Mulching the soil, tying branches, additional shelter for bushes for the winter. Foliage harvesting and fertilization

One of the components high yield- regular and competent organized care behind the vegetation. Autumn has its own specifics, but obligatory step of all ongoing activities in the dacha (house) area is the preparation of plantings for winter. This article will tell you what needs to be done so that raspberries endure the cold well.

Raspberry pruning

Why is she needed? This event has several goals, which together significantly increase the yield of raspberries. Vegetation optimization allows the crop to develop better. What is the reason for this?

• The number of “eaters” per “square” of the plot is reduced, therefore, each shoot left will receive more useful substances from the soil.
• By removing old, diseased branches, the summer resident simultaneously relieves this segment of the site from the pests that have settled on it. For example, raspberry gall midge for laying eggs takes a fancy to the cavities of the stems of the plant.
• By correctly pruning the shoots, the summer resident increases the chances of survival of each of them in the winter.
• In the thinned raspberries, the plants receive much more light, which they need so much, which leads to the activation of the photosynthesis process. As a result, they grow better and are less prone to various diseases. In terms of preparing for winter, this is an important factor.
• The next year, the berries are much larger than in the uncultivated area. Actually, this is what every gardener who cultivates raspberries is trying to achieve.
• Few experienced gardeners, deciding how many shoots can be removed, they also forget about such a moment - the rarer the raspberry, the denser it will be wrapped in snow. But in an overgrown area, there is no guarantee that the plants will be reliably insulated with infusion.
• The longer the shoots, the more moisture will evaporate. This can eventually lead to dehydration of the roots.

All the "greens" that are removed from the raspberries must be destroyed in the stove, and immediately. Leaving it for later is pointless. For kindling, of course, it will come in handy. But since garden pests are most likely in it, during the time that the stems and foliage will dry, all these “enemies” will safely move to other plants, including healthy raspberries remaining on the plots.

When to prune raspberries?

If you look through all the articles on this topic, then the general conclusion is this - in the fall, in the period September - October. It's right. But there is a nuance - the authors do not indicate the region in which they live and grow raspberries. How to be a reader? You need to be aware of the weather conditions.

Firstly, pruning during rainfall is not only unpleasant, but also unpromising. visual inspection wet raspberries will not reveal stems and leaves affected by pests.

Secondly, at sub-zero temperature shoots break easily. Therefore, there is a high risk that by removing old and diseased stems, the summer resident, even unwittingly, will damage healthy, strong plants. It is hardly worth hoping that the “injured” raspberries will survive the winter well.

How to do pruning?

Not only diseased and old branches are subject to removal, but also those that develop to the side (they will only interfere with the rest in the future), as well as those that have darkened. Hue change - clear sign the fact that such a raspberry stalk has already served its purpose. Even if berries appear on it, then in a small amount and mostly small ones.

There is no need to “regret” - the shoots grow so intensively that in the spring even a very thinned out territory quickly becomes an impenetrable thicket. And since raspberries cannot be touched before the berries ripen, it is unlikely that in such conditions it will please with a good harvest. Restriction, lack of light - all this negatively affects the fruiting of the culture.

On the question of how high the shoots should be cut, there are quite a few discrepancies. If we are talking about young and healthy plants, then the author recommends pruning so that about 15 - 25 cm of "green" is left on the stem. Anything longer should be removed. If everything is clear with diseased shoots, then opinions also differ regarding old, dried stems.

Here you need to understand that if you leave the "stumps" (and they are hollow inside), then there is no doubt that pests will settle in them, which in such comfortable conditions winter well. With the onset of warm days, they will spread throughout the site, and first of all they will settle down, naturally, in raspberries. Therefore, pruning of the stems must be done at the root.

If raspberries grow in a bush, then in each optimal amount shoots - within 5. It is clear that the strongest of them should be left. When planting an ordinary, you need to focus on such an indicator: for each meter of a linear plot - no more than 10 stems.

How to cut raspberries?

Best secateurs. But there is a nuance here - it cutting edges should be sharp enough. Raspberry shoots, unlike the branches of bushes and trees, are soft. If you work with a blunt tool, then there will be little sense from such trimming. will appear a large number of or damaged stems, or greatly shortened, since the first time (or even the second or third) it is unlikely to be done with an unprepared pruner. And yes, it will take a lot more time.

Pest control

In principle, this work has already been basically done if all the recommendations were followed during pruning. But additionally, raspberries should be protected, for prevention. A universal disinfectant for almost any culture is a solution of vitriol (iron or copper, 5%). Using a garden sprayer, you can spray the bushes in the country in half an hour.

If a specific pest is identified, the appropriate preparation is also selected, since we are no longer talking about preventive measures, but about the treatment of raspberries.

