Raspberries are one of the most popular shrubs among gardeners due to their unpretentiousness, as well as incredibly tasty and healthy berries. If processed correctly you can expect bountiful harvest already in the second year after planting. Wherein Special attention You should pay attention to caring for raspberries in the fall and preparing them for winter.
What kind of work does raspberries need when preparing it for winter?
In order to grow tasty and juicy raspberries, the bush will need a little care.
Autumn is considered the most suitable period for processing raspberry bushes and creating favorable conditions for their wintering. The process of preparing raspberries for winter consists of several activities:
- trimmings;
- thinning;
- cleaning the surface of the raspberry tree;
- digging up the soil (every two years);
- application of fertilizers;
- removing unfallen leaves;
- bending branches (in regions with frosty and little snow winters);
- shelters.
Not only raspberries have beneficial properties, but also their bark and leaves.
Stages of care in autumn
To complete all stages on time, you should know the order of work.
Trimming
Raspberries are pruned in the fall in order to rid the bushes of old, diseased or damaged branches, which will draw strength from the overall bush without producing any harvest. Leaving healthy and strong shoots, next season you can expect large quantity especially large berries.
It is the two-year-old shoots that should be removed, cutting them off to the very root and not leaving even a small stump. It is advisable to burn everything cut so that the pests on the shoots do not spread. One-year-old but too tall branches need to be shortened by cutting off the tops. After completion of the work, about seven to ten powerful and healthy shoots should remain on the raspberry bush. U remontant varieties cut off all stems completely, regardless of age.
Shrub pruning is necessary in order to improve the quality of fruits and increase productivity
Pruning is carried out after harvesting. In this case, the timing may vary depending on the variety: early ones are pruned in early or mid-September, late ones - in mid-October. The main condition is to fulfill all necessary work before the first cold weather sets in.
Top dressing
Before fertilizing raspberries in the fall, you should prepare the soil. You need to start by removing the mulch that has lain on the surface throughout the warm period of time: fallen leaves, dry branches, straw are collected and sent to compost, or burned.
If you can’t feed the bush in the fall, you can use the help of green manure plants, which are sown in advance in the summer.
At the digging stage, fertilizing is carried out. For this you can use:
- manure (applied during the digging process at the rate of 5 kg per 1 sq. m);
- bird droppings (distributed in the form of liquid throughout the entire territory of the raspberry tree after digging it up);
- compost (rotted tree leaves, peat, corn cobs, bird droppings);
- peat (applied at any time and helps improve the soil structure);
- organic and mineral fertilizers(paid once every 2–3 years).
Often, before wintering plants, superphosphates and potassium salt are used as fertilizing (60 and 40 g per bush, respectively). They are placed in special grooves twenty centimeters deep, made at a distance of 30 cm from the bush.
It is important to take into account that the use of nitrogen fertilizers in the fall is strictly prohibited, since they actively affect plant growth, which is completely unnecessary for them in winter.
If it is not possible to feed raspberries with ready-made fertilizers, you can resort to the help of green manure plants (vico-oats, mustard, blue lupine), which are sown between the bushes in June, and in late autumn they are embedded in the soil and, rotting over the winter, enrich it with nutrients.
Other procedures
To prepare the bush for winter, it is wrapped and covered with film.
In addition to the main activities for preparing raspberries for winter (pruning and fertilizing), there are other, equally important works:
- Removing unfallen leaves.
This must be done very carefully (so as not to damage the buds), moving your hand from the ground to the top along the shoot. - Watering.
Before wintering, the soil in the raspberry garden should be moistened abundantly. - Mulching.
Covering the soil with a layer of mulch from 5 to 10 cm allows you to maintain an optimal level of humidity and preserve root system from freezing in regions with especially low temperatures and little snow. It is optimal to use rotted leaves or peat as mulch in the fall. - Crouching.
Necessary in areas where winters are very frosty and have little snow. To do this, strong pegs are driven into the ground, to which a wire is attached at a height of 20 cm from the ground. Then the raspberry branches are bent to the wire in the form of an arc and securely tied with nylon tapes. - Shelter.
For regions with particularly severe frosts and windy winters, it is recommended to cover the bushes. To do this, the bushes are tied and wrapped with film, or fences are made to protect them from the wind.
