Caring for raspberries in spring: necessary measures for an excellent harvest. How to properly care for raspberries in spring What frosts can raspberries tolerate in spring

Most raspberry varieties do not have good winter hardiness. Despite the fact that breeders have managed to adapt some varieties to very significant drops in temperature, raspberries often need protection from freezing. To preserve berry bushes, it is important to properly prepare raspberries for winter. If you follow all the basic recommendations, then the next season will certainly please you with a bountiful harvest.

Why do raspberries freeze?

The winter hardiness indicators of raspberries are directly dependent on the timely stop of shoot growth and their development. The ripening of wood must stop in time. If the autumn warmth is quite long, then the raspberry bushes will go into winter without having time to form their shoots completely and without shedding their leaves entirely. It is these shoots that often freeze out and die quite quickly.

Damage to flower buds may also be observed in the middle and upper lobes of berry bushes. The tops usually die due to their immaturity, and the shoots located in the middle parts die due to insufficient protection by snow cover.

Preparing raspberry bushes for winter

As a rule, experienced gardeners begin preparing their plots for winter in July. During this period, it is important to completely stop applying nitrogen-containing fertilizers to raspberry bushes. And they begin to prepare them to reduce such feeding at the very beginning of summer. This is necessary so that the raspberry bushes can cope with the difficult test of frost without damaging the future harvest. That is, it is extremely undesirable to overfeed raspberry plantings with nitrogen.

If manure acts as mulch, then it should be placed on the beds until mid-June, no later. If any other material is used as mulch, and manure is used exclusively in the form of diluted liquid fertilizer, then it is stopped applied towards the end of July.

With the onset of September, the tops of the shoots begin to be pinched - this can be done simultaneously with cutting out the fruit-bearing stems. Despite the fact that this procedure does not provide for the possibility of secondary growth, the raspberry bushes will be able to stock up on all the elements they require for a safe winter.

By about mid-September, it is necessary to get rid of the apical parts of the shoots, because in any case they are unlikely to survive the winter. And you shouldn’t count on their secondary growth either. Trimming the tops is useful because it allows the raspberries to accumulate a sufficient number of different varieties by winter. nutrients. It is recommended to shorten the shoots by no more than ten centimeters, but not less than five. Most often, the limit is considered to be the first fully developed kidney.

Also, in the fall, excess shoots should be trimmed. Moreover, such shoots are always cut off strictly at the root. Some gardeners sometimes leave several of these shoots as reserves - they can be useful in case of particularly severe damage to raspberry bushes in winter. The raspberry rows are carefully loosened, while adding fertilizing with a tablespoon of superphosphate and two tablespoons of potassium sulfate. In principle, this combination can be replaced with ordinary ash - in this case, two glasses of ash are added for each square meter.

In mid-October, raspberry bushes are earthed up - earthing up will help prevent the vulnerable root system from freezing. And after the mulching is completed, the berry bushes are bent to the ground and secured in this position. However, even such a procedure is not always able to reliably protect raspberry shoots from freezing. In this situation, frozen shoots are shortened again in the spring. If there is slight freezing, only their shrunken tops are cut off. If the freezing is quite serious, then you still shouldn’t rush to cut out the entire shoots - even if their upper parts are frozen completely, the living buds located just below are in any case capable of producing at least a small harvest.

In winter, raspberry bushes bent to the ground need to be provided with constant access to air, piercing the ice crusts as they form. It is also important to ensure that the raspberries are well covered with snow - in winters with little snow, additional snow is added to the bent bushes so that they are completely covered with it. Only in this case can we talk about reliable protection against freezing.

Caring for raspberries in the spring is the key to a good harvest and healthy plantings. The article discusses the main stages of caring for raspberries in April and May. Many novice gardeners think that raspberries do not need special attention, but this is not true. To obtain good harvest you have to work hard.

It is not correct to think that raspberries grow on their own. By itself, it grows only in the forest, where the raspberry bush quickly turns into dense thorny thickets. The high content of nutrients turns raspberries into a real pharmacy. It has been established that it contains more vitamin C than berries.

How to care for raspberries in spring to get a good harvest

In order to enjoy delicious raspberries in the summer, in the spring it is important not to be late with fertilizing, pruning and pest control

Raspberry plants require heat and often do not tolerate severe frosts. If there is insufficient snow cover, the aboveground part of the plants often freezes, especially if the bushes grow in an elevated place. It is important to plant raspberries in lighted areas, protected from cold winds and with sufficient snow cover.

In early spring, experienced gardeners check the condition of overwintered raspberries. Immediately after the snow melts, it is necessary to inspect the plantings. Check how the raspberry bushes overwintered and whether there is any frost damage. If you didn’t have time to cut out fruit-bearing shoots in the fall, be sure to do it in the spring.

How to peel raspberries in spring

Raspberries were not cut from the plot in the fall. Raspberries grow a lot and require care. It will be difficult to cope with such an area in the spring.

