Traditionally grown in summer cottages, delicious and useful berry the 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 work. Undoubtedly, you need to know how to care for raspberries in the fall. One of critical 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, we will define the stages of work. This is pruning, feeding, removing leaves and bending the stems. Bush pruning serves 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 shoots. Thirdly, the thinning of the bushes has a good effect on the quality of the berries, in well-groomed plantings they are much larger than on neglected areas... Preparing raspberries for winter is carried out in September or early October. Dates autumn works are important. Reducing the air temperature to negative values \u200b\u200bwill not allow all the stages to be carried out efficiently, so you should not wait for stable cold weather.

Trimming technology: what you need to know

Taking care of how to prepare raspberries for winter, you should remember that each stem must be cut to the very root. Even small stumps should not be left: insect pests penetrate and reproduce into them. Two-year old stems that have served their own are subject to pruning. It is easy to distinguish them - as a rule, they are dry and dark, stand out appearance against the background of young, greenish shades, branches. Broken, weak, diseased shoots that do not grow properly inside the bush and young unnecessary shoots are also removed.

After pruning, 5-7 strong, viable and healthy stems are left in the raspberry bush. For row planting, no more than 10 shoots should be left for each meter of the bed length. Substantial thinning of bushes - best preparation raspberries for winter, ensuring a successful weathering of the cold.

Freeing raspberries from pests

When pruning, you must carefully examine all the shoots. Pests often hibernate and develop in raspberry stems. For example, the raspberry gall midge, widespread in many regions of Russia, lays eggs in the stem, causing irreparable harm to it. 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 re-settle in raspberries, significantly reducing the yield.

Double pruning

Double pruning of the bush contributes to an increase in the yield of raspberries. This is a time consuming but effective technique. It consists of pruning in the fall and in early spring by 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 lateral branches is formed on several main shoots, which not only contributes to an increase in 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 raspberries. Gardeners who specialize in the cultivation of such svida recommend cutting the bushes completely for the winter.

How to prepare raspberries for winter?

You should take care of the correct wintering of berry bushes in the summer. Carrying out the necessary feeding, you 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, sunlight makes the shoots strong enough to withstand winter. After pruning under the bushes, you need to apply organic fertilizers (preferably humus) 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: care in the fall

Pruning is the main, but not the only step in preparing the bush for winter. Usually raspberries are hardy enough, but extreme 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 done for. Snow cover has always been considered the best shelter for shrubs and trees. Therefore, a 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 coldest 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, fixing them to the lower wire or pinning them with metal hooks to the ground. This should be done until stable negative daily average temperatures have come. In such conditions, the stems become fragile, and it will not be possible to bend them without breaking.

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 provoke kidney burns. It is simple to remove the foliage from the stem: with your hand in a mitten, you need to loosely grip the shoot and hold it from the bottom up to the top. This will free the leaves and prevent the flower buds from breaking off.

That's all there is 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, snot or broke.

Like any berry crops, it is advisable to cover raspberries for the winter. But it is impossible to simply cover it with snow or other material 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 about how to prepare raspberries for winter in this article. So.

When and how to trim raspberries for the winter

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

When and how to bend raspberries for the winter

It is advisable to bend the shoots at the end of September, when the temperature is still above zero. Before the very frosts, it is undesirable to bend it down, since the branches become fragile in the frost. They are damaged externally and internally. Vessels located inside the shoot are destroyed in places of bending. In the future, nutrients will not pass through them to the tops. And this significantly reduces the yield on raspberry bushes.

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

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

How to cover raspberries for the winter

Snow is the best winter shelter 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 oxygen from reaching the plant roots. If a crust forms, it is recommended to remove it.

Raspberries: preparing for winter

About the upcoming wintering of raspberries

The successful cultivation of raspberries is mainly determined by three points: timely snow cover and sufficient heat and moisture supply in summer for normal growth. During the long-term cooperation in "US" in my articles, I have repeatedly addressed the issue of the success of raspberry cultivation, where I tried to highlight its different sides. This was the subject of the articles "On the causes of tissue damage at the base of raspberry shoots", "US" No. 29/2003; "On the need for early winter shelter for raspberries", "US" No. 34/2010; "On 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 preparation 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 preparation for wintering of ordinary wild-growing raspberries in natural conditions habitat.