Summary of autumn care: video
At proper preparation By winter, the raspberry plant will safely survive the cold and next season will delight you with a bountiful, tasty harvest. The main thing is to take into account in the process of caring for shrubs not only their variety, but also the climatic features of the area in which they grow.
When the harvest has already been harvested and the autumn coolness makes itself felt, it’s time to begin the next procedures for caring for raspberries, which in the future will allow them to better overwinter in winter. next year please you with a new abundant harvest.
Caring for raspberries in the fall includes a whole range of activities, such as preparing the soil, pruning bushes and fertilizing.
Autumn work with soil
If you are still wondering what to do with raspberries and where to start autumn processing, then first of all you should deal with the soil in the raspberry field. So, the mulch that has lain between the bushes all summer, especially if it is straw, is raked and burned or sent to compost, since by winter field mice and all sorts of pests can settle in it.
Next, the soil in the raspberry garden is dug up, and it should be taken into account that the root system of raspberries is superficial, so you should not go deeper into the ground more than 20 cm between the rows, but in the rows, loosening the soil by 8-10 cm will be enough. In parallel with digging, autumn feeding raspberries
How to feed raspberries in the fall
1. Manure
Before starting to dig up the raspberry tree, manure is applied. It is usually recommended to apply 4-6 kg per 1 square meter. m. If fertilizing raspberries in the fall is done with unrotted manure, then when mixed with the soil during digging, it can also serve as a good insulating cover for the raspberry roots, which will completely rot over the winter and by spring will become an excellent nutritional base for the plant.
2. Bird droppings
One of the best fertilizers For raspberries, bird droppings are considered, in particular chicken droppings. In the fall, it is distributed in liquid form throughout the raspberry field.
3. Compost
You can also use compost instead of manure. It is obtained as a result of the overheating of tree leaves, bird droppings, peat, corn cobs and weeds.
4. Peat
Peat can be added to the soil for fertilization at almost any time. Although he doesn't have that high level saturation with nutrients, such as manure or compost, but at the same time qualitatively improves the structure of the soil, which contributes to a significant increase in yield.
5. Organic and mineral fertilizers
Processing raspberries in autumn organic fertilizers usually carried out once every 2-3 years. Mineral fertilizing for raspberries, carry out together with organic or alternating every other year. For example, one year they add manure, and the next year - minerals. In particular, before wintering, superphosphates and potassium salt are usually added at the rate of 60 g and 40 g per bush. To apply fertilizer, furrows with a depth of 15-20 cm are made at a distance of at least 30 cm from the bush. By the way, caring for raspberries in the fall also involves maintaining a sufficient level of moisture in the raspberry tree, especially in the dry season, which will facilitate the complete dissolution of fertilizers and their consumption plants. At the same time, it is strictly forbidden to use nitrogen fertilizers in the fall, since under their influence the plant, instead of preparing for winter, will continue active growth what may have Negative consequences. If autumn feeding is done correctly, then next year you can expect an increase in the number of flower buds and, accordingly, the entire harvest.
6. Green manure
When it is not possible to fertilize with ready-made fertilizers, this can be done with the help of green manure - plants that can be sown between the rows of raspberries in June, in particular, mustard, vetch and blue lupine. In late autumn, green manure shoots are buried in the ground. Having rotted, during the winter it enriches the soil with a considerable amount of nutrients.
How to properly prune raspberries in the fall
Pruning raspberries in the fall is carried out based on the fact that most varieties have a two-year life cycle. Therefore, before pruning, it is important to carefully examine the bushes. All two-year-old shoots that have already produced fruit, as well as thin, weak and pest-affected ones, are removed at the root without leaving stumps. To prevent the latter from spreading, it is advisable to burn the cut shoots. After pruning, 7-10 healthy, powerful annual shoots are left on the bush. The tops are too long stems They also shorten it as far as can be reached with pruning shears.
In the case of black raspberries, in addition to trimming the top, it does not hurt to shorten the side shoots, the length of which should be no more than 50 cm. This helps to increase the yield and simplifies the process of caring for the bush.
At the same time, when pruning raspberries in the fall, it doesn’t hurt to thin out the entire raspberry tree. There should be a distance of about 60 cm between the bushes, so all young shoots around them should be removed with a shovel. If there is a need to increase the plantation, then during thinning you can prepare material for propagating raspberries by cuttings.
