Traditionally grown in summer cottages, delicious and useful berry raspberries have already yielded. Winter is coming, and gardeners are faced with the question of how to prepare raspberries for winter. Proper preparation is the key to getting a good harvest in the future, so it's worth the effort. Undoubtedly, you need to know how to care for raspberries in the fall. One of milestones rejuvenation and increase the productivity of raspberry bushes is their autumn pruning.

Why prune raspberries?

Before answering the question of how to prepare raspberries for winter, let's define the stages of work. These are pruning, top dressing, removing leaves and bending the stems. Pruning a bush has several purposes. First, all old, diseased and unnecessary branches are removed. Secondly, competent pruning will help to significantly increase the future harvest and survive the upcoming cold weather. Thirdly, thinning bushes has a good effect on the quality of berries; in well-groomed plantings, they are much larger than on neglected areas. Raspberries are prepared for winter in September or early October. Dates autumn work are important. Reducing the air temperature to negative values ​​will not allow all stages to be carried out efficiently, so you should not wait for stable cold weather.

Pruning technology: what you need to know

When caring about how to prepare raspberries for winter, you should remember that each stem must be cut to the very root. It is impossible to leave even small stumps: insect pests penetrate and multiply in them. Two-year-old stems that have served their purpose are subject to pruning. It is easy to distinguish them - as a rule, they are dry and dark, standing out appearance against the background of young, greenish shades, branches. They also remove broken, weak, diseased shoots that grow incorrectly inside the bush and young, unnecessary shoots.

After pruning, 5-7 strong, viable and healthy stems are left in the raspberry bush. With a row planting, for each meter of the length of the beds, you should not leave more than 10 shoots. Significant thinning of bushes - the best preparation raspberries for the winter, providing a successful waiting for the cold.

We release raspberries from pests

When pruning, you must carefully examine all the shoots. Often, pests overwinter and develop in raspberry stems. For example, the raspberry gall midge, common in many regions of Russia, lays eggs in the stem, causing irreparable harm to it. The affected branches are well defined visually - characteristic swellings appear on them, tearing the upper layer of the bark. All cut stems should be burned. If this is not done, the pests will winter well and settle in raspberries again, significantly reducing the yield.

double pruning

The double pruning of the bush contributes to the increase in the yield of raspberries. This is a laborious but effective technique. It consists of pruning in the fall and in early spring 20-25 cm of the tops of the stems that have reached a meter height. This method stimulates the development of lateral shoots, which, in turn, also branch out, forming new lateral stems with flower buds. As a result, a fan of strong side branches is formed on several main shoots, which not only increases the productivity of the bush, but also greatly simplifies its care and harvesting. With this method of growing raspberries, large intervals should be made between the bushes - at least 60-70 cm. Preparing raspberries for winter with this method of growing is of great importance: you cannot skip autumn pruning. It should be noted that this method is not suitable for remontant raspberry varieties. Gardeners specializing in the cultivation of such species recommend cutting the bushes completely for the winter.

How to cook raspberries for the winter?

Take care of the competent wintering of berry bushes should be in the summer. When carrying out the necessary feeding, one must adhere to the established norms and in no case overfeed raspberries. Excessive fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers reduces the frost resistance of the bush. special role plays a plot where raspberries are grown. It should be well lit, the sunlight makes the shoots strong enough and able to endure the winter. After pruning under the bushes, it is necessary to apply organic fertilizers (humus is better) and dig up the soil layer. If the bed has been mulched, it is necessary to remove the mulch - in winter, field mice can start in it.

Raspberry: fall care

Pruning is the main, but not the only step in preparing the bush for winter. Usually raspberries are quite hardy, but severe cold can destroy flower buds. To prevent this from happening, gardeners successfully use such a method as bending bushes to the ground. That's what it's for. Snow cover has always been considered the best shelter for shrubs and trees. Therefore, the raspberry bush, located in close proximity to the ground, is covered with snow even before the arrival of severe frosts. The average height of snow cover in central Russia reaches 50-60 cm, which means that a bush bent at a distance of less than half a meter from the ground will overwinter without loss.