Soil treatment

All weeds must be removed. The peculiarity of the raspberry tree is that the shoots of the plant grow so much that it makes it impossible to regularly weed before the period (and during it) of fruiting. Otherwise, you can damage the stems and be left without a crop. Hoping that the weeds themselves will “die out” in the winter is not worth it. Various pests settle in them, and they accumulate moisture quite intensively. But this is fraught with the fact that root system raspberries will start to rot.

At the end of autumn, the raspberries should be dug up. Firstly, this ensures the flow of air to the root system. Secondly, pests that have settled down for the winter will be partially destroyed (by a shovel, frost), and the rest will move to another territory where conditions are more favorable for them.

Raspberry dressing

In order for the plant to survive the winter well, the process of “wood ripening” should be initiated. To do this, you need to focus on fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium. But it is better not to use nitrogen fertilizing in the fall. They reduce the frost resistance of raspberries, therefore, from the end of August, they are not introduced into the soil.

Most gardeners use superphosphate. Some people prepare nutrient solutions according to their own recipes. The author does not provide concrete examples, since the choice of the product and its concentration (consumption per m²) depends on many factors - the raspberry variety, the order of its planting, the characteristics of the soil (alkaline, acid), and the like.

What should a beginner gardener do?

• Ask the owners of adjacent plots how they fertilize their raspberries.
• Purchase ready-to-use formulations. But only in specialized outlets. First, each drug comes with detailed instructions. Secondly, sellers, as a rule, in such stores are knowledgeable people, many of them cultivate raspberries themselves, which means they can help with useful tips.

Mulching

This not only reduces the intensity of evaporation of moisture from the soil, but also provides partial warming of the raspberry roots. Therefore, the event is more than useful. But what to use as mulch?

Firstly, raspberries, these are not beds with strawberries. For example, covering it with spruce branches is not an option.

Secondly, the culture loves soil with neutral acidity. Consequently, such varieties of mulch as needles and sawdust disappear. Compost, which is often advised for this purpose, is also not suitable. It contains quite a lot of nitrogen, and if the winter is relatively warm (and nature is in recent times presents not such “surprises”), then the raspberry root system can support.

A common recommendation is to use straw or fallen leaves collected on the site for mulching. In some sources, this is positioned as an ideal option for raspberries. But here's what to do with small rodents and biological pests who choose similar soil shelters for the winter?

Another thing is if it does not fall out enough. In this case, it is desirable to carry out the following activities:

• spud a little raspberry bushes;
• at the base of the stems throw a "slide" of organic fertilizers;
• protect the raspberry tree from side wind as much as possible. Mainly on garden plots it is surrounded by a small picket fence. Everyone can fix sheets of plywood (thick cardboard, roofing material, polycarbonate - the choice of materials is huge) on it - no difficulty. If there is no fence, installing posts around the perimeter and making a primitive fence at least for the winter is also not a problem;
• plentifully, ahead of low temperatures, irrigate the area. The task is to prevent cracking of the soil in the raspberries. If there are no cracks in the ground, then the cold will not penetrate deep, to the roots. In addition, they need hydration. A dry root system will not be able to survive a long winter.

Bending down shoots

If pruning is done correctly, then you may not have to do this. And yet it is better to tilt the branches a little and weave them together.

But for areas that are well blown, it is advisable to build a supporting structure for raspberry shoots. You can stretch the wire (nylon rope) between the extreme pegs driven in at the ends of the rows, and tie the stems to it. Another option is to install metal arcs. In order for the crust to cover the raspberries, it must be bent about 20 cm from the ground, not higher. Of course, the layer of snow that falls during the winter is much larger, but here one should also take into account the fact that part of it will be blown away by the wind or melt, and it will settle.

Owners of plots where there is little snow, strong ventilation and the temperature drops quite low in winter should think about additional insulation raspberries. As used spunbond, nutrasil or similar non-woven fabrics. It is not difficult to fix them - lay the load around the perimeter and dig in the edges a little to avoid drafts under the "cocoon".

Raspberries differ from most plants in that their leaves do not fall off in autumn, but are pressed against the stem. This means that they can adhere to the kidneys, and this, under certain conditions (dampness combined with low temperature), is detrimental to the latter. Therefore, in the process of preparing for winter, before bending down the shoots, all foliage should be removed from them. Otherwise, in the coming year, you can lose up to half of the projected harvest. This work requires precision.

When moving a hand (with a glove, always in the direction only from the bottom up!) along the stem, the palm should not be squeezed too tightly, since it can be removed from raspberries and buds along with the leaves. They are also directed, and if the shoots are “stroked against the wool”, then the result is easily predictable.

Features of preparing remontant raspberry varieties for winter

In principle, everything is the same as for ordinary varieties. The difference is only in the method of cutting the stems. Despite the fact that remontant raspberries are capable of producing 2 crops annually, experienced gardeners are guided by the second. That is, the one that is collected from annual shoots. These berries are larger, tastier, and healing properties they are large. Therefore, it makes no sense to leave the stems for the winter - they will have time to grow and produce a crop in one summer season. Therefore, remontant raspberries in the middle of autumn are cut out completely, under the root. And if you leave some of the shoots, then the berries of the second crop may turn out to be small.

