Raspberry is a berry bush that is not particularly demanding in terms of care. Autumn events are important not only for the future harvest, but also for a favorable wintering of the bush. You need to start them immediately after picking the last berries.
Top dressing
The first step in preparing raspberries for winter is feeding. In the fall, rotten chicken droppings, wood ash and other complex fertilizers, which can be purchased in specialized stores, will be excellent materials for this.
Mulching
This is considered one of the main and very important measures to prepare raspberries for the winter cold. Mulching will help protect the root system and shrubs from low temperatures. This process is especially important for regions where snow falls rarely and in small quantities, as well as for regions with harsh climatic conditions.
Mulch, which can be used as old, rotted sawdust, peat mixture, rotted leaves or straw, is spread on the bed with raspberry bushes. The layer thickness should be at least 9–10 cm.
It is very important that the soil between the raspberry bushes is level. This will help autumn and winter moisture to be evenly distributed between the bushes of the crop and will not lead to rotting of the root system.
Shelter
An equally important event that will help the raspberries overwinter favorably.Shelter is mainly needed in the northern regions, where climatic conditions are the most severe.
Covering the bushes must be carried out no earlier than the third ten days of September and no later than the second ten days of October, before the first frost. If you cover raspberries too early or late, the bush may either rot or freeze.
Before covering the bush, the following work is carried out:
- trim the bushes and remove all leaves from the remaining shoots;
- level the ground;
- Cover the root collar with soil.
After this, the shoots are bent to the ground and secured with staples. Bent bushes should not be higher than 45–50 cm.
In the northern regions, shrubs prepared for shelter are covered with leaves or hay, and then covered with covering material. In the regions of the middle zone, additional covering material may not be used; the fallen layer of snow will be sufficient.
Snow retention
This process is necessary to protect the bush from severe frosts and moisture accumulation in the area with raspberries.
Cover the crop with a layer of at least 50–60 cm of fallen snow.
The snow layer should cover not only the bushes, but also the space between them.
To prevent snow from being carried away by wind and drafts, protective fences are installed. They can be plywood, slate and other resistant materials.
By adhering to these simple rules, the raspberry plant will survive the winter wonderfully, and in the summer it will delight you with delicious, healthy berries.
