Raspberries are one of the most popular berries in the people. You can meet this plant in the forest, where it forms dense thickets, as well as in cottages and personal plots. In our article you can learn more about what raspberries are, what are the features of its cultivation, as well as useful properties. In addition, we will consider the most popular varieties of this culture.
general description
So what is raspberry? Raspberry is a perennial culture with a very winding and developed rhizome, on which the additional roots are formed. The aboveground branches of the plant are erect, reaching a height of 2.5 m. During the first year, the leaves of raspberries are green, have a barely noticeable bluish bloom. The bushes are grassy, the stems are covered with thin spikes. However, by the second year, the branches of raspberries begin to harden, becoming a bright brown color. After fruiting, the shoots die, but new stems grow from the same root bud with the onset of spring.
We continue to consider what raspberries are, as well as its general description. On the stem of this plant are complex leaves of an oval shape. Each leaf is covered with hairs and has a whitish tint. The flowers are white, have a large number of pistils and stamens. The inflorescences emit a subtle honey aroma. They are collected in miniature brushes located on the tops of branches or in the axils of the leaves.
Fruit
Talking about what raspberries are, its fruits should be mentioned without fail. These very fragrant and sweet berries are small in size, composed of drupes that have grown into a complex fruit. It is interesting to note that the shade of berries can be either light pink, or yellow or burgundy. Sometimes varieties with black fruits are also found. In such cases, the question arises in people: "What is it - raspberry or blackberry?"
Repairing grades
In general, thanks to the work of breeders, many different varieties of this culture are currently bred. All of them are divided into repair and non-repair. What is remont raspberry? People who are just about to grow this berry in their garden will probably ask a similar question.
Considering what repair raspberries are, it should be noted that such varieties include those that are able to bear fruit continuously throughout the season. After flowering, the bush begins to bear fruit, but at the same time its development does not stop. Following the fruits that have appeared, new flowers form again, and so repeats in a circle several times. If you have such bushes on your site, you can harvest the crop throughout the summer and autumn.
You should also pay attention to the fact that the repairing varieties have another interesting feature: the fruits are formed on both biennial and annual shoots. Unfortunately, this greatly weakens the plant.
So that flowering is not only frequent, but also plentiful, and you collected a large number of berries at the end of summer and with the advent of autumn, special attention should be paid to young shoots, whose age is less than one year. Last year's processes must be cut immediately after the first harvest of the season. With proper care of the repairing varieties, you will be able to collect delicious fruits until November from healthy and strong shoots.
What is raspberry remontant, we have sorted it out. Now it is worth telling in more detail about non-repairing varieties of culture.
Non-permanent varieties
The most common variety of this plant is traditional raspberry. She can reward you with medium-sized sweet berries, but she bears fruit only once a season, starting in late June and ending in early August. In traditional species, the yield is average, but its peculiarity lies in the fact that when you have a powerful root system, the culture adapts perfectly to the climate, as well as to various environmental changes. Thus, raspberries give young growth.
Stacked Raspberries
What is it - standard raspberries? Many probably heard such a phrase, but they have no idea what this type of garden culture is. The peculiarity of this variety of raspberries lies in powerful, thick, erect branched shoots. After pinching, they look like a small tree. What is raspberry repairing, standard, non-repairing, we have discussed above. And now it is worthwhile to familiarize yourself in more detail with the most common varieties of this garden delicious culture.
"Yellow sweetened"
This variety is very productive, so many gardeners liked it. One bush per season can produce up to 4 kg of berries. The fruits are elongated in shape, the weight of one berry is about 5 g. The berries are distinguished by a pale yellow color, as well as a rich bright aroma. After ripening, as a rule, the fruits do not fall off the bushes for a long time.
"Golden autumn"
What is Raspberry Golden Autumn? This is such a variety of remont raspberries, which is distinguished by golden yellow berries that have a slight pubescence. The fruits themselves are sweet, large, have a bright aroma. It should be noted that the berry of this raspberry variety is well transported, which is why it can be grown for sale. Also, this variety is suitable for the manufacture of freeze-dried raspberries. What is sublimated raspberry? These are pure fruits that dehydrate to one tenth of their original weight without various preservatives. You can restore them if necessary with warm water.
Tarusa
This variety belongs to the standard. The raspberry bush is slender, decorative, with no spikes on it. The yield of one bush is more than 5 kg per season. The berries are bright red, have small bones. The weight of one fruit is about 10 g. The aroma is intense, but the taste is not particularly pronounced, therefore this variety is used in most cases for blanks.