Cutting out last year's shoots is an important preventive measure. It is better to peel raspberries from fruit-bearing shoots in the fall, but often there is not enough time for this or cold weather sets in unexpectedly. In early spring, shoots remaining from last year's fall are cut down to the ground, old leaves are removed (they may be affected by diseases) and burned.

Immediately after the snow melts, raspberry shoots bent for the winter should be untied and straightened.

The shoots bent for the winter are untied and tied to the trellis. If the raspberry shoots were bent and tied for the winter, then in early spring the branches must be untied and straightened. This work of caring for raspberries should be done immediately after the snow melts. Buds that are closer to the ground may bloom prematurely. If the cold returns, which often happens in the spring, the swollen buds may suffer and freeze.

Plants with exposed root systems are covered with soil. The soil around the bushes is mulched, that is, covered with humus, compost or peat at the rate of 4-5 kg ​​per bush. After lifting the bushes and cutting out old, broken shoots that bear fruit that year, the raspberries are tied to the trellises. Typically, trellises are made in one or two rows of thin stakes, wire, and twine. The trellises are secured to stakes driven into the ground.

• Cut out old shoots at the root
• Clear the plantings of fallen leaves and burn them
• Untie and straighten the branches, tie them to the trellis
• Cover exposed roots with soil and mulch with peat or compost.

Spring pruning of shoot tips

The tops froze over the winter. They must be cut back to the first living bud.

In the spring, the tops of raspberry branches are cut off. This should not be done immediately after tying to the trellises, but wait a little until the buds open. When the topmost bud opens, it will be clear whether the top of the shoot has frozen over the winter or not. Trim the top to the first blossoming bud. It is advisable to trim the tops in any case, since spring pruning stimulates the formation of fruit-bearing side shoots.

Trim the tops to the first living bud.

Caring for raspberries in early spring before buds open

Particular attention should be paid to the condition of the soil in the raspberry field. Throughout the season, the soil under the bushes should be weed-free and loose. If you miss the moment and do not cultivate the soil, the raspberry tree will quickly become overgrown with weeds, and old leaves that are not removed will serve as a source of all kinds of fungal diseases. In addition, some pests overwinter under old leaves and underground and will happily reproduce.

Soil maintenance around raspberries and early spring loosening

Do not dig up the soil near raspberry plants. Raspberry roots are not deep, and digging in the spring can damage the root system. Digging is done only between the rows in the fall. In early spring, the soil is loosened to a depth of 5-10 cm. Raspberries love loose, nutritious, moist soil. In the forest, wild raspberries grow under a thick layer of old rotted leaves. After loosening the soil around the plants, mulch.

Mulching the soil in a raspberry garden

Mulching raspberries ensures moisture retention and the presence of organic material in the soil. As mulch, you can use rotted sawdust, tops of root crops, such as beets or carrots, peat, compost, and humus. Then the soil around the plants is mulched. means covering the soil with some kind of material; in the case of raspberries, this is organic material: straw manure, rotted sawdust, peat, compost.

Under mulch, the soil becomes more fertile, loose, and retains more moisture. Under mulch, earthworms reproduce well, converting organic matter into humus. Mulch suppresses the growth of weeds, increases soil fertility, and improves temperature and air conditions. If the soil is very wet and dense, then mulching is not recommended. It’s better to just loosen it in spring and apply fertilizer.

Fertilizing raspberries in spring

For the first two years after planting, with good pre-planting preparation, fertilizers may not be applied.
Raspberries are very responsive to care, including the application of fertilizers, both organic and mineral. In early spring, nitrogen fertilizers are applied during loosening.

It is best to add urea. Urea is applied along the entire row of plants in a strip of 50-70 cm. Urea should be applied annually in early spring. Then mulch the soil. The rate of application of nitrogen fertilizers per 1 square meter.

• Urea 8 gr.
• Ammonium nitrate 10-12 g.
• During the period of berry ripening and fruiting, nitrogen fertilizers are not applied.
• In the fall, after harvesting, potassium and phosphorus fertilizers are applied.

Control of raspberry diseases and pests

At proper care for raspberries you will get an excellent harvest of berries

Raspberries, like other berry bushes, are susceptible to viral and fungal diseases and pest attacks. In early spring, before the buds open, raspberries and the soil under the bushes are sprayed with 3% Bordeaux mixture or 0.5-1% copper oxychloride solution. Borods mixture is used to combat raspberry pathogens and as a general sanitary measure.

During the season, plantings are periodically inspected to identify diseased plants and preventive measures are carried out. Early spring spraying of the soil under bushes and dormant buds with fungicides, including Bordeaux mixture, will destroy many pathogens. To prevent fungal and viral infections, raspberry plantings are sprayed 4 times per season:

• In early spring on dormant buds
• Before flowering
• Immediately after flowering
• After harvest

To combat insects and mites, raspberries are sprayed with insecticides depending on the specific situation, especially in the first half of summer. Timely spring work to care for raspberries increases the resistance of plants and creates unfavorable conditions for the development of diseases.

