Sweet harvest with your own hands: a comprehensive raspberry growing guide

Raspberries are one of the most popular and delicious berries that are easy to grow in their garden or even on the balcony. Not only are these perennial berry berry cheerful fruits, but they are also valuable for their nutritional properties. It is important to know the basic principles of raspberry cultivation to get a rich and high quality harvest.

In this guide you will find all the information you need from the choice of varieties to harvest.

Raspberry cultivation: selection of varieties

The first and very important step is the choice of the right raspberry variety. Different varieties are characterized by different times of harmony, berry size, taste, disease resistance and climatic conditions. The following types of raspberries are popular in Lithuania:

• Traditional (once matching): The harvest ripens in early or middle of summer. Popular varieties: ‘Polana’ (early), ‘Laszka’ (medium early), ‘radziejowa’ (late).
• Repair (reusable harmony): The harvest can be harvested twice a season – in late summer and autumn all the way to frost. Popular varieties: ‘polka’ (early autumn), ‘pokusa’ (medium early autumn), ‘Himbo top’ (late autumn).
• Yellows: It has a milder taste and ornamentation. Popular varieties: ‘Golden Queen’, ‘Fall Gold’.
• Black Raspberries: Different to specific taste and greater disease resistance. Popular varieties: ‘bristol’, ‘Jewel’.

When choosing a breed, take into account your climate zone, the time you want and the taste of the berry. Beginners are advised to choose repair varieties as they are often more resistant to diseases and pests and allow for a longer period of time.

Raspberry Cultivation: Selection of the right location and soil preparation

Raspberries like sunny areas protected from strong winds. In the shade, the berries will be smaller, more acidic and the yield will be lower. Raspberries grow best in fluffy, fertile, weakly acidic (pH 5.5-6.5) soil.

Thoroughly prepare the soil before planting:

1. Remove the weeds: Raspberries do not like competition for nutrients and moisture.
2. Bring the soil: Dig the pits or trench (depending on the planting method) about 40-50 cm deep and width.
3. Fertilize: Add the compost, rotten manure or complex mineral fertilizers to the soil. This will give young raspberries the nutrients they need.
4. Drainage: If your soil is heavy and tends to store water, add the drainage layer (eg gravel or expanded) to the bottom of the pits.

Planting: When and how?

The best time to plant raspberries is early spring (before vegetation starts) or autumn (after leaf fall).

Planting process:

1. Distance: Leave a distance of 0.7 to 1 meter between individual shrubs and 1.5-2 meters between rows. If you are planting a hedge, you can reduce the distance between the shrubs to 0.5 meters.
2. Seedlings: Choose healthy, strong, well -developed root system seedlings. Before planting, you can soak the roots in water for a short time.
3. Depth: Plant the seedling at a depth so that the root neck is exactly with the ground. Raspberries are too deeply planted can get worse.
4. Filling and watering: Fill the pit with ground, gently press and water.
5. Mulch: It is advisable to mulch with peat, sawdust or straw around the planted shrubs. Mulch will help maintain moisture, brake weed growth and protection roots from temperature fluctuations.

Care: Emergency work

Raspberries require proper care to get a lot of harvest:

• Watering: Raspberries like moisture, especially during flowering and berry maturation. Water regularly in dry summers, especially young shrubs.
• Fertilization: Fertilize raspberries with nitrogen fertilizers in the spring, before flowering, and after harvest – phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. Organic fertilizers (compost, manure) are also very useful.
• Pruning: Pruning is necessary to regulate negotiations, ensure good air circulation and remove sick or damaged branches.
  • Traditional varieties: After harvesting, cut all the matching shoots near the ground. Leave the strongest new shoots for next year’s harvest.
  • Repair varieties: It can be pruned in two ways: either in the autumn to cut all the shoots to the ground (then the harvest will only be next year), or to shorten the spring shoots in the spring (then the harvest will be twice on last year’s shoots and on the new autumn).
• Support Installation: Higher raspberry varieties can require supports (wire, poles) to prevent the branches from breaking from the weight of the berries and easier to harvest.
• Control of pests and diseases: Regularly inspect the raspberries for pests (eg aphids, raspberries) or diseases (eg raspberry rust, bunch rot). If you notice the first signs, take appropriate measures (use insecticides, fungicides or natural protection).
• Weed destruction: Constantly weed the weeds around the raspberries.

Harvesting: When and how?

Raspberries are ripe gradually, so the harvest should be harvested several times a season, every 2-3 days. Ripe berries easily separate from the bunch and have a rich color. Collect the berries with caution to prevent you from hurting.

It is best to do this in the morning when dew falls or in the evening when it is not hot.

Raspberry cultivation: Winter preparation

Although raspberries are quite resistant, young shrubs in the first year and some more sensitive varieties may require additional protection in winter. In the fall, after pruning, you can mulch around the bushes with a thicker layer of peat or sawdust.

In some cases, the shoots can be bent to the ground and covered with agrofilm or spruce branches.

Properly maintained raspberries will be abundant and delighted with sweet and healthy berries for many years. Keep the advice of this guide and enjoy your hand -grown harvest!

Source: https://www.bc.ua/

Photos associative © canva