It is important to remember that you need to bend the raspberry shoots so that they are completely under the snow. The stems should not be allowed to remain above the snow cover, this is the most dangerous and cold zone, because the air temperature is the lowest near the snow. If raspberry bushes are planted on trellises, they are bent one to the other, fastened to the bottom wire or pinned to the ground with metal hooks. This should be done before stable negative average daily temperatures have set in. Under such conditions, the stems become brittle, and it will not be possible to bend them down without breaking them.

Before bending the stems to the ground, you need to remove the foliage from them, as the remaining leaves get wet and begin to rot, which can cause kidney burns. Removing the foliage from the stem is simple: with a hand in a mitten, you need to loosely clamp the shoot and hold it from bottom to top to the top. This will allow you to get rid of the leaves and not break off the flower buds.

That's all you need to know about how to prepare raspberries for winter. It remains to wait out the winter and in the spring, as soon as the snow melts, carefully release the stems bent to the ground. There is no need to rush things, you should let the bushes straighten up, take the desired shape on their own and, after some time, cut out the stems that could not survive the frost, sneezed or broke.

Like any berry crops, it is advisable to close raspberries for the winter. But simply covering it with snow or other material is impossible due to the fact that the shoots are located high above the ground. They must first be bent to the ground, and only then covered. Under cover, raspberries tolerate well very coldy. Read this article to learn how to prepare raspberries for winter. So.

When and how to prune raspberries for the winter

Before bending the shoots for the winter, it is advisable to carry out autumn pruning. The best time for pruning in the Middle Strip is from early September to early October. First of all, dry old shoots are removed at the very root. Then unnecessary branches, in thick bushes. After pruning, no more than 7 shoots are left on one root. It is also desirable to remove young shoots (their stems do not have wood), which by the fall did not have time to grow to the desired size.

When and how to bend raspberries for the winter

It is advisable to bend down the shoots at the end of September, when the temperature is still positive outside. It is undesirable to bend down before the frosts, as the branches become brittle in the cold. They are damaged externally and internally. Vessels located inside the shoot are destroyed in places of bending. In the future, useful substances will not pass through them to the tops. And this significantly reduces the yield on raspberry bushes.

How to bend branches to the ground? First you need to clean the shoots from the leaves. In autumn, they fall off on their own, but even the remaining ones are easily removed by hand. It is enough just to smoothly run your hand from the base of the branch to the very top.

When you run along the stem, clearing the leaves, do not press hard with your hand. Remember - there are buds on the shoots that are easily damaged. Kidneys are damaged - there will be no harvest.

How to cover raspberries for the winter

Snow is the best shelter for the winter for any berry crops. If the snow cover is small, then it is additionally recommended to cover the bushes with snow, collecting it on the site.

Do not cover raspberry bushes with wet snow. After severe frosts, an ice crust forms, which will prevent the flow of oxygen to the roots of plants. When a crust forms, it is recommended to remove it.

Raspberries: preparation for winter

About the upcoming wintering of raspberries

Successful cultivation of raspberries is mainly determined by three points: timely shelter with snow and sufficient heat and moisture supply for normal growth in summer. During the long cooperation with US, in my articles I have repeatedly addressed the issue of the success of growing raspberries, where I tried to highlight its various aspects. Articles “On the causes of tissue damage at the base of raspberry shoots”, “US” No. 29/2003, were devoted to this; “On the need for early winter shelter of raspberries”, “US” No. 34/2010; “About raspberry varieties Taganka and Patricia”, “US” No. 11 / 2013; “Features of the ecology of raspberry growth”, “US” No. 25/2015. In this article, on the eve of a new regular wintering of all garden plants I want to talk about the preparations for it in the current cold and rainy season of cultivated plants currently grown in the Sverdlovsk region common raspberry. I want to start with the features of preparing for the wintering of an ordinary wild raspberry in vivo habitat.