On a note!

All recommendations on the Internet in terms of preparing raspberries for winter are correct and useful in their own way. Most of the authors of articles sincerely share personal, years of experience so there is no reason not to trust them. Everyone has their own methods, methods, proven over the years. But few of them indicate the region in which they live. Consequently, the crop variety and the specifics of the area (climate, soil, precipitation intensity, and so on) are not taken into account, and this explains the fact that often the exact following of all instructions does not give the desired effect.

Do not be lazy and do not hesitate to consult with the owners of adjacent plots. If you have no experience in growing raspberries, preparing them for winter, ask for some friendly advice. There is hardly a summer resident who refuses this. Then it will be possible to clarify in detail all the nuances of the events.

Have a bountiful harvest of raspberries in the coming year!

A good harvest depends not only on the full care of raspberries during the growing season, but also after its completion (fruiting). To berry plantings overwintered well, they need to be well prepared for winter in the fall. This rule applies to all plants growing on the site, including raspberries.

Features of caring for raspberries in the fall and its preparation for winter

Not only the volume depends on how well the raspberries were prepared for winter. fragrant berries next year, but also the plant's immunity to diseases. Preparing raspberries for the cold in autumn consists of pruning the stems, removing leaves, fertilizing, mulching and sheltering for the winter.

Pruning raspberries in autumn

Shortly before the onset of persistent cold weather, in the fall, raspberries must be cut correctly: weak annual shoots are removed from the bush, stems older than 2 years old, which are easily distinguished by their dark brown color. If the shrub has grown strongly, and there is not enough space between the rows for normal growth, cut off the young light brown lateral offspring. Raspberry thinning not only has an aesthetic function, but also increases its resistance to frost.

Majority experienced gardeners not only carry out pruning of shoots and young offspring of raspberries in the fall, but also remove the leaves after pruning. The thing is that after the onset of rainy cold weather sheet plates begin to rot and tightly cover the flower buds, as a result of which the latter are affected.

Note! It is necessary to remove leaves after pruning raspberries in the direction from the bottom up, otherwise there is a risk of damaging the flower buds.

You can quickly and safely remove the leaves on the shrub with the help of tight mittens, which will serve as a barrier from sharp thorns. In order to qualitatively clean the shoot, they moderately wrap it around and hold it with their hand up. At the end of the manipulation, healthy one-year-old shoots without leaves should remain on the bush.

Why is it necessary to cut

Many gardeners, especially beginners, ask themselves in the fall the question: do I need to cut raspberries for the winter? This is necessary, because regular pruning of raspberries in the fall is an integral part of care aimed at getting bountiful harvest fragrant berries for the next year.

In addition, you need to cut raspberries in the fall in order to:

1. Raspberries true to size indicated in the description of the variety: raspberries have the ability to shrink in the absence of pruning in the fall.
2. bushes ok postponed the winter season.
3. The plants had high immunity.
4. Give plantings an aesthetic look and at the same time make room for manipulation near each bush.
5. Prevent overwintering of pests and spread to nearby plants.
6. bushes well lit.

Video: how to properly and why cut raspberries in the fall

Raspberry pruning timing

Optimal time for pruning raspberry bushes - August-September. Many gardeners are of the opinion that manipulation is best done just before the onset of winter, but this statement is erroneous.

Such a late pruning has a detrimental effect on the plants: during the delay in the manipulation, pests and diseases actively multiply on the branches, which significantly worsen the condition of the bushes and reduce the likelihood of their overwintering.

Note! It is best to cut raspberries for the winter immediately after picking the last berries.

How to trim bushes: instructions and methods for trimming

To unleash the full potential that autumn pruning First of all, it must be done correctly.

Proper pruning of raspberries in the fall is carried out in the following way:

• Dried, diseased and very damaged annual stems are removed.
• Cut off old 2-year-old shoots.
• Heavily thickened raspberry must be thinned out: per 1 sq. m should remain 8-10 stems.
• To destroy pests, cut off branches are piled up and burned.
• The earth near the bushes is carefully dug up and fertilized;
• Shoots are treated with iron sulphate.

At the end of the pruning of raspberries in the fall, healthy shoots should remain, the number of which approximately coincides with the number of cut branches.

Important! Pruning raspberries in the fall should be done with a sharp garden pruner: due to the use of blunt knives or scissors, the cut points heal for a very long time.

If there is a need for reproduction, the shoots near the bushes are dug up and transplanted. In the case when the expansion of the raspberry is not planned, it is pulled out or cut off.

By the way! About, how to transplant (propagate) raspberries in the fall and spring to a new place you can read .