A short list of spring activities for caring for raspberries before the leaves bloom (April, May)

1. Inspection and untying of overwintered plantings
2. Cutting out last year's shoots at the root (if you didn't have time in the fall)
3. Tying raspberry shoots to trellises or in another way
4. Trimming the tops of shoots by 10-15 cm or to the first living bud
5. Early spring loosening of the soil under bushes
6. Application of nitrogen fertilizers and mulching
7. Spraying with fungicides (Bordeaux mixture) to prevent diseases.

Proper spring care of raspberries will allow you to avoid infection of plantings with various fungal and viral infections, reap a good harvest and ensure the growth of healthy shoots throughout the summer. In spring, you need to pay attention to other shrubs. Strawberries are often planted next to raspberries. Read the article on how to properly care for strawberries in spring.

The right start is the key to a good harvest. The secret of double pruning.

Cutting out fruit-bearing shoots is an important agrotechnical technique.

Raspberries are one of the most favorite berries cultivated by summer residents throughout Russia. But so that the raspberry bushes summer cottage Every year they delight you with tasty and large berries; they require care, starting from the very first days of spring. In spring, raspberry bushes require special attention.

The rich harvest that you can harvest during the summer months depends on how correct and timely the care of raspberries is in the spring.

Early Season Growing Guide

With the beginning of the dacha season, many of us are concerned about landscaping the land on our personal plot. After all, spring is the best time for planting young trees and shrubs, and raspberries are no exception. Following simple, generally accepted rules for growing this berry bush will help you get a rich annual harvest of aromatic and favorite berries.

The most important rule for growing raspberries in the spring is that planting should be done before the buds bloom on the trees. Many novice gardeners do not know about this and delay planting until summer, which is extremely unfavorable for the full rooting of the shrub. It is necessary to think about choosing a location and preparing the soil for a future raspberry garden as soon as the ground is free of snow.

When choosing a place to plant raspberries, it is worth considering the illumination of the selected area, its protection from strong winds and relative soil moisture. Raspberries should not be planted in swampy or windy areas; this will not bring a good harvest and will spoil the taste even good varieties berries It is best to grow it in areas where legumes, cucumbers or zucchini previously grew.

You need to prepare the area for planting in the spring in the fall. To do this, remove all fallen leaves from the ground and remove all vegetation. Afterwards, all the necessary fertilizers are added to the soil and carefully dug up.

The area prepared in this way can be covered with mulch or covered with dark polyethylene - this procedure will speed up the spring melting of snow. Compliance simple rules on the cultivation of raspberry crops given later in this article will help you get a good harvest of berries in the first year of cultivation.

How to plant?

The following information will be useful for beginning gardeners. Spring planting raspberries in open ground produced in April or May. You can plant it with two different ways- into holes or trenches. To plant a seedling in a hole, it is necessary to prepare a hole with a diameter of 0.5 meters and a depth of about 40 cm. The trench is made of the same depth and half a meter wide. The best location for planting is from north to south, this will provide the bushes with full sunlight throughout the day.

Garden raspberries are a very heat-loving plant, so when choosing a place to plant them, you should avoid shady and windy areas. For those who are going to plant several trenches with seedlings at once, it is necessary to remember that the distance between them should be from one and a half to two meters.

When planting in holes, seedlings are placed two in each hole at a distance of about 70 cm from each other. Planting in a trench is done one bush at a time at a distance of 35 cm from each other.

For planting, healthy seedlings with two or three shoots and a well-developed root system should be selected. During the planting process, in order for the space between the roots to be evenly filled with soil, lowering the seedling into a hole or trench, it must be slightly shaken. You should not bury the seedling too far into the ground - this can delay the development of the plant, and planting it too close to the surface can destroy the root buds. The ideal planting is such that, after watering and shrinkage of the soil, the root bud will be flush with the surface of the earth.

To prevent the soil in the raspberry garden from drying out, after planting and watering the bushes, it is mulched. To do this, you can use compost, humus, sawdust or peat; in extreme cases, you can use ordinary cardboard. The final stage of planting is pruning young seedlings to a height of approximately 35-45 cm above the ground, while buds that have not yet begun to grow should remain on the bush. This pruning will help ensure the most favorable survival rate of young seedlings.

How to care?

Caring for raspberries in early spring includes treatment for diseases and pests, as well as staking raspberry vines. Immediately after winter, it is necessary to carry out prevention against attacks on the bushes by its most dangerous enemies, such as:

• stem gall midge;
• raspberry weevil;

• stem fly;
• raspberry beetle.

As a rule, the larvae of these pests hide in the layer of fallen leaves in late autumn, where they calmly endure the harsh winter, so timely cleaning of the raspberry tree in early spring will to some extent help solve the problem. But, unfortunately, cleaning alone will not completely cope with harmful insects. Therefore, after thorough cleaning, it is necessary to spray the shoots with special compounds against pests. This must be done even before the first buds begin to hatch on the bushes.

