The assertion that raspberries are unpretentious is, in principle, true, but you still cannot do without competent care measures. Raspberry pruning - when and how to do it correctly in spring and autumn? This procedure is simply necessary to obtain a good harvest of large and sweet raspberries. Even from an aesthetic point of view, neatly designed bushes after pruning look more attractive, and the process of collecting fruits becomes easy and enjoyable.
What is raspberry pruning for?
If the bush is too thick, large berries should not be expected. This factor also affects the taste of the fruit: dense shoots do not pass the rays of the sun enough, as well as air currents (all parts of the plant should be well blown by the wind). Proper pruning of raspberries prevents the emergence of various diseases, and also reduces the chances of reproduction of pests, and the harvest process itself is facilitated - fewer prickly branches.
As you know, in most varieties of raspberries, flower buds are formed on two-year-old shoots. After two years of vegetation, the branches are subject to cutting, they are replaced by young stems growing from the rhizome of the bush. In other words, if the “spent” branches are not removed in time, the young livestock will not have enough vitality to mature well before the onset of winter.
Such shoots can freeze or even freeze with the advent of frost. Pruning of berry bushes is carried out in spring, summer, and also in autumn. Let's take a closer look at all the steps.
Pruning raspberries in spring
This procedure is a kind of addition to autumn pruning, it is carried out when the last snow falls. The bush should be carefully inspected and removed all frozen and broken fragments. Frosted branches are cut to the first viable kidney. Shoots that look sick are subject to complete pruning. Ideally, about 8-10 powerful branches should remain on one bush, the rest should be cut without regrets. If you have a large raspberry, then the distance between the rows should be approximately two meters, and between the bushes - one and a half.
Spring pruning is the radical removal of all excess fragments under the root, as close to the ground as possible. All other shoots should be shortened by about 20 cm (trim the tops), so that the height of the bush is one and a half meters.
Experienced summer residents also recommend another rather interesting way of spring pruning, which makes it possible to enjoy the taste of your favorite berry for a long time, until the onset of autumn. To do this, figuratively divide into three parts all the raspberry bushes growing in you.
Raspberry Cutting Height will be different for each group:
- The first - the usual trimming of the tops of 15-20 cm;
- In the second - cutting all the shoots exactly half their length;
- The third has a short pruning, in which only 15 cm from the entire length of the branch is left.
The shorter the shoot, the later it will yield. Thus, fruit ripening will occur in stages, starting from the second month of summer until late autumn. Proper pruning of young bushes is also important with the initial planting in the ground! As we know, this process can be done in autumn or spring. In turn, plants in containers can be planted at any time. Pruning when planting in the spring helps plants to better take root in a new place. The branches are cut so that their length is about 25 cm above ground level.
Pruning raspberries in summer
This culture is very prone to overgrowth, therefore, in the summer period, the growth of excess growth should be limited (so that it does not have time to take root). If you see that numerous processes stick out from the ground in a radius of 20-30 cm from the base of the bush, then decisively remove them. In this case, it is as if to chop the root system of the shoot with a shovel. At the same time, when raspberries begin to bloom, it is important to timely remove the yellowing leaves and shoots that you suspect of a disease. All affected fragments must be burned immediately.
Pruning raspberries in the summer after harvesting is an obligatory procedure, in which all prolific branches are removed. When cutting them, even minor hemp should not remain, which can subsequently become a refuge for parasites or pathogens. The sooner the cleaning of spent shoots is carried out, the more vitality will go to young branches with fruit buds. This event is usually held in the last month of the calendar summer. Thus, pruning in August contributes to better preparation of young shoots for the upcoming cold weather, improving their growth and the accumulation of strength before winter.
How to prune raspberries in the fall to make a good harvest
In the fall, the raspberry is thoroughly prepared for the upcoming winter. Of course, all prolific branches are removed, all diseased or damaged shoots are cut (sanitary pruning), as well as excess shoots. Do not forget about the "root" section and the subsequent disposal of plant residues by burning.
Autumn raspberry pruning should be done 3 weeks before the first frost arrives - this is the best time for this procedure. To calculate the dates in advance, it is recommended to study the forecast of the Hydrometeorological Center.