Features of pruning remontant raspberries for the winter

Raspberry remontant varieties bears fruit on one-year and two-year-old shoots. The scheme for pruning raspberry remontant varieties in the fall depends on how much crop is planned to be harvested next season.

In order to pick berries once, the bushes remontant raspberries they are pruned for the winter in the same way as raspberries of ordinary varieties: the shoots are completely cut off, leaving only very short shoots near the soil itself.

If you want to get 2 crops (but less plentiful), then you should leave annual shoots.

Video: how to cut repair raspberries in the fall

double pruning

Double pruning of raspberries according to Sobolev has a good effect on productivity, according to which ordinary raspberry bushes are pruned according to a certain pattern in May-June 2 years in a row:

Note! You can not postpone the first pruning for a long time, as young side shoots will not have time to grow before winter and freeze. It is optimal to spend it around the beginning of summer, then it eats in June.

• 2nd cut: as soon as the first leaves appear on the bush, the top is shortened again by 5-15 cm: even more new stems will form on the bush.

As a result of double pruning according to the Sobolev method, significantly more ovaries grow on raspberry bushes than after regular pruning.

Video: how to increase raspberry yield with double pruning

Note! More detailed information is provided

How to feed raspberries in the fall after pruning

During the berry season, raspberries are fed several times with fertilizers rich in nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.

Important! Usually, berry bush nevertheless, they feed it in the spring, so we advise you to read the material.

With the onset of autumn (but not after fruiting), experts recommend feeding raspberry bushes potash and phosphate fertilizers , because they increase the immunity and frost resistance of the bushes.

Preparing raspberries for winter

Whether raspberries overwinter well depends not only on the weather and climatic conditions of your place of residence, but also on the quality of care in the fall and preparation for winter.

The necessary manipulations to prepare raspberries for winter are carried out in next order:

Correctly and timely preparation of raspberries in autumn for winter will protect thin stems from freezing.

Mulching

Before covering raspberries for the winter, the soil is loosened a little and the last top dressing is applied. Too dry soil is recommended to be moderately watered.

By the way! Mulching is especially important in regions with harsh and little snowy winters, since there is a high risk of freezing the death of raspberries in such conditions.

How to mulch raspberries for the winter?

As a covering material, rotted sawdust (by no means fresh!), Foliage and plant remains(for example, tops from velvet and others), peat, rotted manure (ideal for remontant raspberries, but also suitable for ordinary ones). Optimal Thickness mulching material 10 cm: thanks to this layer of shelter, the plants will be well protected from frost, and will not swell during warming.

Shelter for the winter

Before laying the mulching material, the root neck is sprinkled with earth a little, and so that there is no place for the melt water to collect, the soil near the bush is leveled. Cut and peeled leaves are strongly bent to the ground and secured with staples. So that the raspberries do not freeze out, the height of the bent bushes should be no more than 40-50 cm.

Important! Even a small peeping of the stems from under the snow should not be allowed, since the buds on them will not tolerate even moderate frosts: the temperature is the lowest on the surface of the snow cover.

The soil on the site and bent branches are covered with dry straw or foliage. Instead of organic mulch, the stems can be wrapped in polyethylene, spunboard.

The importance of sheltering raspberries for the winter directly depends on the weather in the growing region. It is impossible to strongly insulate the shrub in the southern regions, since it can rot.

Snow retention

Snow is a complete insulation for all plants in the garden. To protect raspberries from severe frosts, they cover them with a 50-100 cm layer of snow. In order to retain snow near the raspberries, shields made of wood or dry sunflower stems and corn are installed in a checkerboard pattern along one line.

Melt waters are very useful for raspberries; before the onset of warm spring days, the snow near the bushes is carefully compacted and sprinkled with sawdust.

Features of preparing remontant raspberries for winter

Repair raspberries also need special preparation for winter. To do this, you need to fertilize it well before winter, since the plant will need a lot of strength for normal development next season. As a rule, fertilizers with a high content of potassium and phosphorus are applied under remontant viburnum bushes.

Unlike ordinary raspberries, you need to cut remontant raspberries in the fall all under the root (in the case of a planned one-time harvest of berries next season, if you want to harvest 2 times (but less plentiful, then annual shoots do not need to be removed).

After pruning in autumn, remontant raspberry bushes practically do not need warming, since top part there is no bush, and the roots are not afraid of moderate frosts. In regions with severe weather conditions mulch is laid on top of the bush.

Thus, the cultivation of remontant raspberries has the following advantages in the autumn preparation for winter:

1. Total pruning of raspberry bushes helps to completely get rid of all pests and diseases that have accumulated on the stems over the season.
2. Short "stumps" (or rather, practically absent) are much easier to insulate (they only need to be mulched).
3. Due to the lack of last year's stems, only autumn berries are tied. And since the plant did not expend energy on the formation spring harvest, then in the fall raspberries please not only with their quantity, but also with their quality ( it only applies Middle lane(Moscow region) where full pruning is recommended, replacement raspberries can easily re-fruit until late fall in the South).

