Raspberry is one of the favorite berries among the people. You can meet this plant in the forest, where it forms dense thickets, as well as in cottages and household 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 crop.
General Description
So, what are raspberries? Raspberry is a perennial crop with a very tortuous and developed rhizome, on which adventitious roots are formed. The above-ground branches of the plant are erect, reaching a height of 2.5 m. During the first year, the leaves of the raspberry are green, have a barely noticeable bluish bloom. The bushes are herbaceous, the stems are covered with thin thorns. However, by the second year, the raspberry branches begin to stiffen, 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 a raspberry is, as well as its general description. On the stem of this plant are complex oval-shaped leaves. Each leaf is pubescent with hairs, 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 leaves.
Fruits
When talking about what raspberries are, it is imperative to mention their fruits. These very fragrant and sweet berries are small in size, consist of drupes that have grown together into a complex fruit. It is interesting to note that the shade of the berries can be either light pink or yellow or burgundy. Sometimes varieties with black fruits are also found. In such cases, people have a question: "What is it - a raspberry or a blackberry?"
Repair varieties
In general, thanks to the work of breeders, many different varieties of this crop are currently bred. All of them are divided into repairable and non-repairable. What is a repair raspberry? People who are just going to grow this berry in their garden are probably asking the same question.
Considering what a remontant raspberry is, 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. After the fruits that appear, new ones are formed again.flowers, and so is repeated in a circle several times. If you have such bushes on your site, then you can harvest throughout the summer and autumn.
You should also pay attention to the fact that remontant varieties have another interesting feature: fruits are formed on both biennial and annual shoots. Unfortunately, this greatly weakens the plant.
To ensure that flowering is not only frequent, but also plentiful, and you collect a large number of berries at the end of summer and with the advent of autumn, special attention should be paid to young shoots that are less than one year old. Last year's shoots must be cut immediately after the first harvest of the season. With proper care of remontant varieties, you will be able to harvest delicious fruits until November from he althy and strong shoots.
What is remontant raspberry, we have sorted it out. Now it’s worth talking in more detail about non-repairable crop varieties.
Non-repair varieties
The most common variety of this plant is the traditional raspberry. It is capable of rewarding you with sweet, medium-sized berries, but it only bears fruit 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, with a powerful root system, the culture adapts perfectly to the climate, as well as to various environmental changes. Thus, raspberries give young multiple shoots.
Stamp raspberry
What is standard raspberry? Many have probably heard such a phrase, but at the same time they have no idea what this type of garden culture is. The peculiarity of this variety of raspberries lies in powerful, thick, upright branched shoots. After pinching, they look like a small tree. What is raspberry remontant, standard, non-repairable, we have discussed above. And now it’s worth taking a closer look at the most common varieties of this tasty garden crop.
Yellow sweetie
This variety is very productive, making it a favorite of many gardeners. One bush per season is capable of producing 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 crumble from the bushes for a long time.
Golden Autumn
What is golden autumn raspberry? This is a variety of remontant raspberries, which is distinguished by golden yellow berries with 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 the purpose of sale. Also, this variety is suitable for the manufacture of freeze-dried raspberries. What is freeze-dried raspberry? These are pure fruits that are dehydrated to one tenth of their original weight.without various preservatives. You can restore them if necessary with warm water.
Tarusa
This variety belongs to standard. The raspberry bush is slender, decorative, and there are no thorns on it. The yield of one bush is more than 5 kg per season. The berries are bright red, have small seeds. The weight of one fruit is about 10 g. The aroma is intense, but the taste is not very pronounced, so this variety is used in most cases for harvesting.
Hercules
This raspberry variety is usually referred to as large-fruited. A high-yielding remontant variety has large fruits, the weight of which reaches 8 g. Individual specimens can be up to 15 g in weight. The first harvest can be harvested in mid-July, and the second raspberry can be produced at the end of August. Fruiting lasts until the first frost.
Fit features
Despite the fact that raspberries reproduce very successfully on their own, it is still worth taking a little time to plant and choose a place. If you want green bushes to delight you with high yields, then you should pay attention to every little thing when growing. It is also best to prepare raspberry trellises in advance. What is a wallpaper? This is a certain kind of support that helps the bush develop in the right direction and not bend over the branches under the weight of the fruit.
Place of landing
If you decide to update your suburban area with young raspberry bushes, first of all you need to choose the right place. Raspberryprefers 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 the bushes. With the advent of spring, melted snow will saturate the soil with moisture, which is necessary for the successful growth of shoots.
Soil
The site will need to be cleared of weeds in advance, carefully dug up. It is necessary to dig the soil 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 disembarkation, 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. The culture will feel great on drained soil in which moisture will not stagnate. But at the same time, you should ensure that the root system does not dry out.
Irrigation
Raspberry bushes will not tolerate excess moisture in the soil. This event should be carried out often, but at the same time plentifully, so that the root system can fully saturate the entire plant with water. Under conditions of average temperature conditions, the soil is moistened 1-2 times a week. It is especially important to observe this rule during the period of ripening berries. If the raspberries are not watered, the yield will be several times lower.
Fertilization
If the bushes receive timely feeding, then your raspberries will be finefruit. Enrichment of the soil with organic top dressing must be carried out in the spring, when the earth 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 s alt and superphosphate.
Cutting
A prerequisite for the care and cultivation of raspberries is pruning. Thanks to this, your berries will be large, and the area with raspberries will be accessible and not overgrown. Before the opening of the kidneys in the spring, it is necessary to remove damaged, dry and extinct shoots. The tops of the bushes are cut 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 disinfestation? This is the processing of culture from various kinds of insects. Raspberry bushes are often attacked by strawberry weevil, raspberry moth, and leaf aphids. To avoid this kind of misfortune, it is necessary to spray shrubs with preparations that are sold in any flower shop with the advent of spring in order to prevent.
As for the disease, this culture can get sick with rust, powdery mildew, chlorosis, anthracnose. To get rid of rust, infected shoots will need to be cut and burned. The remaining he althy branches are sprayed with a solution of Bordeaux mixture (1%). Bordeaux liquid also helps against anthracnose, which is used for prevention with the advent of spring. Also for powdery mildew controlBordeaux liquid is used.
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, phytoncides, tannins, calcium, potassium, iron, manganese.
Fruits are recommended by experts for those people who have problems with digestion and urination. Because it contains salicylic acid. The berries can also be used to reduce fever, as well as an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and diaphoretic.
Berries can be consumed both dried and fresh. Fruits are able to preserve all their useful properties in the form of jam, confiture or jam.
As for the leaves, when young they are used to make vitamin medicinal tea.
The shoots of the first year and berries can be used as 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 using fresh berries throughout the season in case of eczema.
In conclusion, it is worth noting that raspberries cannot be called a whimsical plant to grow. However, in order to reap a large harvest, it is necessary to adhere tocertain rules of care and landing.