Sometimes doubts arise when it is best to prune. Typically, its timing occurs at a time when the harvest from the bushes has already been completed, and may vary depending on the variety. Yes, on late varieties pruning is carried out in mid-October, and in early ones - in early to mid-September. The main thing is that all processing of raspberries in the fall is done correctly and completely completed before the onset of cold weather.
Timely implementation of all of the above work on caring for raspberries will contribute to its better development and a larger harvest next year. But in order for the bushes to survive the winter well, after pruning and feeding, it will also be necessary to prepare the raspberries for the hardships of winter.
Raspberries, grown in every corner of Russia, require careful autumn care and preparation for winter. In many ways her high yield next year depends on these operations. Despite the fact that raspberries are among the most winter-hardy of all fruit and berry crops, flower buds, being above the snow level, freeze out, which affects the number of fruits in the new season. To prevent freezing of shoots and buds, carry out preparatory work Location on.
Caring for raspberries in autumn
Autumn raspberry care activities allow the bushes of the crop to properly prepare for the winter and not die in the cold winter period, and also please you with a good harvest of fragrant berries next season. The main actions that gardeners perform before preparing a raspberry tree for winter are pruning and cleaning, as well as fertilizing and watering.
Autumn formation of raspberries, which can begin immediately after the end of fruiting, is mandatory for all varieties of the crop. Pruning is necessary, first of all, to eliminate all secluded places in which pests and pathogens of raspberries can overwinter and then become active again in the next season and harm the plantings.
Pruning a raspberry tree involves removing all damaged and broken shoots, unnecessary green shoots that will not have time to ripen before the onset of frost, all thickening and old shoots that have already bear fruit. All remaining branches are shortened to a length of about 20 cm to remove unripe green shoots. At the end of the pruning, remove all the foliage from the shoots by running your hand over them.
When the raspberry field is cleaned, all that remains is to collect and burn the garbage - plant debris, which also harbors harmful microorganisms.
Pruning raspberries for the winter. Rules for caring for raspberries: video
IN autumn period raspberries are fed exclusively with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, which must be mineral. Potassium increases the winter hardiness of shoots, phosphorus accelerates their ripening. The introduction of nitrogen, as well as organic matter, is prohibited during this period, since the frost resistance of the crop due to its excess is sharply reduced - the shoots begin to grow, and the bush does not have time to prepare for wintering. IN last time Such fertilizers can be applied to raspberries until mid-summer.
Raspberries are fertilized in October, before the onset of frost. This event is combined with abundant pre-winter watering. The supply of moisture in sufficient quantities prevents damage to the shoots during the onset of cold weather, as well as drying out of the root system.
Preparing for winter by region
In order for raspberries to overwinter successfully and without loss, their preparation for the winter cold must be carried out in a timely manner. The timing of this procedure for two-year-old raspberries begins in the period from the fall of leaves to frost, for remontant ones - after the first frost. The method of preparing raspberries for wintering depends on the climatic conditions of the growing region.
In the Moscow region and Middle zone In Russia, raspberries are necessarily bent down. If the winter is expected to have little snow, you will have to prepare covering material. They can serve, for example, straw. Some gardeners cover the folded raspberry shoots with soil from the plot.
Gardeners in the Urals always bend raspberries to the ground - winters in the region are so severe that parts of the shoots that are above the snow cover necessarily freeze. The raspberry tree trunk circle needs to be mulched in the fall - although the roots of the crop in the soil under a layer of snow can withstand air temperatures in the area down to -40 0 C, in the autumn there is no snow yet, but persistent frosts occur.
Snowy winters in Siberia make it possible to grow raspberries, since they will not fall under the snow. To do this, its shoots are taken to the ground. In harsh Siberian conditions prevailing in winter, the root system of the bush is unlikely to remain viable without an additional layer of mulch.
The northwest of the country is characterized by predominantly mild, snowy winters, making this region ideal for growing raspberries. Gardeners do not need to bend the shoots to the ground; it is enough to simply shovel snow onto them, and in the fall, mulch the soil in the circle around the trunk.
Features of preparing different types of raspberries for winter
All raspberry varieties can be divided into two large groups– biennial (regular) and remontant. The former bear fruit on biennial shoots, and the latter on biennial and annual shoots, although younger branches produce more yield.