Video: pruning and care remontant raspberry autumn

What are the subtleties of preparing raspberries for winter in Siberia and the Urals

Raspberries are not endowed with special frost resistance, so they need to be more carefully prepared for winter in the northern regions - Siberia and the Urals. To prevent freezing of the stems, they must be bent down and covered. As a result of bending the branches in winter, they will be sprinkled with snow, which will protect them from frost and cold winds.

If you want to receive bountiful harvest next year, then raspberries require careful preparation for the winter and care in the fall. Done right and on time preparatory work will save the berry from freezing, the development of diseases and the wintering of pests.

Video: care, pruning in the fall and preparing raspberries for winter

In contact with

So that raspberries regularly give good harvests, it must be constantly looked after. An important milestone is the preparation of this plant for winter. Everyone knows that it needs to be cut and then covered. But how to do it right?

When should these jobs be done? What materials and tools are needed for this? It is necessary to prepare raspberry bushes since the summer. Autumn preparation should be the completion of the process.

How to crop

In order for the plant to develop well in the future, you need to know the rules for pruning it. When the entire crop is harvested, it is necessary to shorten all shoots, except for annuals. All weakened and dead branches are also removed. 5-7 shoots should remain on the bush.

From the main shoot and young raspberry branches, you need to cut off the tops by 25-30 cm. The plant will become more lush over the years, the harvest will be good.

In order to have a distance between the bushes, double pruning is performed. In the spring, the tops of young shoots are cut off. And in the fall, all extra branches are removed. Without pruning, raspberries will not bear fruit well, so this procedure is required. When pruning, it is necessary to remove all foliage from the plant.

We cover raspberries

Raspberries are perfectly covered with snow in winter. It protects her from severe frost. But it is important to ensure that there is no ice crust. If it has formed, it must be removed. After all, it does not allow air to penetrate, which the roots simply need.

If you have little snow, you can cover the raspberries with foliage. It should be ensured that the layer of such a shelter has a thickness of at least 30-35 cm. There is also a special film for sheltering shrubs in the garden. It needs to have holes for ventilation.

To protect raspberries from the cold, it is necessary not only to properly cover them, but also to do it on time. If you cover the bushes prematurely, this can lead to the damping of the plant. Late hiding is also very dangerous. After all, if frosts already affect raspberries, then its shoots will become fragile. As a result, it will be difficult to tilt the plants in front of the shelter. It is recommended to cover raspberries after the leaf fall ends, but before the first snow falls.

Indeed, in spring, even during the day, the temperature can vary significantly. So that the raspberries do not suffer, it is necessary to open and open the plants from time to time, depending on the weather. It will be possible to fully open them only after more stable warm weather is established.

Repair raspberry

Cut and cover such plants in the same way as ordinary bushes. But these procedures need to be performed a little later, since such varieties give a harvest longer.

Sequence of work

It is necessary to care for raspberries throughout the season, and in the fall, only cut and cover the bushes from frost. Care for this culture must be carried out in a certain sequence.

1. In order for raspberries to bring good yields, it is important not only correct pruning and protection from the cold. During the summer, the soil should be well fertilized.
2. Pruning begins after the entire crop of these sweet berries has been harvested.
3. It is necessary to remove all dried, affected, as well as old and weakened branches.
4. In order for the roots to better endure the cold, it is necessary to carry out winter watering. This process is always very beneficial for plants.
5. If you are not sure that the snow will reliably protect the bushes, or will fall later than severe frosts begin, cover them with a thick layer of foliage.
6. In the spring it is necessary to open the plants depending on the weather conditions.

How to increase raspberry yield suburban area? Summer residents buy new varieties, take care of them, cherish, water them. And the next year they discover that some of the shoots are frozen, the berries are small, the bush did not give the expected harvest. The cause of the disaster may be inadequate autumn care, lack of proper preparation for winter.

Autumn raspberry care includes preparation for winter period, differs in some features that are associated with the specifics of the berry:

1. Preparations for winter begin in the last weeks of summer, after the end of the fruiting of the plant.
2. Before winter, pruning is carried out, which strengthens the heat-loving shrub, helps it withstand a drop in temperature.
3. Flower buds, on the condition of which the future harvest depends, are afraid of freezing. Therefore, raspberries must be covered.
4. The shoots, on which there will be berries next season, should ripen well before the onset of cold weather, they are fed to accelerate ripening.
5. Without preventive treatment of the berry, insect pests will weaken the bush, raspberries may not withstand the harsh conditions of winter.
6. One of the varieties of shrubs is remontant raspberries. It must be distinguished from the usual, preparation for the winter of this species has its own specifics.

