots are laid.