The normal growth of wild-growing common raspberries, from which all cultivated cultivars of it originate, is due to a number of reasons that are very useful for gardeners to know about. First of all, she lives in the taiga or deciduous forests. These forest communities form vast tracts only under certain environmental conditions: moderately warm summer, low evaporation, high humidity air. They are absent in areas where low temperatures are accompanied by dry air, a cloudless sky, and also where cold dry springs with large sums solar radiation. In areas dominated by these forests, a frosty period with heavy snowfalls is clearly expressed. Snow is deposited in an even loose layer.

Most of these forest stands under their canopy create a special ecological environment: significant shading, a more even course of daily temperatures, and the absence of early autumn frosts.

In addition, the shoots of wild raspberries themselves have some adaptations for sheltering with snow. First of all, shoots first grow vertically, and then the top curves and grows horizontally, and the shoot as a whole leans a lot. In autumn, the leaves on the shoots keep until the snow falls. Under the weight of snow lingering on the leaves, the raspberry shoots bend even more and subsequently are completely covered with snow. The strong thorniness of wild raspberries is also aimed at reducing snow sliding along the shoot. This is supported by the fact that the thorniness of this raspberry increases markedly in the Urals, Siberia and Far East. In the European part of Russia, snowfall occurs at relatively high temperatures, and it adheres well to raspberry shoots that have a weak thorniness. In the Urals, in Siberia, and especially in Eastern Siberia, snow falls at low air temperatures. In this regard, it is characterized by dryness and fine crystalline structure. Such snow can only be held on shoots that have a lot of thorns. Thus, in a natural habitat, wild raspberries can grow and bear fruit only when covered with snow.

In culture, all obtained raspberry varieties are practically devoid of the indicated adaptive properties of wild raspberries and, without human help, are not covered with snow in a timely manner, which leads to frost damage to their shoots and a sharp decrease in yield. In areas with little snow, cultivated raspberries are marked by reduced productivity. In Eastern Siberia (Minusinsk Basin, Transbaikalia), in the Far East, growing raspberries is possible only when the shoots are covered with earth for the winter, and, for example, in the valleys of Central Asia - with straw, in the highlands - with snow.

The reason for freezing or complete freezing in winter of uncovered shoots of all cultivated raspberry varieties is their not very high frost resistance and winter hardiness. For example, according to research by specialists, raspberry stalks of most cultivated varieties are able to withstand frosts of no more than -25 ° C in late autumn after the completion of the second stage of hardening, in the middle of winter, during the period of being in organic dormancy, they withstand -27 ... -30 ° C, and after February and March thaws can be damaged at a temperature of -20...-25°C. Taganka, Maroseyka, Tarusa, Stolichnaya, Patricia and others obtained on the basis of low-winter-hardy large-fruited English raspberry varieties have even less frost resistance and winter hardiness. The group most frost-resistant varieties, whose plants tolerate temperatures of -35 ... -37 ° C during the dormant period, include: High, Carnival, Muskoka, Kokinskaya, Balsam and others. Decrease in temperature to -36 ° C is usually maintained by the bark and wood of varieties: Novosti Kuzmina, Scarlet sail, Bryanskaya, Solnyshko and a number of others. However, due to the early differentiation of fruit buds in plants of the listed varieties, the frost resistance of their main buds does not exceed -31...-33°C. A valuable property of the mentioned varieties is their high regenerative capacity. In case of damage to their individual main buds on the shoots by frost, the crop is formed from these lateral buds, which can withstand temperatures down to -40 ° C.

In culture, due to the instability of external climatic conditions raspberry plants do not always achieve maximum frost resistance. In our conditions, which are characterized in most years by an unstable frosty winter with sharp temperature fluctuations, all raspberry varieties should have good winter hardiness.

The winter hardiness of raspberries is closely related to temperature regime during the growing season, which determines the state of plants during dormancy. Thus, the formation of raspberry plants at elevated temperatures and high soil moisture leads to autumn branching of the stems and the non-ripening of prematurely appeared lateral shoots that freeze out in winter. The formation of plants at a low temperature and high soil moisture leads to the non-ripening of not only the tops of the shoots, but also the bark and cambium at their bases. This happened to us with raspberries last year and, most likely, should happen this year as well. Compliance with the light regime also has a significant effect on the winter hardiness of raspberry plants. The deterioration of illumination, which was also characteristic of very rainy seasons of the past and this year, leads to serious metabolic changes in the plant organism and a decrease in its winter hardiness and resistance to warming.