List of agrotechnical measures autumn care includes mandatory pruning, top dressing, spraying against pests, mulching and shelter. Any violation of care technology will entail a sharp decrease in the quantity and quality of the next year's crop.

A biennial berry bearer produces a crop on biennial shoots. After the end of fruiting, these stems are no longer needed, they eventually die off. The berries have already been harvested, and the shoots are green, pulling the nutrition of the bush. To avoid this, they are cut at the root after harvest. Usually pruning falls on August-September, depending on the region and crop variety. What does she give?

• Circumcision increases the resistance of the crop to cold.
• Without the procedure, the berries become smaller, the yield will be less.
• Removed diseased shoots, damaged, in order to prevent fungal diseases.
• The illumination of the bush is getting better.
• Access to such a bush will be more convenient.

Young green shoots will bear fruit next year. Not everyone leaves them either. Thin, sick, dry are removed. It is enough to leave 8-10 shoots per square. meter. The thickened planting is thinned out, leaving half a meter between the bushes.

It is necessary that the stems of this year ripen before the onset of cold weather. For this purpose, they are cut off by 10 cm.
Remove shoots-offspring. If the growth is necessary for planting new bushes, they dig it out, plant it in another place. If not, they are thrown away.
Branches and leaves are burned to kill pests.

Bushes planted this season are not pruned.

How to feed raspberries in the fall after pruning

To accelerate the ripening of shoots, to strengthen the bushes and prepare for the winter season, after pruning, raspberries are fed with potash and phosphorus fertilizers (not nitrogen, which stimulate growth).
Alternate mineral and organic fertilizers. Produce two dressings:
the first at the end of August, the second before frosts, as a rule, in October.
After pruning, the crop is fertilized with wood ash or a complex agent that does not contain chlorine.
Fertilizers are applied into the grooves around the bush with a depth of 7 cm (the raspberry root system is branched). 50 g of granular superphosphate and potassium sulfate, half a liter are added to the bush wood ash. Plentifully water the bushes for better absorption of fertilizer.

Preparing shrubs for shelter for the winter

Before preparing cut and fertilized shrubs for shelter, actions are performed in this order:

1. They clean the soil under the bush from weeds, fallen leaves.
2. Remove leaves from shoots.
3. Remove branches from trellises.
4. Tie the stems together loosely with twine, nylon threads. Associated bushes located nearby are tied together.
5. The beams are bent in an arc to the ground (distance from the ground 20-40cm).
6. Pressed with any wire clamp to hold the bush, tied to the bottom wire of the trellis.

The total height of the bent bush should be small - up to half a meter, so that the snow covers the bush well.

We release raspberries from pests

Insect pests (for example, raspberry beetle or gall midge) can greatly weaken the berry in autumn. To destroy them after fruiting, the bushes are treated with karbofos, insecticides.
In order to prevent fungal diseases, diseased shoots are removed and burned, the bushes are sprayed with solutions iron sulphate, Bordeaux mixture, phytosporin according to the instructions for preparations.

Foliage harvesting and fertilization

In September, before tying the bushes, the leaves are removed from the shoots. After the end of the growing season, the bush, which has a lot of leaves, wastes its energy on maintaining their existence. When it rains, the leaves rot, which increases the risk of disease.
The procedure is carried out on a prickly bush in tight mittens. Leaves are removed by running your hand along the branch from bottom to top, carefully so as not to remove the buds at the same time.
Before the second application of fertilizer, fallen leaves and weeds are removed. Make rotted manure: 6 kg per sq. meter. It simultaneously performs the function of a heater.
Feed up complex fertilizer for raspberries. Mulch with herbal compost, a layer of 5-10 cm.
The introduction of organic matter under the root can weaken the root system. Lay out top dressing in the aisle, then dig up the soil.
Apply a solution of carbide 1 to 50, mullein 1 to 35. Gardeners successfully use chicken manure, peat.

Digging the soil

The shrub has a developed superficial root system. Digging is done very carefully. Some summer residents are limited to shallow loosening of the soil. Dig aisles at the same time as fertilizing.

Mulching the soil, tying branches, additional shelter for bushes for the winter

Mulching is of particular importance for moisture-loving raspberries, especially in arid climates. Covering the root soil retains moisture.
Before mulching, be sure to water the shrub well (30 liters per bush) so that the root system of the berry plant is not dry during a sharp cold snap.
Raspberries love neutral soil. Therefore, summer residents do not cover the soil with needles, compost. Use straw, rotten foliage, peat. A layer of mulch 5-10 cm high. A thicker layer during thaws stimulates the development of buds, promotes the development of diseases, weakens the resistance of the plant.
The root neck is covered thin layer land, the soil is leveled.

