Description of raspberries of the remontant variety Augustine, rules for planting and caring for them

Remontant varieties of raspberries are in particular demand among owners of personal plots due to the ability to harvest tasty and healthy berries twice a season. The description of the Augustine raspberry variety states that it is compact in size and unpretentious to growing conditions, so the variety is popular with summer residents who have small gardens from year to year. Before purchasing seedlings, it is worth studying the plant’s care requirements.

Description and brief description

The remontant raspberry variety Augustine, like all varieties of this group, bears fruit twice per season. The first harvests are taken from the branches in the second ten days of June, and the second - from August until the first significant drop in temperature, and this wave of fruiting is more abundant.

The variety was obtained by interspecific hybridization from seeds collected from free pollination of interspecific elite seedling No. 96. The authors of Augustina were breeders S. N. Evdokimenko and I. V. Kazakov. After testing for the declared characteristics, the variety was included in the State Register, this happened in 2003.

Characteristics of Augustine raspberry:

1. The height of the bushes does not exceed 160 cm, which makes it possible to grow it even in small garden plots.
2. Ripening dates are early, the first berries ripen after June 10, the second wave of the harvest ripens after August 10, fruiting lasts until the end of October.
3. The shoots of the seedlings are powerful, straight-growing, they do not require additional supports and do not break under the weight of the fruit. The surface of the shoots is covered with small thorns.
4. The large leaves are dark green in color and not pubescent.
5. Raspberry flowers are medium-sized; the fruits that appear after them are characterized by the shape of a truncated cone.
6. The berries are sweet (sugar content is about 6%), have a rich red color and dense texture. Their pulp has a delicate, faint aroma and pleasant taste.
7. From one Augustine bush they harvest up to 5 kg of fruit, the weight of one berry is 5-6 grams. They remain on the stalks for quite a long time after ripening (up to 10 days), only after that they begin to fall off the branches.
8. The high transportability of the berries makes it possible to grow raspberries for subsequent sale on the market.
9. Augustine has high immunity against fungal diseases and viral infections, and she is rarely affected by spider mites.

Despite the fact that the variety appeared on the market relatively recently, it has managed to gain popularity among gardeners due to its positive qualities, which are worth considering in more detail.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Augustina variety

The advantages of this raspberry variety include the following:

• early ripening and two waves of fruiting;
• high yield from one bush;
• good transportability of berries;
• no need for additional installation of supports;
• strong immunity to major crop diseases;
• compact plant size;
• no shedding of fruits from the bushes immediately after ripening;
• The berries have a pleasant taste and universal purpose - they are eaten fresh and prepared for the winter in the form of compotes and jam.

The variety also has disadvantages, however, compared to the advantages of Augustine, there are few of them. This:

• average frost resistance, so in regions with a cool climate you will have to insulate the bushes for the winter;
• harvesting is complicated by the presence of thorns on the shoots.

Subtleties of growing raspberries

In order for the variety to demonstrate all its advantages, it is necessary to choose the right seedlings and planting site.

Deadlines

Raspberries can be planted both in spring and autumn. In the first case, this must be done during April, in the second, the work must be done in October; if this is done later, the bushes may not have time to take root in the new place and will freeze when cold weather sets in. In this case, it is recommended to find a cool place for the purchased seedlings and move them to the garden in the spring.

Choosing a suitable location

In order for the berries to ripen large and sweet, it is necessary to select an area on the site that is well illuminated by the sun's rays; in the shade, the fruits will be sour and small. It is also important that the site is protected from drafts and cold north winds. As for the composition of the soil, Augustine prefers light sandy loam or loam with high nutritional qualities.

Selection and preparation of planting material

When purchasing raspberry seedlings, it is recommended to pay attention to their appearance. The roots and shoots should not show signs of damage by insects and diseases. It is better to purchase the variety from nurseries that have appropriate product quality certificates. Before planting, the roots are immersed in water for several hours, adding any root formation stimulator. If Augustine is already growing on the site, then it is propagated using cuttings, cutting them in the fall.

Landing algorithm

To plant remontant Augustine raspberries, the trench method is used, especially if you plan to place many seedlings on the site. A distance of 2 meters is maintained between rows.

Variety planting algorithm:

1. Dig a trench up to 40 cm deep.
2. The selected soil mixed with humus is placed at the bottom, and another layer of soil is placed on top.
3. Place the seedling, carefully straightening the roots.
4. Cover with the remaining soil, carefully compacting the soil.
5. Water the seedlings generously and place a layer of mulch around them.

Features of plant care

Raspberries do not require complex agrotechnical care; all they need is abundant watering, fertilizing, pruning and proper preparation for cold weather.

Watering and fertilizers

Since Augustine is a moisture-loving variety, it is necessary to provide it with regular and abundant irrigation.Up to 2 buckets of water are poured under each bush, watering is carried out once a week.

The variety responds well to fertilizing with urea - 40 grams of the drug are dissolved in 1 bucket of water, 5 liters of working solution are used for each bush.

Trimming

To increase the autumn harvest wave, it is necessary to properly prune raspberries. After the first fruiting, only young shoots are left, the rest are cut off, leaving no more than 5 cm above the ground level.

Preparing for winter

Augustine bushes do not have good frost resistance, so raspberries need to be prepared for winter. Agrofibre or spruce spruce branches are used for shelter.

Diseases and pests

Augustine is rarely affected by diseases and pests, but preventive treatments will not be superfluous. To do this, use any fungicidal drug (diluted according to instructions) or Bordeaux mixture at 1% concentration.

Reproduction

Raspberries are propagated in two ways: cuttings or ready-made seedlings.

Cleaning and storage rules

The berries are picked in dry, sunny weather, this allows them to prolong their fresh shelf life. At temperatures up to 5 degrees Celsius, the fruits remain fresh for 5 days. Raspberries are also frozen for the winter and used to make jam and compotes.