The winter hardiness of plants is closely related to their provision with water and soil nutrition elements. The lack of water can increase or decrease the winter hardiness of plants, depending on how long and during what period of development this lack was felt. Excess water in the soil always has a negative effect on the plant. Good soil nutrition usually improves winter hardiness, but excess nitrogen in the soil weakens the plant's ability to withstand unfavorable factors wintering. In raspberries that have received high doses of nitrogen, growth is usually delayed, the content of free water in the tissues is high, and it enters a state of rest late. Excess nitrogen stimulates excessive thickening of plantings, the formation of thick shoots with cracking bark, which creates conditions for the development of fungal diseases and the raspberry mosquito. All of the above consequences of overfeeding with nitrogen lead to a sharp decrease in the winter hardiness of raspberry plantations. Increased doses of potassium, on the contrary, contribute to favorable wintering of plants. The high content of phosphate fertilizers in the soil affects the yield, but does not have a noticeable effect on the winter hardiness of raspberries.

The best shelter for the winter with the indicated limited frost resistance and winter hardiness of raspberries is the complete snow cover of its shoots bent to the ground, since this creates the most favorable wintering conditions for them. Even a three-centimeter snow cover at a frost of -11.5 ° C allows you to keep the temperature at the soil surface -3.5 ... -4 ° C. especially high protective properties has freshly fallen snow. For example, a layer of such snow of 20 cm at a frost of -27°C does not allow the soil temperature at a depth of 20 cm to fall below -2...-2.5°C.

However, studies by G.V. Vasilchenko at the Research Institute of Horticulture of Siberia showed that raspberries do not tolerate at all and die without shelter in October if the air temperature drops to -18 ... -22 ° C in favorable climatic seasons, and even in unfavorable such seasons in the first half of November. The reason for this is that in the first case, until the end of October, and in the second case, until mid-November, the first stage of hardening with low positive temperatures occurs, after which the second stage of hardening begins with negative temperatures of the order of -10 ° C, only then can it endure the indicated negative temperatures.

At a temperature of -18 ... -22 ° C, in raspberry plants in the first stage of hardening, first of all, Bottom part shoots at the root collar - bark and wood. In such cases, the bark cracks and lags behind in the spring, and the wood, not even frozen, but devoid of bark, dies off, and the shoot dries up. This phenomenon is widespread in the Altai Territory and in other regions of Siberia in places with early frosts and relatively cold and excessively humid summers, when there is poor maturation and slow and poor hardening of shoot tissues in the region of the root collar.

But it should be widespread in our country, as evidenced by the climate guide for the Sverdlovsk region, where in October a short presence of air temperature is given in the south to -12 ... -14 ° С, and in its north and in mountainous regions up to -14 ...-18°С. Since the air temperature data are indicated for the conditions of their observation at a height of 1.5 m, then at the soil level, where the raspberry root collars are located, their values ​​\u200b\u200bshould be 5 degrees lower and correspond to critical temperatures-18...-22°С for the entire territory of the region.

The foregoing is confirmed by severe damage and complete death of the majority of unbent shoots in all raspberry varieties last winter, when night temperatures dropped to -14 ... -16 ° C in the period from October 24 to October 27. Since, due to the very cold and rainy growing season last year, the raspberry plants did not ripen well and they began the first stage of hardening with a great delay, which was not completed by October 24th. This led to the onset of these low temperatures in the specified period of October to severe damage to the raspberry shoots.

Along with such low temperatures in October last year on the 19th, snow 15-20 cm high also fell, which protected some parts of the shoots from frost. Unbent shoots were mostly damaged at the level of the snow surface.

That is, damage or even death from the frosty effects of raspberry bushes in October or even early November is quite possible with us, therefore they require special protection from now on.