Additional insulation

The process of harboring raspberries differs in different regions: in southern latitudes, regions with snowy winters, the main shelter is snow, in areas with severe, cold, little snowy winters, it is more significant.
Summer residents of regions with severe winters, where there is little snow, additionally cover the raspberries with several layers of lutrasil or spunbond (non-woven material). They fix it by digging the ends with earth, putting a load.
Cover with sheets of cellular polycarbonate.
To retain snow and protect against wind, additional fences made of plywood or polycarbonate are installed. They tie shields between trellises, dig into the ground. Stack stalks of corn, sunflowers in a checkerboard pattern to hold the snow.

Terms of autumn shelter and spring opening of raspberries

The terms of both shelter and disclosure depend on the region, its temperature indicators. If you cover the shrub too early, there may be rotting of the roots, if you are late and carry out the process in frost, the shoots will become brittle and may break.
Apply most effectively protective measures before the snowfall after the fall of the leaves. It is very important to remove the shelter in time, especially the covering material, to prevent the root system from getting warm, or freezing of the kidneys. For the main opening, a suitable temperature is chosen in March, tying on the trellis is performed in April.

AT winter time, as soon as the first snow falls, they rake it on the raspberries, carefully watching so that even the tips of the branches do not peek out from under the shelter.
In winter, there are often thaws that form a hard crust. To restore the flow of air to the raspberry bushes, the ice crust is pierced in several places. To slow down the melting of snow, trample it down before the onset of heat.

Factors affecting the state of raspberries after wintering

Snowless winter, poor shelter of bushes sometimes lead to the fact that some shoots will freeze and they will have to be cut out. The bush after wintering comes out weakened, needs careful care and top dressing.
Early spring is a very changeable season, which is characterized by large temperature differences - day and night. Even in mid-May frosts are still possible. Summer residents carefully study temperature forecasts in order to cover raspberries in time nonwoven fabric and protect the kidneys from freezing.

What are the features of preparing remontant raspberries for winter

Remontant raspberries can bear fruit 2 times per season: on two-year-old shoots (in July) and on annual shoots (in September).
It is most optimal to choose the fruiting of annual shoots that give best harvest than perennial, better quality (large berries).
With the help of crop rationing, the bush is not weakened for the production of spring berries, and it will focus only on autumn.
Autumn fruiting can continue until the first frost.
Gardeners are in no hurry to prepare for winter, they let the berry grower recover after picking berries, they wait until the raspberries shed their leaves.

After the berry sheds foliage, cut off all the branches of the bush, leaving small stumps at the roots. Annual shoots will have time to grow in the spring before fruiting.
Thus pests are removed. A fully cut bush is easy to insulate. The main thing is not to let the roots freeze, but not to overdo it so that the root system does not rot if the winter is warm. Mulch bushes with leaves, branches, manure, rotted sawdust.

Important points that every gardener should know

pay attention to important points, revealing the features of wintering culture:

1. Foliage and cut stems must be burned - this way you can reduce the number of pests.
2. Mulching raspberries cuts the amount of watering in half.
3. By tying raspberries on a trellis, they increase the illumination of the bush. During shelter before winter, it is convenient to tie the laid bushes to the trellis.
4. By feeding organic fertilizers at the root, you can not only weaken the bush, but also burn the roots completely.
5. In raspberries, the kidneys of which froze during spring frosts, others will be revealed later. The harvest will be, although less.
6. In order not to accidentally cut ordinary raspberries at the root instead of remontant ones, pay attention to the tips of the branches. The remontant has flowers, ovaries, berries at the tips.

One of the components of the guarantee of high productivity of any crop is competent organization caring for her. Opinions on the question of when to start preparing raspberries for wintering are different. In this article, the author tried to systematize all the recommendations and find the “golden mean” that can be completely guided, especially for summer residents who have not yet acquired sufficient practical experience.

top dressing

This point should be guided by simple rule – increased content fertilizer in the ground reduces the frost resistance of raspberries. Proceeding from this, it is necessary to do the last enrichment of the soil according to a “simplified” program and accurately determine its period.

Fertilizers should be applied for the last time about 1.5 months before pruning. But even here everything is not so simple. Experienced sensors are advised to take into account the type nutrients. Organics (humus, last year's manure, compost or ash) are introduced no later than the second decade of July. If we are talking about nitrogen preparations, then the deadlines can be shifted by another couple of weeks, until the end of the month.

Raspberry pruning

In order for the plants in the raspberries to develop well next year, each bush should have a maximum of 4 shoots. With a row planting, their optimal number is no more than 10 per meter of plot. All dried, diseased, broken, as well as those growing sideways and interfering with adjacent bushes are removed unambiguously, and thoroughly, under the root, preferably flush with the ground.

Even the remaining small “stumps”, given that the dried stems are almost hollow inside, are potential places for the accumulation of various garden pests. They will spend the winter there and lay their eggs. The end result can be predicted in advance.

How to identify affected stems? Visually, by clearly visible swellings on the trunks.