The most effective remedy in the fight against all of these pests is a fungicide solution or Bordeaux mixture. Raspberry beetle larvae can be destroyed by treating the shoots and soil with solutions of nitrafen, agravertine or fitoverm. To prepare them, take 200 ml of one of these drugs per bucket of water. A solution of fufanon or actellik in the proportions of 15 ml of the drug per bucket of water will help destroy raspberry gall midge larvae.

To get rid of stem flies, raspberry stems close to the ground are sprinkled with a good layer of mulching material, and in early May the ground is spilled with a solution of fitoverm, agravertine or actellik.

After treating the raspberry tree from pests, it is necessary to start staking the raspberry vines. It is especially important to tie up varieties with large and heavy fruits. The most common structure for tying shrubs is a trellis. How to build it correctly is shown in this figure.

You should not tie the raspberry stems to the trellis crossbars too tightly, fixing each vine in two places with twine or fabric strips. As a result, each bush should take the correct vertical position. You can also use regular stakes for gartering, which are driven between the plants. In this case, half of the stems from two neighboring bushes are tied to each peg. This method of garter will make it easier to care for the bushes, pick ripe berries, and everything else will not obscure the sunlight.

Trimming

Proper spring cleaning of raspberry bushes will guarantee a bountiful summer harvest and an increase in fruiting time. Raspberry bushes need to be processed in two stages in the spring.

The first stage involves the removal of weak, diseased and damaged shoots by winter frosts. First of all, it is necessary to remove from the plantings all stems damaged by stem gall midge larvae. On spring shoots without foliage, the habitats of this pest are clearly visible. They form characteristic swellings, mainly in the lower part of the stem.

After removing all damaged branches, to increase the yield, you need to do additional thinning of the stems, since excessively dense thickets interfere with raspberry yields. If thinning is done correctly, the bushes will receive all the necessary nutrients from the soil in abundance, and the berries will have enough sunlight to ripen.

At the second stage, you need to prune the bushes during bud break. The tops of all stems are pruned to the first healthy and full-fledged bud that has survived the winter well. All the tops of the bushes, without exception, should be trimmed - this will stimulate the formation of new fruitful shoots and increase the yield.

When growing raspberries using the strip method, the maximum planting density per linear meter should not exceed 25 vines. When bush planting, the maximum number of shoots that can be left during thinning should not exceed 12 pieces.

Top dressing

In addition to pruning, it is extremely important to feed raspberries with mineral fertilizers in the spring. It is necessary to fertilize the soil in a raspberry garden according to a certain scheme:

• The first fertilizing is carried out in thawed, but not loosened soil, which has just been freed from snow. For fertilizing, nitrogen fertilizers are used, such as urea or ammonium nitrate in an amount of 10 grams per square meter. Along with nitrogen fertilizers, it is advisable to pour one glass of ash into each vine. This will help neutralize soil acidification after adding ammonium nitrate, instead of which you can also use potassium nitrate, which contains nitrogen, which will also prevent soil acidification.
• After applying fertilizers, it is necessary to loosen and mulch the soil, which is carried out by adding organic matter to the soil: grassy humus, straw manure or peat compost.
• In May, it is recommended to spray raspberry bushes with manure solution, which is prepared in the proportion of 0.5 kg of manure per 10 liters of water. To process one square meter about five liters of solution will be required.

It should be remembered that before applying fertilizers, the soil in the raspberry garden must be thoroughly moistened. Ready-made complex fertilizer can be purchased at a country store, or you can prepare it yourself. To do this, you need to take two parts of superphosphate and mix it with one part of potassium and one part of ammonium nitrate. After which 100 grams of the finished mixture is diluted in ten liters of water.

Some gardeners prefer to fertilize raspberries only with organic matter; they adhere to the following proportions:

• fresh cow dung - one part per 10 liters of water;
• rabbit or goat droppings - one part per 10 liters of water;
• poultry droppings - one part per twenty liters of water;
• infusion of nettle and comfrey - one kilogram of greens per bucket cold water leave for one week, stirring daily. After which one liter of the finished infusion is mixed with 10 liters of water. To fertilize one raspberry bush you will need approximately two liters of the prepared solution.

How to replant?

If raspberries have been growing in the same area for more than ten years, then it would be advisable to transplant them to a new place. In general, raspberry transplantation is carried out according to the same principle as its initial planting. Next we will consider step-by-step instruction for transplantation in early spring:

• Need to find a suitable place garden plot. We remember that to provide planting with sunlight the best place for the formation of a new raspberry forest - from north to south.
• Depending on the planting method, we prepare trenches or holes, at the bottom of which we place fertilizer from a mixture of manure and fine sawdust.
• We dig up old raspberry bushes with rhizomes, from which we separate a small part of the root system with a healthy shoot for replanting. Such young shoots are formed in the root system from adventitious buds every year.
• Before planting, all prepared seedlings must be carefully checked for pest damage. For planting, we take only absolutely healthy specimens with a well-developed fibrous root system at least 15 centimeters long.