About 20 young branches can grow in the bush over the summer, sometimes more. If your raspberry grows in rows, then there should be 12-13 shoots on each bush, if it is grown in bushes, leave no more than 10 branches. Pruning for the winter is sometimes combined with the preparation of plants for the cold. This is especially true in the so-called cold regions of our country. In this case, the branches of the bush are grouped immediately after pruning (sometimes they are bent to the ground), covered with protective material (lutrasil, spanbond).
Double pruning raspberries according to Sobolev
This article will undoubtedly make sense to mention this two-stage trimming method. The famous gardener A.G. Sobolev developed it back in Soviet times, but this successful agrotechnical technique is actively used in our time. The essence of the technology lies in strict observance of the timing of pruning, as well as in controlling the thickening of the bush. As a result of a simple procedure, the vitality of the bush focuses on the growth of side branches, an increase in the number of flower buds, and the fruiting time of raspberries is significantly extended.
How to double cropping:
- Around the 20th of May (or at the very beginning of June, since the timing varies depending on the region of your residence), when the length of the branches is 70-100 cm, you need to trim their tops by 15 cm. This technique will provoke an active growth of new lateral shoots that will gain strength by the arrival of autumn. Here it is extremely important not to miss the deadlines, not to prune too late, because by the onset of cold weather the shoots should be well ripened, reach a length of about 40-50 cm.Inadequately strengthened branches may simply not survive the winter.
- Before wintering, these stems are recommended to be gently bent to the ground and covered with appropriate material.
- The second - spring pruning is performed immediately after the appearance of foliage on the branches of the bush. Each lateral shoot is shortened by 10-13 cm, which provides a powerful incentive for the activation of sleeping kidneys.
Along with this, it is necessary to provide raspberries with comprehensive care, monitor the density of the crown of the bush, and carry out all the required agricultural procedures on time.
This two-stage pruning can be done on raspberry bushes of any kind.
Trimming remont raspberries, when and how to make it?
Despite the fact that this procedure is most often performed at the end of the fruiting period, the pruning time for remont raspberries should be selected taking into account the climatic characteristics of your area of residence. Pruning raspberries in autumn is recommended for the southern territories, but in the northern regions, on the contrary, it is better to do this in early spring. You should also take into account the factor that repair raspberries can bear fruit not only on biennial shoots, but also on annuals. Thus, you can harvest healthy berries twice a season. In most cases, the second wave of the crop is no longer as plentiful as the first. But still, right up to the first snows, you can continue to feast on sweet berries.
Pruning raspberry raspberries are trimmed in the fall with the onset of the first frosts (around November), all fruiting branches without regret are cut literally “under the root”.
If young bushes were planted this year, then all shoots should be shortened so that their height is no more than 20 cm. Autumn pruning is also good because there are simply no wintering facilities for any parasites and pathogenic spores, at that time as the root system is covered with a layer of snow. With the advent of spring, new strong annual shoots will grow near the bush, which will give you a generous harvest.
Pruning remontant raspberries in spring, as mentioned above, is more recommended for the northern regions, where plantings often freeze out in the winter. Preservation of the terrestrial part of the plant will contribute to the accumulation of nutrients in the root system of the shrub, and when snow falls, the left branches will serve as a kind of protective cocoon. Thus, pruning in the spring should be done around the end of March / April, before buds open. Against the background of swelling healthy kidneys, you can easily see the "dead" shoots that have not survived the winter. All frozen, broken, shrunken branches are cut off either completely (if they are not viable), or until the first living kidney.
Do not forget about pests and diseases that prefer to winter in the bark of the bush. To exclude the possibility of raspberry disease, immediately after pruning, it is recommended to treat the bush with a solution of the Decis preparation (according to the instructions) or Bordeaux liquid (3% solution). For the same reason, be sure to burn all trimmed plant fragments.
Timely watering, protection against parasites, periodic loosening of the soil, regular and competent pruning of raspberries - when and how to do it correctly, you already know - here, in principle, all the cares that your berry plantation will require from you. For a summer resident who loves his plot, this is a familiar list of seasonal affairs, especially the generous harvest of healthy and tasty raspberries is a very worthy reward.