How to properly grow raspberries from seeds for seedlings at home

If a raspberry bush appears on the plot, which bears fruit with large, tasty, sweet berries, then you want to expand the plantation of the crop with this variety. It is not always possible to get offspring from the desired bush. Therefore, you need to know how to grow raspberries from seeds for seedlings at home. Planting a berry crop with seeds is a labor-intensive but interesting process.

Growing raspberries from seeds: advantages and disadvantages

For experienced gardeners, growing raspberries at home is easy. More people choose vegetative methods of crop propagation. But the seed method cannot be discounted. It has many advantages:

1. No need to bother with cuttings and shoots. It is difficult to select strong offspring from some varieties that would become the basis for growing raspberries.
2. It's interesting to do breeding work. After all, more often than not, seeds produce another plant that is not similar to the mother plant.
3. There will be less material and time costs if you collect the seeds from the berries yourself.

The disadvantage of this method is that the result is completely opposite to the purpose of cultivation. And raspberry seedlings obtained from seeds require agrotechnical skills and careful care. The need to create conditions for seed germination is terrifying.

The best varieties for germination

Before starting work, you will need to be sure whether it is possible to grow raspberries from berries. This propagation option is not suitable for every variety. Among the best varieties we can recommend for:

• Middle zone, southern regions hybrids Polka, Hercules, Beauty of Russia;
• Siberia and the Urals - Bryansk tree, Red ruby;
• Central regions - Yellow Giant, Orange Miracle.

These hybrids can be grown from seeds as the seed is easy to separate from the pulp. All varieties take root well in the climate where they are zoned. And raspberries feel comfortable when grown at home from seed material.

How to collect raspberry seeds

To select a seed for planting from the berries of your garden, you need to approach the process competently. The requirements for the material are such that it is collected from fully ripened fruits. You cannot take rotten or damaged specimens.

The berries are ground through a sieve or squeezed through cheesecloth.The seeds remain in the cake and are separated from part of the pulp. To do this, place the mixture in a cup and fill it with water. A day later, when the grains swell, drain the water. You need to collect those seeds that have fallen to the bottom of the container.

Another way to extract raspberry seeds is by drying the pulp. The pieces are laid out on the fabric in a thin layer. Send the tray to a bright room with good air circulation. After drying, the seeds are easily separated from the dried pulp. Before planting them, it is necessary to reject low-quality material.

Timing for sowing seeds

The timing of sowing is important for planting raspberries with seeds. After all, it is not recommended to store seed material for a long time. Seed germination will be successful throughout the year. It is necessary to determine when to carry out the necessary procedure, in spring or autumn.

Spring sowing

Raspberry seeds are usually collected in the summer, when the berries have reached ripeness. We need to save them until spring. And the readiness of the seeds will be high when the optimal air temperature and humidity are created for them.

You can place the grains in damp moss or cotton wool, making sure that the seeds do not dry out. It is necessary to prevent molding of the product. Therefore, it is necessary to place the container with planting material in the refrigerator or cellar, where the temperature will be within 2 degrees Celsius. Too high humidity will cause the raspberry seeds to rot.

In February or March, seeds begin to germinate and are sown for seedlings.

Autumn sowing

Experienced gardeners believe that autumn is more suitable for sowing berries. You can immediately place the seeds in the soil, and then the sprouts do not need to be transferred to another area. Adaptation of plant seedlings occurs faster and more successfully.

The only thing is that when planting you need to use a large amount of seed material. Some of them do not germinate or are eaten by pests. It is necessary to organize sowing in time so that the sprouts do not freeze.

What is needed for planting work?

Planting raspberry seeds requires preparation for the procedure. First of all, containers are selected. Seedlings develop well in individual cups or containers with recesses. Since the root system of a garden plant lies on the surface, a shallow container, but wide in diameter, is suitable. It is recommended to sow in peat tablets.

Berry seedlings should develop in comfortable conditions. Therefore, prepare a nutritious soil mixture and a moderately illuminated window sill. Seedlings will develop best on western and eastern window sills.

If they are planted directly into the garden in the fall, then it is necessary to prepare the bed, protecting it from direct sunlight. They arrange it where the soil is fertile and the groundwater is at a depth of 1.5 meters from the surface.

Preparing for landing

To plant raspberries with seeds, you need:

1. Fill a peat cup or pot with a nutrient mixture of garden soil and peat, taken in equal quantities. Take 2 times less sand.
2. The soil is shed 2 weeks before planting with boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate.
3. The seeds are germinated by first wrapping them in layers of damp toilet paper and placing them in a warm place.
4. When planting, immediately dig up the area in the garden and apply organic and mineral fertilizers.
5. Do not overly moisten the seeds, otherwise they will not germinate well.

In order for a raspberry seed to sprout, it must have sufficient moisture and nutrition.

Technology and sowing patterns

Growing raspberries from seeds is successful if the area for the crop is chosen correctly. It should be moderately lit, with some shade during the day.

The finished seedling must have a strong root system no shorter than 10 centimeters. If its length is more than 20 centimeters, then it is cut off before planting.

Growing such seedlings requires compliance with certain rules:

1. Sprouted seeds must be sown directly into the ground, placing them in holes at a distance of 0.5 meters.
2. It is better to put 2-3 seeds per nest, given their low germination rate.
3. Plantings are covered with film.
4. In winter, snow is shoveled onto the site. This way the planting material will survive low temperatures well.

The first shoots appear at the end of spring.

Germination of sprouts

The first shoots in the garden or in a container require careful care. This includes:

• regular watering;
• fertilization;
• loosening the soil;
• weeding.

The seedlings need to be watered when the soil on top is dry. Young plantings can be mulched in the garden bed. Manure, humus, and compost are used for mulch. If some of the plants die in the fall, they are replaced with young shoots. When sowing in spring, a pot of raspberry sprouts can be kept in a greenhouse and the seedlings can be transplanted to a permanent location in the fall.

Tips for care and cultivation

When doubts about whether raspberries can be grown from seeds disappear and the planting procedure has been mastered, all that remains is to take care of the seedlings.

It is important to correctly form the bushes of a garden plant. In the 3-4th year of life, raspberry plantations leave up to 10-12 annual shoots, cutting out the rest. Plantings are thinned out in June, before flowering. It is important to maintain strong root shoots, trying to keep the distance between bushes 15-20 centimeters.

A remontant type of raspberry will bear fruit twice. It is worth increasing its yield by pruning annual shoots in the spring.

It is better to tie raspberry shoots to stakes or wire stretched along the rows.

The berries on the bushes will be larger if you irrigate the plantation in a timely manner and feed it with mineral and organic fertilizers. Ammonium nitrate is added every year in the spring. 10 days before raspberries ripen, water them with slurry diluted with water.

After planting seeds, raspberries will begin to bear fruit in the 3-4th year.