Even not very experienced gardeners in general terms know how raspberries reproduce. Many mistakenly believe that this plant can exist in almost any conditions and does not require any care. In fact, such an approach to cultivation will lead to the rapid depletion of the shoots, their running wild and lower yields. But even before the gardener learns how to care for his raspberry, he needs to create it. In today's article, we will figure out how best to propagate berry bushes. We will study in more detail the question of how to plant raspberries with seeds. This is the most laborious and time-consuming option, but it also needs to be studied and tested in practice.
The berry is delicious, beautiful and he althy
Raspberry is an absolute favorite among other summer gifts of nature. There are quite a few of its varieties, each of which is good and has its own advantages and disadvantages. It is, of course, a matter of habit andtaste, because any person has his own criteria for selecting the perfect berry. For some, its aroma and taste are important, others need the fruits to be easy to collect, store and transport, others are kept for their size.
Some gardeners pay attention to raspberry seeds, their quantity and quality, this nuance is especially important if it is necessary to breed a bush purchased in a single copy.
Raspberry propagation
This plant is classified as a perennial, however, with some reservations. The fact is that its root system is capable of producing high-quality sprouts for 10-12 years, but the stems themselves form a good crop only once, so we can say that they are annuals.
The only exceptions are some species - for example Tarusa raspberry, or, as it is also called, raspberry tree. This variety is distinguished by the special structure of the bush, which is larger both in structure and in appearance similar to a low tree.
Regular berry bushes reproduce in the following ways:
- dividing the bush;
- planting offspring;
- planting cuttings;
- seed propagation.
In special nurseries that are engaged in mass breeding of raspberries, only the first three methods are used, that is, the berry is grown vegetatively. However, special mother plantations are used for planting seedlings, which avoids the degeneration of the variety.
Raspberry seeds are more often used to breed new varieties of berries (for breeding activities of botanists).
Recommended by professionals
Raspberry breeding is actually not difficult if everything is done according to the rules. There are few of them, and they are very easy to perform. Seedlings of this plant take root in the ground almost all year round (the only exception is winter). However, the most favorable time is spring and autumn. If you plan to plant bushes in the spring, you need to prepare the soil for this immediately after it has thawed.
Raspberry loves moist soil, but not abundant watering, this shrub has a superficial root system, it does not grow in depth. Before planting, the earth should be dug up and fertilized. It is important to initially choose the right place. It should be a bright area, protected from drafts. Autumn planting should be done in late September - early October. During the winter, the bushes will have time to take root well and, possibly, will give a small harvest next year, although high-quality fruiting will begin only in a year.
We sow, we sow, we cannot grow - why?
Now let's talk about how to properly use raspberry seeds for planting. As we have already mentioned, this option is one of the most time-consuming. It is important to choose high-quality seed. It can be bought at specialized sales outlets or isolated from berries on your own. It is better to avoid buying from unverified sellers, as well as ordering grains on the Web - it is very easy to fall for unscrupulous manufacturers who sell badraw materials. We will tell readers several options on how to get raspberry seeds from berries yourself.
In this process, it is necessary to follow a special technology, you also need to be able to plant seeds, taking into account the characteristics of the raspberry root system. Otherwise, even seeds of proper quality will not produce viable seedlings.
Selection and preparation of seeds
This is one of the most important and important stages in the entire upcoming gardener process. It is likely that theoretically many people know how to collect raspberry seeds. The grains are right in the berries, but how do you get them out unscathed? For the assembly of seeds, it is best to take the most ripe berries, moreover, overripe ones are also suitable. The ideal time for this is the end of September.
Soft fruits must be sorted out, leaving those that have not been spoiled, cleaned of debris and cuttings and rubbed through a sieve. A thick cake will remain at its bottom - this is the raspberry seeds. The grains must be immersed in water, this will help to clean them from the pulp of the berries, and unripe and empty bones will also float to the surface of the liquid. The same seeds that remain at the bottom of the container must be rinsed again and left in water for 24 hours to swell.
Further actions are to provide the grains with conditions as close to natural as possible. In the wild, raspberries reproduce by seeds as well. They are carried by birds. Thus, bushes with berries sprout in newly formed clearings andin burnt areas of forests. The stratification of raspberry seeds (providing the necessary conditions for their subsequent planting) is that they need to be kept at an optimal temperature and normal humidity level.
The soaked grains are placed in a cloth bag. It can be nylon or gauze, then the bag is slightly moistened and placed in a container, overlaid with moss. It is stored in this form until April, periodically the grains need to be checked and moistened.
Cultivation of raspberry seedlings
Raspberry seeds prepared in autumn are planted in the soil in April. The earth must first be loosened and fertilized, well moistened. However, excessively abundant watering should not be allowed, this culture does not like too much water. In damp soil, raspberries grow poorly and develop poorly. The seed planting depth is small - about 2-3 cm. From above they need to be sprinkled with a mixture of earth, sand and humus.
Autumn landing is also not excluded. In some cases, this is even preferable. Indeed, in this way the sprouts will securely strengthen themselves in the ground and undergo natural stratification. Remontant raspberry seeds are germinated in the same way.
When the grains have sprouted, they must be thinned out, spud. At the moment when the plants have released 2-3 leaves, they can be seated. Young growth is best kept in a greenhouse, in specially prepared soil. The land needs to be periodically weeded from weeds, the plants are watered every five to seven days, sometimes they are fed, prevent diseases and provide protection from pests.
There is one moreHow to grow raspberry bushes from seeds. It is less troublesome, but with unproven effectiveness. It consists in generously coating a thick jute rope with berries, after which it moves 2-3 cm into the ground. As in the case of ordinary seeds, the ground must be prepared by mixing it with peat in a 50/50 ratio or in equal parts sand and humus.
Planting and aftercare
Grown bushes are transplanted into raspberries in autumn or spring. Raspberries are placed in rows, the distance between which is approximately 40 cm, and the sprouts are located approximately every 10-15 cm from each other. If the bushes are too thick, this will interfere with the care of the plant, the subsequent harvest.
Raspberries should be periodically thinned out, cut off damaged stems and their tops. Also, the plant needs watering, especially during active growth and formation of ovaries, fruiting.
Yields
The number of berries, as well as their size and quality, depends on many factors, including the variety of the plant, the quality of its care, the conditions in which the bush grows. So, the now popular repair raspberry gives a bountiful harvest, moreover, twice a year. But it should be understood that there will not be so many summer berries, but in late autumn their number is usually significant. Raspberry Tarusa also has good yields, the fruits of this variety are very large and fleshy.
Shrubs grown from seeds will not be able to produce berries in the first year, this will happen only in the nextseason. In addition, one should not expect that the harvest will fully correspond in quality and properties to the fruits from which the seeds were extracted. Hybrid raspberry varieties degenerate very quickly and offspring are often an order of magnitude worse than the mother plant.