Two-year-old raspberries are the most frequent visitor to Russian plots. Growing it during the season is not difficult, but competent preparation By winter, in some cases, it may require some effort. Discussed below step-by-step instruction preparation for wintering of ordinary raspberry varieties.
Pruning and mulching
In August-September, pruning and removal of plant debris and debris is carried out. This also includes collecting old mulch if it was in the tree trunk circle during the gardening season. At the beginning of October, the raspberry bush is fertilized, watered abundantly and mulched. The mulch layer should be at least 10 cm.
Wire installation
After leaf fall, you can start bending down the raspberry shoots. To do this, you need to install stakes and stretch the wire between them. The height of its tension remains a controversial issue. Some gardeners argue that it should not be higher than 20 cm from the ground level, since the shoots will quickly sink under the snow. Others insist on a wire height of about 30...40 cm, saying that a lower location of raspberry shoots causes them to damp out and become damaged.
Bending down shoots
Shoots are tied to a stretched trellis synthetic material, since natural fabric can rot. First, bunches are formed from several pieces of shoots, then they begin to bend them to the trellis. If they are still flexible, then they can be tied to the wire in one go; if they have already become brittle, then the garter is carried out in several stages so as not to break them. To prevent the crust from breaking the raspberry shoots when the snow melts in the spring, intersecting stakes are installed at the place where they are planted.
The organization of additional shelters for bent raspberry bunches will be needed if the winter on the site is windy and with little snow. Here you can use spunbond: fold it in several layers, wrap the raspberries and secure them with stones, pieces of pipes, bricks, etc. You can make unique greenhouses from pieces of polycarbonate, placing them in arcs.
Snow retention techniques
In areas where there are through winds that blow away snow, it is necessary to provide protection for the snow cover. To do this, you can install a piece of plywood or polycarbonate on the windy side. It is dug into the ground and additionally secured to the trellis. In this case, the polycarbonate sheet will last much longer than plywood, which tends to rot.
To others important point timely removal of the cover and release of shoots from the bundles is considered. If this operation is carried out too early, the shoots will be exposed to temperature changes, strong March winds and scorching sun, which leads to weathering and burns of the wood. It is clear that damaged shoots will not produce a harvest. If it is too late to remove the shelter, the shoots will dry out and get sick, the result is the same.
The raspberries must be fully opened by mid-April. The order is as follows: first, the covering material is removed (at night temperatures around 0 0 C) and mulch, and after a few days the bushes are untied, straightened and tied to a trellis or to stakes.
Remontant raspberry varieties produce a harvest twice a season, but not in all parts of the country they have time to please the gardener with such extended fruiting. In cold regions, remontant raspberries do not form a second wave of fruits due to short summer and autumn conditions. Therefore, in such climatic zones, harvest is expected only on annual shoots and in the fall they are cut down to ground level.
Preparing such crop varieties for winter is much easier than conventional varieties. Pruning at the root is carried out after the first frost, when they will kill the foliage, and all that is needed for protective shelter is a good layer of mulch. Its thickness should be between 5-10 cm: too thin layer will provoke freezing of the root system, and too thick will cause rotting and rotting of the roots as the temperature rises.
Raspberries prefer soils with a neutral pH, so acidifying or, conversely, alkalizing mulching materials should not be used. It is worth giving preference to foliage collected from the site, straw and sawdust, with the exception of sawdust coniferous trees. You cannot mulch raspberries with spruce branches.
Before mulching a raspberry garden consisting of remontant varieties, it is necessary to carry out abundant watering.
Pruning remontant raspberries for the winter: video
For novice gardeners, preparing raspberries for winter can raise many questions. Below are a few practical advice, which can help in this time-consuming operation.
- When pruning, each of the shoots left after cleaning is shortened separately. Trimming a bush to one length will deprive a significant part of the harvest. Remove the remaining foliage by running your hand along the branches from bottom to top. Otherwise, there is a high risk of kidney damage.
- In areas with little snow in winters, you can leave the main pruning for the spring. More shoots help retain snow in winter. The same goes for some early varieties, which after pruning begin to grow. The shoots of such varieties are not shortened, but directed with their tops down.
- Before mulching the raspberry tree trunk circle, the soil is carefully loosened and dug up. This is necessary in order to destroy insect pests that have managed to hide under a layer of soil for wintering. Considering that the raspberry root system is located close to the soil surface, the operation is carried out with extreme caution.