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

Most of these stands under their canopy create a special ecological situation: 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 devices for covering with snow. First of all, the shoots first grow vertically, and then the apex bends and grows horizontally, and the shoot as a whole bends strongly. In autumn, the leaves on the shoots are kept until the snow falls. Under the weight of the snow lingering on the leaves, the raspberry shoots bend even more and subsequently are finally covered with snow. The strong thorniness of wild raspberries is also aimed at reducing the sliding of snow along the shoot. This is supported by the fact that the thorniness of this raspberry noticeably increases in the Urals, Siberia and Far East... In the European part of Russia, snowfall occurs when relatively high temperatures, and it adheres well to raspberry shoots that have a slight thorniness. In the Urals, Siberia, and especially in Eastern Siberia, snow falls at low temperatures. In this regard, it is distinguished by its dryness and fine-crystalline structure. Such snow can only be retained on shoots with a mass of thorns. Thus, in a natural habitat, wild raspberries can grow and bear fruit only when covered with snow.

In culture, all raspberry varieties obtained are practically devoid of the indicated adaptive properties of wild-growing raspberries and, without human help, do not cover with snow in time, which leads to frost damage to their shoots and a sharp decrease in yield. In areas with little snow, cultivated raspberries are noted for reduced productivity. In Eastern Siberia (Minusinsk Basin, Transbaikalia), in the Far East, the cultivation of 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 varieties of raspberries is their not very high frost resistance and winter hardiness. For example, according to research by specialists, raspberry stems of most cultivated varieties are able to withstand in late autumn after the completion of the second stage of hardening frosts no more than -25 ° С, in the middle of winter during the period of being in organic dormancy they withstand -27 ...- 30 ° С, and after February and the March thaws can be damaged at temperatures of -20 ...- 25 ° C. The varieties Taganka, Maroseyka, Tarusa, Stolichnaya, Patricia and others, obtained on the basis of low-winter-hardy large-fruited English varieties of raspberries, have even less frost resistance and winter hardiness. The most frost-resistant varieties, whose plants tolerate a temperature of -35 ...- 37 ° C during the dormant period, include: High, Carnival, Muskoka, Kokinskaya, Balsam and others. A decrease in temperature to -36 ° C is usually tolerated by the bark and wood of the varieties: Novost Kuzmina, Alyi Parus, Bryanskaya, Solnyshko and a number of others. However, due to the early differentiation of fruit buds in the 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 regeneration capacity. In case of frost damage to individual main buds on the shoots, the crop is formed from these lateral buds, which can withstand a temperature drop to -40 ° C.

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

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 increased soil moisture leads to autumn branching of the stems and non-ripening of prematurely appeared lateral shoots that freeze in winter. The formation of plants at low temperatures and high soil moisture leads to non-ripening not only of the tops of the shoots, but also of the bark and cambium at their bases. So it happened with raspberries last year and, most likely, should happen this season. Compliance with the light regime also has a significant effect on the winter hardiness of raspberry plants. Deterioration of illumination, which was also inherent in the 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 underpinning.

The winter hardiness of plants is closely related to their provision with water and elements of soil nutrition. 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 has a beneficial effect on the winter hardiness of the crop, but excess nitrogen in the soil weakens the plants' ability to resist unfavorable factors wintering. In raspberries, which 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 dormancy 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 raspberry gnats. All of these consequences of nitrogen overfeeding lead to a sharp decrease in the winter hardiness of raspberry plantations. Higher doses of potassium, on the contrary, contribute to a favorable wintering of plants. The high content of phosphorus 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 specified limited frost resistance and winter hardiness of raspberries is a complete snow shelter of its shoots bent to the ground, since this creates the most favorable wintering conditions for them. Even a three-centimeter snow cover in a frost of -11.5 ° C allows keeping the temperature at the soil surface -3.5 ...- 4 ° C. Especially high protective properties possesses freshly fallen snow. For example, a 20 cm layer of such snow at -27 ° C does not allow the soil temperature to drop below -2 ...- 2.5 ° C at a depth of 20 cm.

However, studies by G.V. Vasilchenko at the Research Institute of Horticulture in 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 such unfavorable seasons in the first half of November. The reason for this is that in the first case, it has until the end of October, and in the second case, until mid-November, the first stage of quenching with low positive temperatures takes place, after which the second stage of quenching with negative temperatures of the order of -10 ° C begins, only then can it tolerate the indicated negative temperatures.

At a temperature of -18 ...- 22 ° C in raspberry plants in the first stage of hardening, first of all freezes bottom part shoot at the root collar - bark and wood. In such cases, the bark cracks and falls behind in spring, and the wood, even not 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 an early onset of frost and relatively cold and excessively humid summers, when there is poor maturation and slow and poor hardening of shoot tissues in the area of \u200b\u200bthe 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 air temperature in the south is given up to -12 ...- 14 ° C, and in its north and in mountainous regions up to -14 ...- 18 ° C. Since these air temperatures 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.

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

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

That is, damage or even death from the frost effects of raspberry bushes in October or even at the beginning of November is quite possible for us, therefore, they require special protection from that time on.