Having decided to transplant raspberry bushes to a new location, remember that growing raspberries should take place in well-moistened soils.

Since the roots of the shrub do not go deep, there must be enough moisture in the top layer of soil to nourish them. It is also necessary to fertilize the soil in a timely manner to ensure sufficient mineralization of the roots and carry out pruning to increase the fruiting period throughout the season.

How to reproduce?

With good care, raspberries reproduce very easily and quickly and tolerate transplantation to a new location well. There are several ways to propagate shrubs:

• The easiest way to propagate this berry bush is by lignified offspring., which are formed in the root system of the bush from adventitious buds. The healthiest and most productive bushes are chosen for propagation. One-year-old woody shoots, located approximately 30 centimeters from the mother bush, are dug up in early autumn, trying to preserve the maximum number of long roots. All offspring damaged by pests, as well as specimens with a poorly developed root system, should be discarded.
• In spring, it is easier to propagate raspberries using green root shoots. With this method, the raspberry bush is dug out of the ground very carefully so as not to damage the root system, and young shoots 10-20 centimeters high are separated from it, which need to be planted in a separate bed for growing. The seedlings will be ready for planting in the raspberry field only in the fall. For propagation, you cannot take plants with a flaccid top - this indicates that the bush has been damaged by a raspberry fly.

• If the raspberry stems are affected by any disease, then the best way to recreate a new healthy raspberry tree is propagation by root cuttings. This method is good both in spring and autumn. To propagate by cuttings, you need to carefully dig up the ground at a distance of approximately forty centimeters from the center of the bush and very carefully separate the adventitious root, trying to preserve as many branches as possible. After this, healthy roots with a diameter of at least two millimeters are divided into pieces of eight to ten centimeters in length, preserving the overgrown roots. Remember that each harvested cutting should have 1-2 healthy buds.

Root cuttings are planted in specially prepared and fertilized soil. Planting is carried out in shallow grooves with a depth of no more than ten centimeters, laying the cuttings one after another without additional spaces. Then sprinkle with soil and water thoroughly.

• The method of propagation by green cuttings is good for early summer. For propagation using this method, root suckers are used that were cut off during the process of thinning the raspberry tree. Select shoots 10-15 centimeters high, on which at least 2-3 full-fledged leaves have opened. Such shoots are carefully cut at the root, tied into piles of 10-15 pieces, after which each such bunch is placed in a 0.1% heteroauxin solution for 16 hours. After which the cuttings can be planted in a greenhouse. When the cuttings take root, after about 3-4 weeks they are dug up and planted in open ground for growing.

• When propagating valuable raspberry varieties that produce few root shoots, it is best to use method of dividing a bush. With this method, 2-3 young and healthy shoots with a well-developed root system are left on each part. This method allows you to divide each bush into 4-5 full-fledged seedlings.

When starting spring work in the raspberry field, it is extremely important not to trample the earth in it. Experienced gardeners advise building paths from light planks for such a case. Spring inspection of raspberry fields should begin immediately after the snow cover melts. If in the fall you did not have time to cut off the shoots that produced a harvest due to sudden snowfall, then this must be done in early spring. Such vines are cut down to the very roots, without leaving even small stumps on the surface. Next, it is necessary to conduct a thorough inspection of the young shoots, cutting off all frost-damaged areas from the vines down to the first living bud.

If in the fall the vines in the raspberry patch were tied and bent to the ground, they should be immediately released so that spring frosts do not destroy the awakening buds.

The larvae of the main raspberry pests overwinter in fallen leaves and become active with the onset of warm weather. Therefore, it is very important not to miss the moment when you can disfigure the soil in the raspberry patch to the maximum.

Another important advice from experienced gardeners - digging up the soil in a raspberry garden in the spring is strictly prohibited, even between rows - this can damage the root system of the plant. This procedure should be carried out only in the autumn. In spring, the soil in the raspberry patch is loosened, watered abundantly and mulched. This procedure is necessary to supply the root system of plants with a complex of nutrients and maintain soil moisture for a long time.

If the soil in the raspberry field has good natural moisture, mulching is not carried out on them; in this case, loosening and applying mineral fertilizers will be sufficient.

In harsh winters with little snow, there is a very high probability of raspberry shoots freezing (this is often observed in Belarus). It must be borne in mind that the culture of modern raspberries without special protection is not winter-hardy enough. However, winter-hardy raspberry varieties (for example, Siberian varieties Sayanka, Barnaulskaya, Alma-Ata) can withstand severe frosts of -30...-40 degrees only if there are no alternations of frost and thaw in winter. But these varieties are not of great interest to gardeners due to their small fruits.

Almost all new raspberry varieties are either introduced (brought from Canada, the USA, Western Europe), or hybrids of these varieties, obtained in various zones of Russia (mainly in the Moscow region and the Central Black Earth Region), in Ukraine.