- When growing raspberries in trenches, you can neglect mulching - they retain the moisture needed by the roots well.
- Decomposed compost cannot be used as mulch - it contains a large amount of nitrogen, which is not at all desirable for the autumn period.
- The bending of the shoots must be carried out before the onset of stable frosts, otherwise they will break at the base when bent.
- In winter, especially in February-March, it is important to monitor the presence of snow cover on raspberries. It is the end of winter that is considered the most dangerous time for culture. To do this, the snow is raked and thrown onto the bush. It is also important to monitor the level of snow, since too much of it can break the shoots laid underneath.
- If it is possible to get to the garden plot, then the resulting snow crust (usually it occurs in March, when daytime thaws alternate with low temperatures at night) must be pierced with sticks to ensure air access to the raspberries.
- If the shelter was insufficient, the raspberries freeze. But you should not rush to get rid of it - you should wait until the shoots appear: it is possible that at the lower level, after an unsuccessful wintering, a couple of buds have been preserved, from which shoots will appear. If this does not happen, the bush must be uprooted.
If we take into account all the above nuances, the raspberries will survive the winter well, and in the spring the losses will be minimal.
Preparing raspberries for winter has a lot of nuances, but in many regions of the country with a cold climate and harsh winters, this event becomes simply necessary. Autumn care, mulching, bending and organizing shelter - all this takes a sufficient amount of time from the gardener, but all the efforts made will be compensated by a high raspberry harvest next year.
Winter is just around the corner, but you still have time to pay attention to the plants you’ve been pampering bountiful harvest in summer. During this time they should ensure favorable conditions for wintering. Let's look at what stages of preparation our beloved raspberries must go through.
Favorable conditions for wintering should be provided
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Raspberries are prepared for winter twice – at the end of August and in mid-autumn. In the first case, it is carried out after harvesting and the growth of the bush has stopped. It is possible that at the end of summer the wood may still be active in this regard, but its main task is to ripen quickly in order to survive the period of frost.
The second period starts when the first leaf falls and continues until the arrival of real frosts. At this time, the raspberry tries to quickly complete all active processes.
What do raspberries need in the fall?
On initial stage In preparation for wintering, fertilize bushes that are depleted after active fruiting. Next, start pruning the shoots that have produced fruit, and thin out the young shoots after harvesting.
Thin out young shoots after harvest Special attention will have to be paid to preventive treatments of bushes against the invasion of pests and diseases.
As for watering, it should be moderate. It is also necessary to provide protective cover.
Raspberries are considered a resilient crop that can survive the vagaries of the weather. Sometimes she copes with the influence of negative factors without human intervention.
Let's look at the 5 basic rules of care in more detail.
Autumn feeding of raspberries
What specific fertilizers to apply depends on many factors. First of all, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the soil. If it is poor, you can feed the plant with potassium sulfate (1 tsp 1 sq. m.).
First of all, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the soil If during planting raspberries you enriched the soil with humus and humus, this means that in the future it will have enough potassium fertilizing.
Raspberries are a hardy crop that prefers nutritious soil. If there is a lack of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the soil, in any case this will not affect its fruiting.
Read also:
Forest design and imitation of ancient plantings
An excess of fertilizers can lead to oppression of raspberries - they will become more susceptible to diseases.
If we talk about adding microelements, they are mandatory. Such substances will help strengthen the culture’s immunity and allow it to withstand low temperatures. Zinc sulfate (3 g) and manganese sulfate (5 g) are suitable as top dressing. The dosage is indicated per 1 sq. m. soil.
Raspberry pruning
Many gardeners are wary of pruning bushes. You should not be afraid of such a procedure. There is no need to protect the shoot that bears fruit; cut it to soil level. All green shoots must be removed, because they will not have time to ripen, which means they will freeze in the winter.
There is no need to protect the fruit-bearing shoot; cut it to soil level Experienced summer residents recommend leaving the strongest and most powerful growths. They need to be shortened by a quarter. In addition, it is advisable to leave the same number of shoots as the fruit-bearing ones were cut out and another 20% to this number.
What does this trick do? The whole point is that in this way you can provide the reserve that is necessary for the further growth of the bush and increasing productivity.
