Growing Raspberries

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Raspberry is a shrub with a perennial underground part (rhizome) and a two-year above-ground part (stem). The root system of the shrub consists of many horizontal branches.

The rhizome does not have a main root, but on the other hand there are many branches and hairs that grow sideways and cover a large part of the soil around it - about 1.5 meters. Many growth buds are formed on the rhizome and branches, from which new root shoots emerge in the spring.

In the same year the shoots reach a height of 2 meters, and the following year they begin to bear fruit, and at the end of the summer they dry out.

Raspberry leaves are pinnate complex. They can be round, oblong or ovoid. The flowers of raspberries are white, small and gathered in inflorescences. The fruit is complex and consists of many fruits that are tightly touched together.

The fruit of the raspberry is conical or hemispherical in shape, red or dark red in color, sweet and sour and very fragrant. Raspberry fruits do not ripen at the same time - the period can last about 20-25 days.

Raspberry is a self-fertile plant, but still with foreign pollination there is a significant increase in fruit yield.

Raspberries are known for their proven advantages over other fruit species. It has been known since ancient times. Raspberry seeds were found during excavations of dwellings from the Stone and Bronze Ages. The two most famous are:

- red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) with two main subspecies - European and American, and

- black raspberry (Rubus occidentalis L.), which grows only in North America.

Raspberries were well known and the Slavs, of whom the name "raspberry" remains, sounding the same in all Slavic languages.

Growing raspberries begins with their planting. It takes place in the period from the end of October until the onset of permanent cold and in the spring - until the end of March. The choice of planting site is extremely important. The soil must be dug to a depth of about 30-35 cm and fertilized. The terrain can be shady, allowing colorful shade and fully lit by the sun.

Raspberries grow best on clayey-sandy and sandy-clayey moisture-intensive soils that are rich in nutrients. Raspberries are not very pretentious to the climate. However, the best yields are obtained in mountainous and semi-mountainous areas, where the air is fresh, there is coolness and frequent rainfall. It also does well in cool riparian areas. If the rainfall is not enough, the bushes should be watered further.

The plants are planted in rows at a distance of up to 2 m from each other. In the furrows they are placed at a depth of about 35 cm, and must be planted 2-3 cm deeper than they were in the nursery.

It is good raspberry plantations to be grown on a wire structure, or one by one the plants to be attached to rags with rags. This will make harvesting easier and will not allow them to lie on the ground. Raspberries are a very tender fruit and should never have

Raspberry plantations require nitrogen fertilization. It depends on the nitrogen content of the soil. In addition, it is good in a period of 3 years, before the autumn plowing, to import well-rotted manure. Raspberries require regular watering until the end of August so as not to burn.

Annual pruning is absolutely mandatory. It removes the fruiting 2-year-old shoots and thins the annuals. In the second year after planting, 2-3 shoots of each plant are left for fruiting. The rest are cut low to the ground.

In the third and fourth year the number of fruiting shoots increases, as the plantations enter full fruiting. Continuous rows are formed with a width between them of 25-35 cm. Pruning is done in the rows themselves in order to thin and remove the sick, attacked by gall and agrilus, broken, damaged by cold and weak shoots.

In the spring, pruning is done when the buds swell, when the damage from the winter cold, diseases and pests is clearly visible. The tops must be shortened by 15-20 cm. After pruning, the plants should not be higher than 160-180 cm.

After harvesting, it is good to cut the fruiting stems to the ground. This ensures better access to the sun's rays and better ripening of the new shoots.

If you already are you grow raspberries, don't forget to prepare some of our irresistible recipes with raspberries such as raspberry cheesecake, raspberry cake, raspberry cream, raspberry ice cream or raspberry lemonade.

With raspberries you can also prepare panna cotta with raspberries, semifreddo with raspberries, charlotte with raspberries, mascarpone with raspberries, brownies with raspberries, parfait with raspberries, lemonade with raspberries, easy muffins with raspberries, dessert Champagne and raspberries, cheesecake Oreo with raspberries and many other.

C home-grown raspberries each dessert will be much tastier and more fragrant, so feel free to grow these fragrant shrubs in your garden as well.