The degree of winter hardiness of raspberries largely depends on the timely cessation of shoot growth and tissue ripening before the onset of frost. Therefore, all measures for successful overwintering of cultivated raspberries should be aimed specifically at tissue ripening.
In dry areas, regular irrigation of raspberries is required throughout the season for the full development and timely ripening of shoots.
Mulching in a raspberry garden (mulch for raspberries can be anything: fine rotted manure, peat, sawdust, straw, etc.) helps retain moisture in the soil. When mulching raspberries with sawdust in the spring, you will have to feed the plants with nitrogen. I mulch raspberries with manure in any form. Mulch from manure not only protects raspberry roots, but also feeds them: earthworms quickly convert manure into vermicompost - the most accessible fertilizer for plants.

In forest raspberries, with a low nitrogen content in the soil, shoot growth ends in a timely manner, leaves fall, and tissues ripen. Therefore, wild raspberries generally survive winter safely, despite the lack of care. In nature, raspberries grow in protected places - along the edges of forests, in forest clearings, in hollows, where there is practically no wind and a lot of snow accumulates in winter. But in production conditions and among amateur gardeners, raspberries are often grown on open plantations, blown by all the winds.

Until now, a significant part of the cultivated raspberry varieties remains unadapted to the local climate. Most of the imported varieties of cultivated raspberries go to winter with green leaves. Therefore, these shortcomings have to be compensated for by preparing the raspberries for wintering: carefully removing the leaves, bending them low and tying up the shoots, and covering them with snow.

Analysis of the winter hardiness factor of raspberries

Everything that is written below applies to raspberries that are not bent down for the winter and not covered with snow.

Winter hardiness- one of the main indicators of adaptation of raspberry varieties to new growth conditions. Non-winter-hardy raspberry varieties cannot be made winter-hardy by any agricultural techniques; they can only be protected from winter damage.

Due to the climate characteristics of some regions, isolated significant frosts in late autumn, early winter and spring (about -18...-20 degrees, which sometimes occurs, for example, in November or March) are dangerous for cultivated raspberries. In the absence of snow, a significant part of forest raspberries also often freezes during these periods.

Raspberry varieties that since the beginning of autumnundergo hardening in a timely manner(that is, the shoots quickly become frost-resistant) and are able to withstand fairly severe frosts. However, many raspberry varieties do not have the “autumn component” of winter hardiness: after early frosts, the bushes no longer produce a consistently high yield, even in the case of a mild winter.

The second important point when assessing the winter hardiness of raspberries is the ability of the variety to withstand the lowest temperatures in a given zone.

The third component of raspberry winter hardiness is the ability of the variety not to lose hardening to low temperatures during the thaw period. In changeable weather conditions in winter, only those raspberry varieties are preserved whose shoots do not lose their hardening during the thaw period. Sometimes there is enough thaw within a day, and then many varieties of raspberries are left without a harvest. Often, after a long winter thaw, the temperature drops within a day from slightly positive to the usual frost of -17...-20 degrees, which can be disastrous for the harvest of many varieties of raspberries.

The fourth component of the winter hardiness of a raspberry variety is its ability to regain hardening to low temperatures after winter thaws.
Thus, winter thaws are no less dangerous for raspberries than maximum frosts. Even many Siberian raspberry varieties cannot withstand thaws.

For overwintering raspberries, it is of particular importance winter drying outshoots. Drying of raspberries is observed in areas with strong winter winds during the warming period. In such a situation, the thawed wood of raspberry shoots, under the influence of the wind, releases more water than is necessary to retain moisture for the further life of the shoot tissue (after all, during this period, moisture does not enter the shoots from the root system).
Drying of raspberry shoots mainly occurs in large open areas in early spring, when the air temperature is already positive and the soil is still frozen. In case of prolonged and severe frosts, due to weakening under the influence of very dry weather, raspberry shoots can also dry out in winter.

How to understand why raspberry shoots died in winter?
If raspberries are damaged by frost during the spring activation of growth processes, the wood of the shoots and the base of the buds necessarily turn brown.
If the death of raspberry shoots occurred due to drying out, then browning of the shoots is not observed; then the bark of the shoots may have a wrinkled appearance.

Root system Raspberries are significantly more frost-resistant than many fruit and berry crops and can withstand temperature drops in the root layer of soil down to -16 degrees or more. Therefore, if during frosts there is a sufficient layer of snow on the soil surface (at least 25 cm), then the raspberry root system does not freeze even at temperatures of -36 degrees and below, as can be seen after harsh winters.

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Raspberries are known to everyone as a beautiful and useful shrub, from which, with the appropriate desire and skill, you can get berries throughout the season. But in order to achieve a consistently high yield, it is necessary to provide the bushes with normal nutrition, proper care, promptly and correctly trim the bushes, feed them and protect them from pests. Below we will look at how to care for raspberries in the spring, ensuring normal growth and fruiting of the raspberry tree.