Important! Raspberry shoots that have borne fruit will have to be cut down to the very roots. You can even dig it up a little and remove it, and sprinkle the area with fresh soil.
Autumn watering of raspberries
With the arrival of autumn, the amount of watering of raspberries will have to be reduced. Over time, they should be stopped altogether. This is necessary so that the shoots become woody and do not freeze. If this is not done, they will continue to grow in nutritious soil until December.
It is necessary to refuse watering only if the rainy season begins or the soil freezes. If the weather is dry and the mark on the thermometer does not fall below zero, it is quite acceptable to water the plant (10 liters of water per 1 sq. m. area).
It is worth noting that a lot depends on the season. If there was little rainfall in August and September, you can pour 10 liters of water per square meter. It is unacceptable that earthen lump there was a lack of moisture under the bush.
As soon as the first frosts arrive, it is advisable to treat the raspberries with 2% Bordeaux mixture. If snow falls, you need to shovel it towards the bushes.
Caring for raspberries in late autumn
In early November, when the air temperature does not rise above zero and the period of night frosts has arrived, you can begin winter activities. There is no need to rush to resort to them, because winter does not come unexpectedly - everything happens in several stages.
To remove immature shoots, use garden tools such as pruning shears Preparing raspberries for winter in the fall involves performing a number of simple activities, most of which the gardener did in the summer. Before entering the dormant stage, the crop is fed, watered, and pruned. It is important to take care to protect the bush from frost and rodents.
How to care for raspberries in autumn
To figure out what care raspberries need in the fall, you need to study the characteristics of the berry crop. From the end of summer until the start of frost, the life of the bush is divided into two periods:
- The early period begins immediately after fruiting ends. For most non-remontant varieties, this is last numbers August. By this time, the entire harvest of berries has been harvested, and the growth of the stems stops. Only wood continues to show activity. Before the onset of frost, it tries to ripen, changing the green color of the bark to brown.
- The late period begins with the beginning of leaf fall. Raspberries enter the calm stage and complete active processes. The late period continues until frost appears. With the fall of the first snow and slight freezing of the soil, all metabolic processes in raspberries completely stop.
The successful wintering of the shrub depends on how the raspberries were processed during this important period.
Watering rules
Raspberry processing involves comprehensive implementation events, and they begin with watering. In autumn, it is necessary to properly provide the shrub with moisture so that it can accumulate energy for the whole winter. Immediately after harvesting in the first month of autumn, the amount of watering is gradually reduced to a minimum. Excess moisture And nutrients promote growth. The stems will not have time to ripen, enter the dormant stage and will freeze in winter.
A rainy autumn will make caring for the crop easier. Raspberries do not need to be watered at all. If autumn is dry, then every other day a bucket of water is poured onto 1 m2 of beds. Watering is stopped completely when the soil begins to freeze.
Important! When processing raspberries in the fall, you need to make sure that an overdried earth ball does not form under the root system.
The last watering is considered the most beneficial for raspberries. In late autumn, gardeners carefully monitor the weather forecast. It is important to try to accurately choose a warm sunny day a few days before the expected frost and pour plenty of water on the raspberry plant. This treatment increases the winter hardiness of the shrub. The amount of water depends on the weather in autumn. If there was occasional rain, then 3 buckets are poured per 1 m2. During dry autumn, at least 2 buckets of water are poured under each plant.
Feeding and fertilizer
The second stage of processing raspberries in the fall is feeding. The difficulty of maintenance depends on the condition of the soil. If the land on the site is infertile, then potassium sulfate is added. Fertilizer is enough 1 tsp/m 2 beds. The dry powder is first diluted with water and poured over the raspberries. The dose of fertilizer is small, but it is enough to speed up the process of lignification of the stems.
Raspberries do not need other fertilizers in the fall. The culture is resilient. The plant loves nutritious soil, but develops well with a lack of nitrogen or phosphorus. It is difficult to determine the nutritional value of the soil on your own. If the soil is oversaturated with useful elements, the raspberry's immunity will weaken. The bush will be oppressed. The plant will have enough organic matter added during planting, and potassium sulfate will only act as an auxiliary feeding.
For winter hardiness and increased immunity, raspberries still need to be treated with microelements in the fall. These substances should not be confused with fertilizers. They perform a completely different function. As microelements, you can take zinc and manganese sulfate, 3 and 5 g, respectively. The prepared mixture in the form of a solution is applied to 1 m2 of beds.
