How to properly care for remontant raspberries so that there is a good harvest

Raspberries are a tasty, healthy berry; thanks to breeding work, they can be present on tables all summer and autumn. Remontant varieties are distinguished by abundant and long-lasting, almost continuous fruiting. It’s worth finding out in advance how to properly care for remontant raspberries in order to get a good harvest and extend the life of the bushes.

What is the difference between remontant raspberry varieties?

Remontant raspberry varieties differ from others in their ability to form berries on one-year and two-year-old shoots, bloom repeatedly and bear fruit abundantly during the summer-autumn period, some before the first frost. In varieties of remontant selection, young shoots grow annually from the underground part of the bush, which, along with the adult bush, produce a crop of raspberries at the top.

By winter, the upper fruit-bearing part of the young shoot dries out, the next year forming, as in ordinary varieties, additional branching shoots on which berries appear, but smaller in size than in the previous year. Therefore, the value of remontant raspberries lies in the fruiting of large, tasty berries on young shoots.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Culture

Remontant raspberries are a very popular crop among farmers and private farms due to the large number of advantages over conventional varieties.

Advantages of remontant raspberry varieties:

• the size of the berries is larger than that of ordinary ones;
• bountiful harvest with high-quality, tasty berries;
• repeated fruiting, 2 times per season;
• resistance to diseases and pest attacks;
• high frost resistance, does not require shelter for the winter;
• the ability to grow as an annual crop;
• bears fruit the next year after planting;
• It produces few root shoots, which makes it possible not to thicken the planting of bushes.

Disadvantages of remontant raspberry varieties:

• high cost of seedlings;
• it is necessary to monitor the acidity level of the soil, prune correctly and fertilize frequently;
• The landing site should be sunny;
• the taste of the berry is variable and depends on many factors, weather, care, planting location;
• difficult to propagate; some varieties hardly produce new shoots.

How long does remontant raspberry grow?

After planting the bushes, the seedlings quickly adapt and produce their first abundant harvest the following year. In one year, remontant varieties go through a full vegetation cycle. The first fruiting occurs on two-year-old shoots, the second - on young ones. With good care and a change of location every 4-5 years, raspberries of remontant varieties will bear fruit for 10-12 years.

Under unfavorable conditions, the wrong location, overfeeding with fertilizers or their absence, the fruiting and lifespan of raspberries will be 3-4 years.

We plant raspberries on the plot

Remontant raspberries are a stronger, more unpretentious plant, but you still need to follow agricultural practices, planting dates, choice of location and soil, planting techniques, and caring for them.

When should crops be planted?

Planting dates for remontant raspberry varieties may shift depending on weather conditions and region. Gardeners plant in spring and autumn; the main condition for such plantings is high-quality remontant raspberry material, suitable soil conditions and location. Planting in open ground or in a greenhouse has its own nuances in each season.

In the open ground

Tips for choosing the time to plant remontant raspberry seedlings in open ground and caring for them.

Spring planting of raspberries is recommended for the Northern regions, the Urals, Siberia, and the Far East, where severe frosts are possible in the fall, in September:

• Before the beginning of the growing season, before the buds appear, from mid-April to the first ten days of May.
• After the weather stabilizes, the threat of frost has passed, sunny days will lengthen to 12 hours a day, and the soil temperature will be 12-15 degrees.
• Planting is possible at the end of May - the first half of June, but only those seedlings of remontant raspberries that were stored in cold chambers and their growing season had not yet begun, i.e. they were in the dormant stage.

After planting in the spring in accordance with agrotechnical guidelines, it will be easier to care for remontant raspberries in the summer; apart from watering and inspecting for pests, nothing is required until the fall.

Autumn planting is suitable for regions located in the south, west, southeast, southwest. This is done 15-20 days before the first frost, the best time is the end of September - the first ten days of October.

Since the climate in the southern regions is milder and warmer, it is possible to carry out not only autumn planting here, but also spring planting, starting from mid-March. Autumn care for remontant raspberries after planting comes down to the last nutritious watering and preparing a shelter for it.