According to the observations of G.V. Vasilchenko, raspberries, protected from October frosts and frosts in early November and wintered without snow in a hardened state until the end of February, relatively successfully endure (its most winter-hardy varieties) fairly low temperatures down to -25 ° C in November and down to -30°С in December. After sheltering in February with snow, it gave a slightly smaller crop than covered with snow immediately in November. At the same time, raspberries, devoid of snow since February, became very cold and sharply reduced their productivity. First of all, the kidneys froze. The periods of development and growth were much longer, the total growth of twigs on the shoot decreased sharply, and in general, productivity fell sharply.

The reaction of raspberries to the height of the snow cover is very different in different periods. Since autumn, raspberry plantations need to be covered with snow, as they can suffer not only from freezing, but also from drying out. The absence of snow on plantings impairs their subsequent development. They have a lower height, fewer young replacement shoots and a total growth per plant. Optimal conditions for raspberries, they are created with moderate cover with snow 40-50 cm high. At the same time, it winters well, does not suffer from drying out and warming up. The withering of uncovered shoots also increases from the fact that the integumentary tissues are damaged by particles of sand and snow. Under a large snow cover, raspberries have low productivity and very often undermine. Low productivity in this case is associated with the incompleteness of the dormant period and is expressed in weak bud break, fewer flowers per plant, and less development of the leaf apparatus.

Thus, in order to carry out a successful upcoming wintering of all varieties of raspberries this season, gardeners should take the following measures.

1. To prevent the death of raspberry shoots from possible severe October frosts and frosts in early November, protection of shoot tissues in the area of ​​​​the root collar should be provided. To do this, it is necessary to cut out old shoots, exclude thickening of new shoots and ensure the possibility of preserving leaves on them, make a low bending of new shoots to the ground no later than the first decade of October and protect their bases with a layer of dry leaves of other plants, and protect the shoots themselves with heat-insulating materials.

2. To prevent drying of the shoots and their freezing with the appearance of the first snow, hill up the shoots, followed by regular hilling. That the hardened raspberry shoots of individual winter-hardy varieties can bear the first winter months significant negative temperatures does not mean that you can not hurry with the shelter of plants. Shoots of uncovered plants after prolonged thaws can lose their hardening and from changes in negative temperatures, even if they do not reach critical values ​​for a particular variety, dry out and die by the time they are covered. To guarantee the preservation of the integrity of the shoots in the first months of winter, in the absence of snow or its low height, it is necessary to use the same plant protection as in October with the help of heat-insulating materials.

3. Throughout the winter, the height of the snow cover over the raspberry plants covered with snow, in order to avoid the possibility of underheating of the shoots and incomplete passage of the dormant period, should not be more than 50 cm. covering material. Snowdrifts up to 1 m high and more are especially dangerous. In the case of such drifts, the snow height for a short time for a snow shelter should be reduced to 50 cm, and for a combined shelter - up to 35-40 cm. In case of a combined shelter, first with heat-insulating material (air-dry shelter), and then with snow at high snow height for raspberry plants, warming up is excluded, but the failure to pass the dormant period is aggravated.

The following can be used as heat-insulating materials: rags, spruce and pine branches and paws, potato tops, reed mats, straw, hay, polyethylene film, non-woven material, roofing material, container board and other similar materials. But not all of these materials have good qualities with them practical use. The rags get wet very quickly and are strongly deformed when solidified, the heat-insulating properties of the paws and branches of coniferous and potato tops are not very high, straw and hay are a haven for mice, polyethylene film is covered with severe frost in the initial period of wintering, which, when covered with a thick layer of snow, can thaw and worsen the resistance of shoots to warming up. good materials cane or reed mats, roofing material, non-woven fabric and container board can serve as shelter. But reed and reed mats are difficult to manufacture, roofing material is expensive. The most convenient in amateur gardening for sheltering raspberries and other garden plants is non-woven fabric and container board, thrown out in very large quantities to the landfill.