Hercules
This raspberry variety is usually classified as large-fruited. The high-yielding repairing variety has large fruits, the weight of which reaches 8 g. Individual specimens can be up to 15 g in weight. The first crop can be harvested already in mid-July, and the second raspberry can give in late August. Fruiting lasts until the first frost.
Landing Features
Despite the fact that raspberries are very successfully propagated independently, it is still worthwhile to devote some time to planting and choosing a place. If you want green bushes to please you with high productivity, then you should pay attention to every little thing when growing. It is best to also prepare in advance trellises for raspberries. What is a trellis? This is a certain kind of support that helps the bush to develop in the right direction and not to lean over the branches under the weight of the fruit.
Landing place
If you decide to update your suburban area with young raspberry bushes, you must first select the right place. Raspberry prefers to grow in places where there are no drafts. In addition, the area should be well warmed up. If the site is protected from the wind, then in winter snow will accumulate on it, which will play the role of a natural insulation for bushes. With the advent of spring, melted snow will saturate the soil with moisture, which is necessary for the successful growth of shoots.
The soil
The site in advance will need to be cleaned of weeds, carefully dig it. Digging the soil is necessary to a depth of about 30 cm. If you plan to plant bushes in the spring, it is best to prepare the soil before winter frosts. In the case of an autumn landing, this action should be done at least one month in advance. During digging, mineral and organic top dressings are introduced into the soil to make it more fertile. Excellent culture will feel on the drained soil, in which moisture will not stagnate. But it should be ensured that the root system does not dry out.
Watering
Raspberry bushes will not tolerate excess moisture in the soil. This measure should be carried out often, but at the same time abundantly so that the root system can completely nourish the entire plant with water. Under medium temperature conditions, the soil is moistened 1-2 times a week. It is especially important to observe this rule during the ripening period of berries. If raspberries are not watered, then the yield will be several times lower.
Fertilizer application
If the bushes receive timely nutrition, then your raspberries will bear fruit well. The enrichment of the soil with organic top dressing must be carried out in the spring, when the ground has just begun to warm up. In this case, nitrogen is added in the form of fertilizers. In the second or third year, the bushes will need additional potassium salt and superphosphate.
Pruning
A prerequisite for the care and cultivation of raspberries is pruning. Thanks to this, your berries will be large, and the site with raspberries is accessible and not overgrown. Before buds open in spring, damaged, dry and extinct shoots must be removed. The tops of the bushes are trimmed to a height of about 150 cm from the soil. Excess branches are removed, thereby reducing the risk of infection with various diseases.
Possible diseases and pests
Periodically, it is also necessary to carry out pest control in raspberries. What is pest control? This is a culture treatment from various kinds of insects. Raspberry bushes are often attacked by strawberry weevil, raspberry moth, and leaf aphid. To avoid this kind of misfortune, it is necessary to spray shrubs with drugs that are sold in any flower shop with the advent of spring in order to prevent.
As for the disease, this culture can get rust, powdery mildew, chlorosis, and anthracnose. To get rid of rust, infected shoots will need to be cut and burned. The remaining healthy branches are sprayed with a solution of Bordeaux fluid (1%). Bordeaux fluid, which is used for prevention with the advent of spring, also helps against anthracnose. Bordeaux liquid is also used to combat powdery mildew.
Useful properties of berries
Fresh raspberries are very beneficial for the body. They contain a large amount of glucose, fructose, sucrose and other elements and vitamins. Raspberry seeds contain fatty acids, fatty oils, as well as sitosterol and phytosterol. The leaves contain a large amount of ascorbic acid, volatile, tannins, calcium, potassium, iron, manganese.
Specialists recommend eating fruits to those people who have problems with digestion, as well as urination. Since it contains salicylic acid. Berries can also be used for antipyretic purposes, as well as anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and diaphoretic.
Berries can be consumed both in dried and in fresh form. Fruits are able to preserve all their useful properties in the form of jam, jam or jam.
As for the leaves, in their young form they are used for the preparation of vitamin medicinal tea.
Shoots of the first year and berries can be used in the form of infusions for influenza, SARS, scurvy, malaria, various colds, as well as to improve the digestive tract. With a breakdown, raspberries are also very useful for humans. Experts recommend eating fresh berries throughout the season in case of eczema.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that raspberries can not be called a whimsical plant in the cultivation. However, in order to collect a large crop, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules of care and planting.