Comprehensive care of raspberry plantings during the growing season, as well as care of the berry crop after fruiting, significantly increases productivity. Let's look at how to prepare raspberries for winter in order to protect the root system from freezing and enjoy the aromatic berries in the new season.
Do not think that raspberries do not require care. If you don't take care of it, it will take up all the space and become wild.
Proper preparation of shrubs for shelter: application of fertilizers
It is necessary to prepare raspberries for winter starting in mid-summer, inspecting the plantings and removing unnecessary shoots.
By winter, the raspberry tree's wood should mature. To speed up the lignification process, starting in mid-August, it is necessary to add fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium to the soil. Nitrogen should be excluded, otherwise increased growth of green mass will be observed.
Well-fertilized soil will help one-year-old shoots develop a good root system.
The last time they feed is just before frost.
Shaping and trimming
The raspberry tree needs pruning. The procedure is carried out in mid-summer, immediately after fruiting. The berries appear on two-year-old shoots, which subsequently die off. All dried stems must be cut with pruning shears, cutting at soil level. If you neglect this stage, the plant will waste its energy, but it is necessary in order to ensure the planting of buds for harvest in the new season.
It is also recommended to thin out summer growth. During pruning, weak shoots, as well as diseased and damaged ones, should be removed. It is advisable to leave well-ripened shoots to overwinter.
Mulching the soil
You should know that the better the soil is mulched, the easier it is to care for the plantings and the yield will be higher.
To get good results, it is advisable to keep the soil near the raspberries moist. In autumn, it is advisable to increase the layer of mulch to preserve the root system.
On a note! If the bushes are planted in trenches, additional mulching can be carried out as desired, since with this planting method the soil retains moisture longer.
By autumn you need to reduce watering. Peat and fallen leaves can be used as mulching material. Mulching is necessary, especially in those regions where severe frosts are observed in the fall in the absence of snow.
Raspberry bushes do not like alkaline and acidic soil, so it is recommended to use organic material that is neutral in acidity. Particular attention should be paid to the quality of sawdust if it is used as mulch. Do not use sawdust from coniferous trees. It is better to cover with straw, peat, leaves.
Compost is only needed as a last resort, as it contains too much nitrogen. With such mulching in warm winter conditions, the bases of the shoots may become heated.
You need to mulch to a height of 5-10 cm. If the layer is smaller, it will not give any result, and exceeding the optimal height can lead to damping off. In addition, overheating of the root system will contribute to the development of fungal diseases.
Attention! Before sending the bushes for the winter, you need to water the soil well! We must not allow the raspberry tree to go into winter with a dry root system.
Bending shoots to the soil
The procedure is carried out immediately after the leaves fall. You can bend the branches using a simple structure. It is necessary to dig wooden posts near the plantings and stretch a wire between them at a height of 20 cm from the soil level. The lower the shoots are located, the faster they will go under the snow and will not have time to freeze. For tying, it is better to use nylon threads.
Snow retention works
Snow quickly disappears from open, well-ventilated areas. This is bad for a raspberry grower. It is necessary to build a defense. Fences can be made of polycarbonate - the most optimal material option. Many people use plywood, but it rots.
Compliance with the timing of covering and opening bushes
Covering too early will lead to damping off of the root system. If you are late and bend too late, the branches will freeze and become brittle. They will break during the bending process. With the arrival of spring, it is necessary to remove the shelter in time and then tie the branches to the trellis. The covering material should be removed in stages. The first opening is carried out after the snow melts. This will ensure ventilation of the lower part of the bushes. In mid-April you need to lift the branches to the trellis.
Compliance with the stages of preparing raspberries for winter will allow you to preserve the plantings and increase fruiting. Failure to comply with deadlines and stages will lead to significant loss of yield.