The same applies to the length of the remaining stems. They should be shortened to about 1 m - 80 cm. This is enough for them to start growing in the spring, and it will be much easier to cover raspberry bushes for the winter. But you need to shorten, be sure to leave the green top. It is she who provides the process of photosynthesis, and not the lignified raspberry trunk.

Another important point- not a single leaf should remain on the trunks of the plant. Otherwise, they will begin to rot, and in this place the next year the kidney will no longer germinate. Breaking each individually is a waste of time. It is enough to put on a soft mitten, lightly squeeze your fingers and run your hand along the stem, always from the bottom up. Just be careful not to damage the kidneys.

Attention! All stems and leaves discarded during the pruning process must be burned. Their simple storage on the site, for example, as a supply of "fuel" for the furnace, will not lead to anything good. The pests that have settled in them (the same raspberry gall midge) will again spread over the territory, safely survive the winter in the ground and in the spring will again be on the plants.

Two-year-old stems are considered "expired". They are no longer able to bear fruit abundantly, nor to give large berries. Therefore, they should also be removed without any regret - there will be no sense from them anyway. It is not difficult to distinguish them from the total mass - by the darker shade of the trunk.

Pruning timing

Option 1. After the completion of the fruiting period. The argument is that the roots will get more nutrients, which will help them endure the winter well and subsequently stimulate more intensive development of raspberries.

Option 2. Before the onset of the first cold weather. Rationale - the movement of juices is practically stopped, therefore, when pruning raspberries, no harm will be done.

• Experienced gardeners who have been growing this crop for more than one year are advised to start this stage of preparing raspberries for winter no later than the end of September, when the weather is still relatively warm. Yes, there is still juice in the stems, but its circulation is not as intense as in summer. It also gives the trunks some flexibility; this means that when tying and wrapping the bushes there is no risk of damaging the raspberries. And here late autumn when the stems are already dry, it is quite easy to break them. This is what should be taken into account, taking into account local climatic conditions.

• Double pruning helps increase yields. About the first, its features have already been said. The second is held in early spring, with the onset of stable warm days. The point is to shorten the raspberry stalks that have survived the winter by about 25 cm. What does this give? The formation of new, side shoots, which are also able to bear fruit. But this is justified if the distance between the bushes is about 65 cm. With a denser planting of raspberries, secondary pruning will only complicate the process of caring for the crop and picking berries.

• If repaired varieties are grown on the site, then for the winter it is recommended to completely cut off the entire raspberry bush.

• For the southern regions, one - spring - pruning is enough.

Soil preparation

• If raspberry mulching was carried out, then this entire artificial layer is removed. You can't leave it for the winter. The reason is that field mice and a number of other pests settle in the mulch during the onset of cold weather. They are warm there, so they choose this place.

• The earth is enriched by any organic fertilizer() and slightly digs.

Bush preparation

There are several options, and in order to choose the best one, you should understand why this is needed. If you look into special literature, for example, a topographic officer's handbook, you can find tables that indicate the ratio of temperature (ºС) and wind speed (m / s). Simply put, the more significant its gusts, the more the soil in the raspberries freezes. In addition, the stems of bushes that are left for the winter break. Therefore, it is necessary to focus not only on the climate in the region, but also on the location of plantings on the site.

Method 1. Shoots bend down and intertwine with each other. If the winter in the region is accompanied by heavy snowfalls, good decision. The precipitation will quickly cover the low-bent branches with a layer and reliably protect them from both cold and wind. But this is practiced on the condition that the raspberry does not stand in an open place, blown from all sides.

To prevent straightening of the branches, it is advisable to fix them with metal arcs, tie them to wooden trellises mounted on racks. There are many technologies, but the meaning is the same - to prevent the stems from rising above the layer of snow. Otherwise, they will die in winter.

Method 2. Raspberry fence around the perimeter. By the way, experienced gardeners do just that. Firstly, an attractive fence is already, in itself, a good decoration of the landscape, an element of its design. Secondly, it limits the growth of bushes to the side. Thirdly, it serves as a basis with which the raspberry tree can be reliably protected from side wind. For example, overlay with spruce branches for the winter, pull a thick polyethylene film or roofing material sheets over the fence.

Method 3. It is practiced less often, since it is both more difficult and more expensive. But if raspberry bushes are planted on a hill, well-blown from all sides, then there is no other way out. In fact, a temporary “greenhouse” is mounted for the winter - a frame on which the film is stretched. As options - sheathing with plywood sheets or something similar. Young bushes can simply be covered with large containers - wooden or plywood boxes.

What to do in spring

Release the stems and cut out those that did not survive the winter. All! Trying to straighten them artificially is a big mistake. The branches will gradually take the desired position themselves, so they should not be “hurried”. Well, then - preparation for summer period. But this is a separate issue.

Happy raspberry harvest next year!