Mulching
Processing raspberries in the fall cannot be done without mulching. A thick layer of organic matter is needed not only to retain moisture. Mulch acts as insulation, protecting the root system from frost. Organic matter is selected so that it does not cause an alkaline or acidic reaction of the soil. Raspberries can be mulched with the following organic matter:
Caring for raspberries on plantations becomes more complicated if a large amount of mulch is required. You can replace organic matter non-woven material. Black agrofibre with a density of 50 g/m2 or more is suitable. The material is rolled out over the bed and pinned with homemade wire staples.
Anyone who lives near a pine forest can use pine needles as free mulch for caring for raspberries. Additionally, treating the beds with prickly organic matter will protect the plants from rodents.
Bush pruning
Pruning raspberry bushes in the fall helps increase yield, thin out thickets, and reduce the risk of disease. This type of processing begins in early autumn or even in August. The timing depends on the characteristics of the raspberry variety. Once fruiting is complete, you can begin pruning.
Attention! The processing scheme for traditional and remontant raspberries is different. The second crop is capable of producing a second wave of harvest, which is why the pruning dates are shifted to late autumn.
Caring for traditional raspberries begins with inspection. In early autumn, before the leaves begin to fall, a thorough inspection of the raspberry tree is carried out. Treatment begins with the removal of two-year-old fruiting stems. They can be recognized by the dark brown color of their bark. The branches are cut down to the very roots, leaving no stump. Next season the current annual shoots will bear fruit. They are left up to 10 pieces on one bush.
The tops of annual trees must be shortened by 10 cm. This part of the branches never ripens and slows down the preparation of the main stem for winter. During processing, weak, dry, damaged and diseased raspberry branches are also removed.
Caring for remontant raspberries in the fall is slightly different. Pruning begins in late autumn, a couple of weeks before the expected frost. By this time the second wave of fruiting will be completed. Treatment begins after leaf fall, since remontant raspberries in the fall take nutrients from the foliage for the root system.
Remontant varieties are able to bear berries on branches of the current and last year. If a gardener wants to get two harvests, remontant raspberries are pruned in the same way as a traditional crop. Annual shoots are left for the winter. If this method of care is unacceptable, all stems are cut off at the root in late autumn. In the spring, remontant raspberries will grow new branches on which berries will appear.
The video talks about the correct processing of raspberries:
Treatment against diseases and pests
Autumn care will not be complete if you ignore treating raspberries against pests and diseases. The fact is that the larvae and spores of fungi overwinter in the bark and damaged wood. In the spring they wake up and begin to harm young raspberries.
Processing begins after pruning, but before mulching. Raspberries are well cleaned of leaves, cut branches, and dry berries. The soil around the bushes is loosened with a hoe or shallowly dug with a shovel.
In the fall, raspberries are treated with Fufanon or Intavir. Helps well copper sulfate. You can even water the soil in the garden bed with the solution to prevent lichen from growing.
Bending down bushes and sheltering for the winter
Caring for raspberries in the fall ends with bending the branches to the ground. After pruning, the stems are tied with ropes, a weight is attached and carefully tilted. It is better to do bending before the onset of frost, while the raspberry stems are still flexible.
In most regions, raspberries are not covered. A thick layer of mulch to protect the roots is sufficient. They resort to covering raspberries in northern regions where there is a threat of stems freezing.
To ensure that caring for raspberries does not become a burden, novice gardeners should give preference to unpretentious ones. winter-hardy varieties. Useful tips They will help you with raspberry processing at the initial stage:
- Large-fruited raspberry varieties are usually heat-loving. In autumn it is better to cover them to protect them from frost.
- If cold region every winter it is covered with plenty of snow, the raspberries do not need to be covered. After precipitation falls, a high snow pyramid is built around each bush.
- When growing thornless varieties of raspberries, it is advisable to use spruce branches for cover and mulch. The needles will protect the stems from the encroachment of rodents.
It is advisable for a novice gardener to plant a small raspberry plantation. It will be easier to learn how to do this correct processing and provide proper care to the culture.
Conclusion
Preparing raspberries for winter in the fall consists of simple measures, but they must be followed according to all the rules. Otherwise good harvest in the summer you can't expect it.