If there is a bush plantation of raspberries, then before sheltering the plants, stakes designed to hold the shoots should be removed from the ground. After that, the bent bushes are covered with non-woven material in 1-2 or more layers. The edges of the cloth are dug in with earth. When such a plantation is covered with container cardboard, it is straightened and overlapped on the shoots of a bush, while the edges of the shelter and overlapped individual sheets are also fixed with earth. If there is a raspberry trellis plantation, then the lower wire is made on it at a height of about 50 cm from the ground. Panels of non-woven material or sheets of cardboard are thrown over the specified wire and fixed on both sides with the help of earth. Sheets of cardboard are also overlapped, and the junctions of different sheets in several places are fastened with earth. These shelters provide air-dry wintering of sheltered plants and exclude the possibility of their warming up.

V. N. Shalamov

Proper autumn preparation of raspberries for winter consists of a set of agrotechnical measures, the implementation of which is the basis for obtaining a decent harvest next year. It is not enough just to cut raspberries (you can find step-by-step instructions for autumn pruning in our separate one), you need to feed the bushes, carry out pest control, cover the raspberries, and carry out all activities on time and in the correct sequence. Each item in detail autumn care for raspberries and will be discussed in this article.

top dressing

Autumn top dressing of raspberries is one of important aspects successful cultivation of the plant. If fertilizers are applied in summer to increase yields, then starting from August, feeding means helping the plant recover faster after fruiting, gain strength for a successful wintering, and completely complete the process of ripening and lignification of shoots.

How to feed raspberries in autumn

• under natural conditions, raspberries grow in humus-rich areas, and therefore for garden raspberries the best top dressing this is rotted manure, compost and chicken manure. On average, 2-3 buckets of manure mixed with two handfuls of ash must be added per 1 m2. Autumn top dressing organic fertilizers should be carried out at least once every three years;
• the application of mineral fertilizers also successfully affects the development of the plant, but only potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are used to prepare for winter. nitrogen fertilizers will lead to the active growth of shoots, as a result, they will not have time to ripen and the probability of winter freezing of the entire shrub increases sharply. As for the amount, it is enough to add 40 g of granular superphosphate (dose double superphosphate 20 g / m2) and 20 g of potassium sulfate per 1 m2 of raspberries to fully cover the plant's need for potassium-phosphorus fertilizers. It is important to remember that mineral fertilizers it is necessary to apply to the depth of the roots, and not to scatter on the surface of the earth, therefore, such top dressing is most often accompanied by digging the earth. In order not to damage the roots, it is necessary to dig in the aisles to a depth of no more than 15 cm, and in rows to a depth of 7-10 cm.

Nitrogen fertilizers are good in the spring, when it is just important for raspberries to quickly build up green mass.

Mulching

The mulching procedure is carried out immediately after feeding the raspberries. The use of mulch has a number of advantages:

• preservation of soil moisture and, as a result, a reduction in the number of irrigations;
• additional warming of the root system;
• overheating, the mulch becomes an excellent fertilizer.

Raspberries do not like acidic or alkaline environments, so sawdust is not suitable for mulching. conifers trees, but peat, straw, fallen leaves from the forest, seed husks can be safely used. In terms of thickness, the range of 5-10 cm is considered optimal. We will mulch less than 5 cm. We can allow the root system to freeze, more than 10 cm - the risk of root heating increases, the development of fungi and infections in places where mulch and stems come into contact.

Do not use its own foliage and shoots for mulching raspberries - they can be carriers of diseases and be affected by pests!

Watering

Autumn watering of raspberries accompanies soil mulching, and in the fall, the so-called water-charging irrigation is carried out. The main task of this type of irrigation is to stimulate the active growth of the root system. If the autumn turned out to be not rainy, then the raspberry roots may complete their development ahead of time, the bush will winter weakened and next year will not be able to give good harvest. Moisture-charging irrigation is carried out in late September - early October and differs from simple irrigation in the amount of water used. For each plant, it is necessary to pour 50-60 liters of water so that the soil is well saturated at a depth of 30-40 cm.

Bend and tie bushes

It is necessary to bend down and tie up raspberries in autumn in order to use natural thermal insulation material- snow. In this case, the timing of bending down is important. If the procedure is carried out early, then, due to high average daily temperatures, you can allow the inhibition of interconnected shoots. If you tighten it, then the bush will become more fragile closer to frost, it will be difficult to bend it, and instead of bending the stems to the ground, you can simply break them. The optimal time is considered to be within 10 days after autumn leaf fall.