According to the observations of G.V. Vasilchenko, raspberries, protected from October frosts and frosts in early November and wintering without snow in a hardened state until the end of February, relatively successfully tolerates (its most winter-hardy varieties) rather low temperatures down to -25 ° C in November and down to -30 ° С in December. After sheltering in February with snow, she gave a slightly smaller harvest than she covered immediately in November. At the same time, raspberries, deprived of snow since February, froze severely and sharply reduced their productivity. First of all, the kidneys froze. The periods of development and growth were much prolonged, the total growth of branches on the shoot dropped 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 snow cover with a height of 40-50 cm. At the same time, it winters well, does not suffer from desiccation and podoprevaniya. The drying up 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 underpin. Low productivity in this case is associated with the incomplete passage of the dormant period and is expressed in weak bud opening, fewer flowers per plant, and less development of the leaf apparatus.

Thus, for the implementation of the 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 \u200b\u200bthe root collar should be provided. To do this, cut out old shoots, exclude thickening of new shoots and ensure the possibility of preserving leaves on them, do not later than the first ten days of October, low bending of new shoots to the ground and protect their bases with a layer of dry leaves of other plants, and protect the shoots themselves with the help of heat insulating materials.

2. To exclude the drying of the shoots and their freezing with the appearance of the first snow, carry out the hilling of the shoots, followed by regular pumping. That hardened raspberry shoots are separate winter-hardy varieties can tolerate the first winter months significant negative temperatures does not mean that you can not rush to cover the plants. Shoots of uncovered plants after long thaws can lose their hardening and from changes in negative temperatures, even not reaching critical values \u200b\u200bfor a particular variety, dry up and die by the time they are covered. To ensure the preservation of the integrity of the shoots in the first months of winter in the absence of snow or low snow height, plant protection should be used, the same as in October, with the help of heat-insulating materials.

3. Throughout the winter, the height of the snow cover above the snow-covered raspberry plants should not exceed 50 cm in order to avoid the possibility of underpinning the shoots and their incomplete passage of the dormant period. covering material. Snow drifts up to 1 m 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 a combined shelter, first with a heat-insulating material (air-dry shelter), and then with snow with a high snow height for raspberry plants, podoprevanie 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 legs, potato tops, reed mats, straw, hay, polyethylene film, non-woven fabric, roofing felt, container board and other similar materials. But not all of these materials have good qualities at their practical use... The rags get wet very quickly and strongly deform when solidifying, the insulating properties of the legs and branches of conifers and potato tops are not very high, straw and hay are a haven for mice, the plastic wrap in the initial wintering period is covered with strong frost, which can thaw out when covered with a thick layer of snow and worsen the resistance of shoots to podoprevanie. Good materials for shelter cane or reed mats, roofing felt, non-woven fabric and containerboard can serve. But reed and reed mats are difficult to manufacture, roofing material is expensive. The most convenient non-woven fabric and container board for sheltering raspberries and other garden plants in amateur gardening, thrown into very large quantities to the landfill.

If there is a raspberry bush plantation, then the stakes designed to hold the shoots should be removed from the ground before covering the plants. After that, the bent bushes are covered with a non-woven material in 1-2 or more layers. The edges of the cloth are buried in earth. When such a plantation is covered with containerboard, it is straightened and overlapped on the shoots of the bush, while the edges of the shelter and the overlapping individual sheets are also fixed with earth. If there is a trellis plantation of raspberries, then on it the lower wire is made at a height of about 50 cm from the ground. Webs 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 laid with an overlap, and the joints of different sheets are fastened with earth in several places. The indicated shelters provide air-dry wintering of the covered plants and exclude the possibility of their underpinning.

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 the raspberries (you can read our separate step-by-step instructions for autumn pruning), you need to feed the bushes, treat pests, cover the raspberries, and take all the measures on time and in the correct sequence. Detail each item autumn care for raspberries and will be discussed in this article.

Top dressing

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

How to feed raspberries in autumn

• under natural conditions, raspberries grow in humus-rich areas, therefore, for garden raspberries the best feeding this is rotted manure, compost and chicken droppings. On average, 2-3 buckets of manure mixed with two handfuls of ash must be added per 1 m2. Autumn feeding organic fertilizers should be carried out at least once every three years;
• the introduction 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 active growth of shoots, as a result, they will not have time to mature and the probability of winter freezing of the entire shrub increases sharply. As for the quantity, 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 scatter over the surface of the earth, therefore, such top dressing is most often accompanied by digging up the earth. In order not to damage the roots, 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 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:

• maintaining soil moisture and, as a result, reducing the number of irrigations;
• additional insulation of the root system;
• overcooking, 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, the husk of seeds can be used safely. In terms of thickness, the optimal range is considered to be 5-10 cm. We mulch less than 5 cm. We can allow freezing of the root system, more than 10 cm. - the risk of root warming, the development of fungi and infections in the places of contact of mulch and stems increases.