It is recommended to begin spring work on caring for raspberry bushes immediately after the snow melts, when the average daytime temperature reaches 5 degrees. Typically these dates occur in March or early April.

The list of spring activities includes the following events:

1. Inspecting the bushes to detect frost and some shortcomings that were not eliminated in the fall.
2. Cutting out fruit-bearing shoots if this was not done in the fall. The shoots are known to live only two years. In the first year, their active growth is observed, and in the second year they bear fruit, after which they die off. It is the two-year-old shoots that bear fruit that are cut out at the very base in the spring.
3. Bush pruning.
4. Soil cultivation.
5. Fertilizing raspberries.
6. Measures are being taken to combat raspberry pests and diseases.
7. The trellises are repaired, the wire is stretched, and the pruned shoots are tied up. If the bushes need to be opened after wintering, the covering material is rolled up and stored. After this, the raspberries are tied to the trellises. This prevents damage to it in strong winds or from the weight of its own fruits, and also makes it easier to care for the bushes.

Pruning raspberry bushes in spring

In early spring it is necessary to prune the bushes. If this is not done, the growth of the shoots weakens, many thin sprouts appear, which take over the strength of the bush. They do not bear fruit and do not allow the bush to develop.

In addition to fruit-bearing ones, damaged, frozen or rotten shoots are also cut out. Weak shoots are also removed, which contribute to the thickening of the planting.

Thus, the bushes are freed from unnecessary ballast. If the raspberries are planted using the bush method, then it is enough to leave 4-6 of the strongest shoots per bush. With a trench arrangement of rows, no more than 13-16 shoots are allowed per 1 linear meter.

The frozen tops of the shoots are trimmed down to living tissue.

Pruning technique

Strong and healthy shoots after winter need to be pruned technically correctly. This helps produce larger berries. Each shoot is cut to a height not exceeding 160 cm. If the shoots do not reach such a height, then they are cut off in any case.

Typically, the length of the cropped area does not exceed 25 cm. You can shorten raspberries more, but this will lead to a decrease in its yield. There are also other pruning methods developed by professional gardeners. Whether to use them or not, each person decides for himself.

Cutting to different lengths

This pruning method is used to obtain a harvest throughout the season.

All shoots are conditionally divided into 4 groups, which are shortened to different lengths:

1. Some shoots are shortened traditionally, by about 15 cm.
2. The second part is 30 cm.
3. The third part is half its length.
4. The last part is cut off almost near the base. Only a stump about 3 cm high is left.

The first harvest comes from traditionally pruned shoots. Then the next group, shortened by 30 cm, begins to bear fruit. The shoots that have been cut off almost completely are the last to bear fruit. Thus, the fruits will ripen until the end of summer.

Double pruning according to the Sobolev method

It has been noticed that double pruning is more effective than regular pruning. If you do this operation correctly, you can increase the yield by 2-3 times.

It is performed in this order:

1. The first pruning is done at the end of May. From young shoots that have reached a height of 80-100 cm, the tops 10-15 cm long are cut off. The upward growth of the shoot stops, but the active formation of lateral shoots occurs. Until August, up to 4-6 shoots can be formed on one shoot. In this state, the raspberries will overwinter. Important! If you delay the first pruning, the shoots will not have time to reach the required length and mature normally by the fall. Consequently, the risk of them freezing in winter will increase.
2. The second pruning is carried out in the spring of next year, after the leaves bloom. All side shoots that were formed over the previous year are cut off by 10-15 cm. This will lead to the activation of dormant buds located on the trunk. New branches will begin to develop from them. Such bushes bear fruit until September inclusive and are characterized by high productivity.

Spring feeding of raspberries

When spring comes, it is recommended to fertilize raspberries. This issue is especially relevant in cases where the bushes are planted on poor soils. Or if the raspberries have never been fertilized before, for example, they were left over from the previous owners.

There are several options for fertilizing, any of which can be used on raspberries:

1. When the snow has just melted, nitrogen fertilizers are applied to the raspberry field. For each square of soil, 10-15 g of urea or ammonium nitrate is consumed. Nitrogen fertilizers acidify the soil, so it is recommended to add 1 cup of sifted ash to each bush. It neutralizes soil acidity. Fertilizers are scattered in the raspberry field and incorporated into the soil by loosening.
2. You can also prepare a complex fertilizer. To do this, mix 2 parts of superphosphate with 1 part of ammonium nitrate and 1 part of potassium nitrate. 100 g of this mixture is diluted in 10 liters of water and used for irrigation.
3. You can also use organic fertilizer. To do this, 1 part of fresh mullein is diluted in 10 parts of water, after which the plants are watered. This feeding will ensure the growth of weak shoots. Fertilization with fresh mullein is carried out only in the spring. If you use mullein throughout the season, the shoots will grow rapidly and will not have time to ripen by winter.
4. Another option is organic feeding. Poultry droppings are diluted in water in a ratio of 1:20. You can use goat or rabbit droppings, diluting it with water in a ratio of 1:10. This mixture is poured over raspberries.
5. Good organic fertilizer can be obtained even if you do not have any living creatures. To do this, fill an empty barrel with freshly cut grass, and then fill it with water. Within 10-14 days, the grass is fermented and turns into a highly effective fertilizer. For irrigation, 1 liter of infusion is diluted in 10 liters of water. For 1 raspberry bush, 2 liters of diluted composition is enough.