As for the height of bending down, it is important to bend the raspberries to such a height that in winter the shoots are completely under the snow. For middle lane Russia is about 40 cm from the ground. At the same time, you should not bend down too low. At distances from the ground of less than 20 cm, the bush may become warm from mulch during thaws. Also, do not try to bend the raspberries in one step, there is a high probability of damage to some of the branches. Break the operation into several stages. At first, tilt the branches, taking into account the compliance of the shoot, as soon as you feel the resistance of the branch, stop, let a day or two pass and you can repeat the procedure, gradually approaching the range of 20-40 cm we need.

Why bend over? Most often, raspberries are bent and tied to a wire stretched along the rows of raspberries, the wire itself is fixed on clogged pieces of pipe, fittings or wooden pegs. You can also bend the first bush, fixing it to the post, attach the second bush to the first bush, and so on along the chain. The garter is carried out with thick nylon threads or strips of synthetic fabric, the main thing is that the threads do not cut the stem and do not rot until spring.

Bent tied stems should have an arcuate appearance and be located at a distance of no more than 40 cm from the ground.

Is it worth it to remove foliage from raspberries in the fall?

There is no unequivocal opinion on the issue of removing foliage from raspberries before winter. Agrotechnicians advise to remove foliage without fail, because. its decay can lead to damage to the kidneys and slow down, or even completely stop the development of the bush in the spring. But, at the same time, there is a successful experience of many gardeners who do not remove the foliage and note that the leaves help to retain snow in winter and protect the raspberry bush from the wind. The decision is yours, but if you still decide to remove the leaves, then grab the stem with a glove near the ground and reach out to the top of the plant. Thus, you will remove the leaves, but do not damage the kidneys. It is impossible to carry out the procedure from the top to the root!

Shelter for the winter

Depending on the climate zone growth cover raspberries for the winter in different ways. So in the Moscow region, raspberries are not covered with something specialized, there is enough snow cover. In Siberia and Transbaikalia, frosts are much stronger, therefore, in addition to snow protection, bushes are covered with non-woven covering material, for example, spunbond. At the same time, the bent bushes are covered on top with one or two layers of material, and the material itself is fixed with clothespins to the branches, or sprinkled with earth along the contour.

Snow protection is not always carried out by itself, the raspberry tree can be in open space, from which snow will be blown, so it is important to carry out snow retention operations. Install boards or other boards on the windward side of the raspberry tree. sheet materials, scatter branches on the ground from the autumn pruning of trees. Additionally, shovel snow into the raspberry area when cleaning paths, roofs, etc.

Terms of autumn shelter

We already wrote about the timing of bending down raspberries - this procedure must be carried out immediately after the autumn leaf fall, but it is better to cover the bushes with non-woven material in addition immediately before snow and frost so that the plant does not rot. It will not be possible to indicate the exact dates, because. they directly depend on the climatic zone in which you live.

Preparing remontant raspberries for winter

Autumn work with remontant raspberries may not differ at all from work with simple garden raspberries, but can be significantly reduced, it all depends on the chosen method of cultivation. Remontant varieties are cultivated:

• in a two-year culture, while raspberries are cut as usual, only we get two harvests - the first in the summer from the shoots of the second year, and the second in the fall - from young twigs;
• in an annual crop, while in the fall all branches are completely cut off and the next year's crop will be formed only on young shoots. As a result, we get one plentiful autumn harvest.

Depending on the method of cultivation, the method is also selected autumn training remontant raspberries for the winter. As already mentioned, when growing in a two-year culture, we use all the technologies described in this article and related to ordinary garden raspberries. In the case annual cultivation in the fall, a complete pruning of the bush should be made, which is carried out flush with the ground, leaving no stumps that can rot and serve as a refuge for pests. The earth in the raspberry bush is mulched with a layer of 10-15 cm, which will be enough to protect the roots of the plant from freezing. It should be noted that if you are late with autumn pruning, but you want to grow remontant raspberries in an annual crop, you can prune in winter, even in January and February, of course, provided there is little snow on the site. If there is a lot of snow, then it is better to wait for early spring.