Do not use its 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 they carry out the so-called water-charging irrigation. The main task of this type of watering is to stimulate active growth of the root system. If the autumn was not rainy, then the raspberry roots may complete their development ahead of time, the bush will winter weakened and the 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 by 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.

We bend and tie the bushes

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

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

Why bend it? Most often, the raspberries are bent and tied to a wire stretched along the rows of the raspberry, 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.

The bent, tied stems should have an arched appearance and be no more than 40 cm from the ground.

Should you remove foliage from raspberries in the fall?

There is no unequivocal opinion on the issue of removing foliage from raspberries before winter. Agricultural technicians advise removing foliage without fail, because its rotting can lead to kidney damage 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 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. This will remove the leaves without damaging the buds. It is impossible to carry out the procedure from the top to the root!

Shelter for the winter

Depending on the climatic zone growths 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 protection with snow, bushes are covered with non-woven covering material, for example, spunbond. In this case, the bent bushes are covered from above with one or two layers of material, and the material itself is fixed with clothespins to the branches, or it is sprinkled with earth along the contour.

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

The timing of the autumn shelter

We already wrote about the timing of the bending of raspberries - this procedure must be carried out immediately after the autumn leaf fall, but it is better to additionally cover the bushes with non-woven material immediately before snow and frost so that the plant does not rot. It will not be possible to specify the exact dates, since 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 growing method. Repaired varieties are cultivated:

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

Depending on the cultivation method, the method is also chosen autumn preparation remontant raspberries for 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 of annual cultivation in the fall, a complete pruning of the bush should be done, which is carried out flush with the ground, leaving no hemp that can rot and serve as a refuge for pests. The soil 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 in the event that you are late with autumn pruning, but if 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 a small amount of 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

Treatment of raspberries from pests and diseases in the fall is a component of a quick set of green mass by shrubs in the spring. What activities need to be foreseen:

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

If you are afraid to use for pest control chemicals, then you can carry out the autumn spraying of raspberries with 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, aromatic berries on healthy, powerful bushes.

In Siberia preparing the raspberry for winter plays a vital role in the care of this crop.

- a wonderful berry! It is both tasty and very healthy, so on my summer cottage it ranks second among the berries. As the first favorite in recent times the incomparable miracle berry shines! However, I also love raspberries and grow them constantly. Alas, in our area both the harsh climate and not very suitable soil are all 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 use the methods of growing raspberries from famous gardeners - A.G. Sobolev. and Arkhangelsky V.N. ...

Since all my raspberries split in half, I only have to bend down the left replacement shoots, and in late autumn I just cut off the stems that bear fruit, almost to the root of this part of the plantation, in order to prevent freezing of raspberry roots, i mulch with pine needles for the winter (with a layer of 10 cm).

The most suitable time for bending raspberries in our area is it's mid-September... In my opinion, it is better to do this a little earlier than late, because the stems woody and become more brittle by late autumn. The stems of my variety Novosty Kuzmina 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 them in a damp winter thaw.

Moreover, when preparing raspberries for winter, I do not remove leaves from stems, as some gardeners do, but leave everything as it is. Also do not prune the tops of the stems in August... Why? I have repeatedly tried to do both, and, in the end, decided that it is in our climate that there is no benefit from this, and even there is some deterioration in the general condition of raspberries. Such a serious impact on any plant as pruning is always a great stress, and for raspberries, this also, apparently, takes a lot of energy, and on the eve of winter is not beneficial. therefore i always do raspberry pruning in spring... I do not touch the leaves, because they help snow retention and are some kind of natural insulation, and when you remove them, you can easily damage the kidneyand.

There are two main ways of positioning the stems when bending raspberries - towards each other and in the same direction. I prefer bend raspberry stalks in one direction... Because of the thorns, you have to do this work with gloves or mittens. I collect several stems in a bunch, slowly and smoothly, with maximum accuracy, I 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, the next bundle I fasten to the base of the first tied bush, and so, bush by bush, I bend and fasten the entire row of raspberries.

Some stems, which have grown a little to the side or are highly branched (they are like that with double pruning), cannot be bent along with the main mass. It does not matter - there are few such harmful stems, and at the end of the work I tilt and tie each of them separately.

Re-bending raspberry stems is much easier and faster. I untie each bundle, press it down, 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 harvest! I do not mulch this part of the raspberry tree for the winter to protect the roots from frost, the bent stems with the remnants of leaves are already a shelter, and they keep the snow quite well. This is justified, since even during our Siberian frosts (sometimes at minus 50 degrees!) For many years the roots have not frozen even once.