Tillage

In the spring, you should pay attention Special attention tillage of soil in raspberry fields. The raspberry root system does not lie very deep, so the soil in the raspberry garden is usually not dug up. This avoids damage to the root system. It is advisable to mulch the soil under the bushes and between the rows.

Mulching the soil

Raspberries respond very well to the application of mulch, which can be used as rotted manure, rotted sawdust, straw, dry tree leaves, rotted grass, and compost.

Mulching solves the following problems:

1. The soil under the bushes remains moist. Raspberries react negatively to lack of moisture, which greatly affects its yield. If the soil under the bushes is dry, the berries will be small and the shoots will be weak.
2. Mulch is an additional fertilizer, as nutrients pass from it into the soil.
3. Weed growth is prevented.

Before mulching, it is advisable to loosen the soil and water it abundantly. You can add fertilizer to the irrigation water. This will achieve a double effect.

Limiting the growth of bushes

Raspberries grow very quickly on all sides.

To keep it in place, the following methods are used:

1. Sheets of galvanized iron or slate are dug in around the perimeter of the raspberry tree. They prevent the bushes from spreading throughout the entire area. It is enough to make the depth of the sheets about 30 cm.
2. Sometimes you need to separate the shoots from the main bush. For example, so that it does not become depleted or for transplanting shoots to another place. To do this, use a shovel to cut through the soil along the perimeter of the main bush at a distance of 25 cm from it. All roots going to the shoots will be cut. After this, the shoots can be replanted or simply removed.

Pest and disease control

Raspberry bushes often get sick and are attacked by pests. In order to reduce the number of pests as much as possible, as well as to rid the raspberry plant from diseases, a number of protective measures should be taken immediately after winter.

There are several specific requirements, subject to which the likelihood of damage to raspberry bushes by diseases and pests is significantly reduced:

1. All fallen leaves located under the bushes must be collected and burned. Disease spores remain on it, and wintering pests hide under the leaves. IN compost heap This foliage is not planted.
2. All dry branches, diseased and twisted shoots should be cut out and burned. They are also overwintering sites for pests. For example, you can notice swellings (galls) on raspberry stems, which contain very dangerous pest- gall midge. Such shoots are pruned to healthy tissue. Diseased branches are burned.

The main pests of raspberries are the stem fly, raspberry weevil, gall midge, raspberry beetle, spider mite, glass beetle, crimson aphid. Complex treatment of bushes allows you to significantly get rid of pests.

Raspberries are affected by the following diseases: powdery mildew, anthracnose, rust, gray rot, white spotting. Typically, treatment against diseases is combined with treatment against pests.

To do this, spray the raspberries at the stage when the buds have not yet bloomed:

1. 200 ml of nitrafen diluted in 10 liters of water will get rid of the raspberry beetle and also eliminate most fungal diseases.
2. Bordeaux mixture has a detrimental effect on pathogens of fungal diseases, and also destroys most wintering pests. Use a 1% solution.

To combat gall midges, systemic insecticides are used. These are Hom, Fufanon, Karbofos, Ridomil.

Karbofos emulsion (0.1-0.2%) helps get rid of raspberry flies, raspberry beetles, weevils, and aphids. When copper oxychloride is added to the emulsion at a concentration of 0.3%, the composition treats spotting.

The drug Actellik will help you resist weevils, aphids, mites and other sucking pests. 2 ml of the drug is diluted in 2 liters of water, after which the shoots and trunk circles are sprayed with it. Please note that Actellik cannot be combined with Bordeaux mixture.

Biological products can completely replace insecticides and fungicides. The following biological products are used for raspberries: Guapsin, Trichodermin, Fitosporin-M, Prestop, Polyversum WP. Their value lies in the fact that they are absolutely safe. However, they cannot be combined with chemicals.

In order for raspberry harvests to be regular and the bushes to have sufficient growth vigor, it is recommended to adhere to the following tips:

1. It is advisable to grow raspberries in one place for no more than 5 years. During this time, not only does the soil in the raspberry field become depleted, but also a huge number of pathogens accumulate in it.
2. Do not allow water to stagnate near the bushes. Raspberries can't stand this. If the water stands for several days, the bushes may simply die.
3. It is better to plant raspberries after currants, gooseberries and legumes. Do not plant raspberries after peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, potatoes, and eggplants.

By properly organizing the care of your raspberry tree, you can annually obtain an excellent harvest of these tasty and healthy berries.