Autumn treatment for diseases and pests

Processing raspberries from pests and diseases in the fall is a component of the rapid set of green mass by shrubs in the spring. What measures need to be taken:

• cut old branches flush with the ground. Don't leave columns! They will rot and become a haven for pests, a breeding ground for infections;
• fallen leaves and old branches must be taken out of the raspberries and burned. Do not mulch raspberries with their own foliage;
• in order to protect against spider and raspberry mites, it is necessary to spray raspberries immediately after autumn leaf fall with one of the preparations: fufanon, lightning, fitoverm, actellik

If you are afraid to apply for pest control chemicals, then you can spend the autumn spraying of raspberries with an infusion of tomato tops or marigolds.

Autumn best time think about the future summer harvest. Proper preparation for winter is the key to obtaining tasty, fragrant berries on healthy, powerful bushes.

In Siberia preparing raspberries for winter plays an important role in the care of this culture.

- a wonderful berry! It is both tasty and very healthy, so on my suburban area it takes an honorable second place among berry growers. As the first favorite Lately the incomparable miracle berry shines! However, I also love raspberries and grow them all the time. Alas, in our area and the harsh climate, and not very suitable soil - everything is against raspberries! Therefore, I use an old, very hardy one, which, with proper care, gives, although not a record, but stable yields of delicious berries. To achieve a more or less acceptable result, I simultaneously apply the methods of growing raspberries of famous gardeners - Sobolev A.G. and Arkhangelsky V.N. .

Because all my raspberries bisected, I have to bend down only the left replacement shoots, and the fruiting stems, in late autumn, I just cut off almost to the root This part of the plantation to prevent the raspberry roots from freezing, I mulch for the winter with pine needles (10 cm layer).

The most suitable time for bending down raspberries in our area is it's the middle of september. In my opinion, it is better to do this a little early than late, because the stems become woody and more brittle by late autumn. The stems of my variety Kuzmin's News are easier to break anyway, so you have to bend them very carefully, usually in two steps, and sometimes even in three! First, I tilt the stems just enough so as not to break, and after a few days I bend them to acceptable distance from the soil surface (about 30 cm). It is very difficult to bend the bushes even lower, and it is not necessary, and even dangerous - raspberries can support in a damp winter thaw.

Moreover, when preparing raspberries for winter, I do not remove leaves from stems, as some gardeners do, but I leave everything as it is. Also do not cut the tops of the stems in August. Why? I repeatedly tried to do both, and, in the end, I decided that it was in our climate that there was no use for this, and there was even some deterioration in the general condition of raspberries. Such a serious impact on any plant as pruning is always a lot of stress, and this, apparently, also takes a lot of energy for raspberries, and does not do any good on the eve of winter. That's why I always prune raspberries in the spring.. I don't touch the leaves because they help snow retention and are some kind of natural insulation, and when they are removed, you can easily damage the kidney And.

There are two main ways to arrange the stems when bending raspberries - towards each other and in the same direction. I prefer bend raspberry stalks in one direction. To do this work because of the thorns, you have to wear gloves or mittens. I collect several stems in a bunch, slowly and smoothly, with maximum accuracy, tilt them to the ground and fix them in this position. I tie the first bundle with ropes to a metal hook stuck into the ground, I attach the next bundle to the base of the first tied bush, and so, bush by bush, I bend down and fasten the entire row of raspberries.

Some stems that have grown a little on the sidelines or are strongly branched (they are so with double pruning) cannot be bent down along with the bulk. It does not matter - there are few such malicious stems, and at the end of the work I tilt and tie each of them separately.

Re-bending raspberry stalks is much easier and faster. I untie each bundle, press it lower, and tie it again. It is better to bend the raspberries in two steps, slowly, than to break at least a few stems, and deprive yourself of part of the crop! I don’t mulch this part of the raspberry tree for the winter to protect the roots from frost, bent stems with the remains of leaves are already shelter, and they hold the snow well. This is justified, because even with our Siberian frosts (sometimes under minus 50 degrees!) For many years, the roots have not frozen even once.