In the spring, it is better to plant mid-late and late varieties of remontant raspberries, which will adapt before the fall, go through the growing season and can even bear the first harvest on young shoots.In the fall, varieties with early ripening are planted; before the first frost, the bushes adapt, go into a dormant state, and by spring, vegetative processes will begin, which will give impetus to rapid growth and the first harvest of berries.

In the greenhouse

For growing in a greenhouse, early varieties are preferable, which can be planted in spring and autumn, but in the same way as in open ground, before the start of the growing season. Spring planting, from March to mid-May, autumn planting from the end of September to the third ten days of October. This type of cultivation of remontant raspberries is used to obtain a harvest from late spring to late autumn, but you can also use a method for continuously obtaining berries. To do this, planting is carried out from mid-January, then in March, at the end of May, using a conveyor method.

The shoots from which the harvest has been harvested are cut off and left dormant until further growth and fruiting.

There are many advantages of growing in a greenhouse: early harvest until late autumn, no influence of weather changes. The downside of this method is that raspberry fruits do not have a strong, bright aroma.

In the greenhouse, you can plant both autumn planting of remontant raspberries, starting from the first days of October; it does not require additional lighting, you just need to maintain a temperature regime of 22-25 degrees, as well as spring planting.

Suitable soil for remontant raspberries

Remontant raspberries are picky about the choice of soil, since they bear fruit a lot and abundantly, and they need more nutrients. The soil should be fertile, rich, moist, loose, light, preferably black soil with an acidity level of 5.5 and no more than 6.5.Also, the bushes will grow in loamy and sandy loam soils, but with less yield, although this can be corrected by applying organic fertilizers at the planting site and throughout the season.

Site selection and hole preparation

As for the site for remontant varieties of raspberries, it should be sunny, but if the soils are dry, then it is better to choose one with partial shade or shade during the day. The side is south, southeast, southwest in the garden. Choose a place near the fence or install trellises for gartering bushes. It is worth considering that raspberries will gradually begin to grow, which means they should not be planted next to a place intended for growing garden crops or shrubs.

Planting scheme

The planting scheme for remontant raspberries depends on the number of seedlings and the goals pursued:

1. single-row;
2. double row;
3. trench;
4. dimpled;
5. nesting;
6. clump (in the form of natural thickets).

Single-row and double-row planting systems for remontant bushes are more often used when growing raspberries in large volumes over a large area. Dig a long ditch 40-45 cm deep, for a single row the width is 40-50 cm, for a double row - 80-100 cm. A mixture of peat, humus, ash and top soil is laid out at the bottom of the ditch.

If the soil is too acidic, then add slaked lime (fluff, dolomite flour, chalk). In a single-row pattern, raspberry seedlings are planted in the center of the ridge at a distance of 35-50 cm, sprinkled with soil and watered abundantly. The two-row scheme involves planting raspberry seedlings in 2 rows of one ditch at a distance of 40-50 cm between each row.

The trench scheme is similar to a single-row one, but differs in the depth of the ditch and the amount of organic fertilizer applied, which is laid out in layers for long-term nutrition of the bushes.

The pitting scheme is used in private garden plots when the number of seedlings and space is limited. The area is dug up with the addition of organic or synthetic fertilizers, after which holes are dug up to 50 cm deep and 25-35 in diameter. The distance between the rows should be 0.5-1 m. A layer of fertilizer is laid on the bottom, sprinkled with soil and watered, bushes are planted on top, adding drops of a mixture of topsoil and compost.

The nesting scheme helps the gardener save on the number of supports for raspberry bushes. Dig a hole up to 50 cm deep, up to 1 m in diameter, into which a mixture of fertilizers and fertile soil is also added, and 6-8 raspberry bushes are planted at an equal distance. A strong support is installed in the center of the circle, to which its shoots will be attached as the raspberries grow.

Thickened plantings or in the form of clumps are most suitable for regions with unfavorable weather conditions, with frequent and sudden frosts and severe frosts in winter. The bushes are planted at a distance close to each other, without any patterns; as new shoots grow, the small island with the planted bushes becomes overgrown, acquiring the natural appearance of thickets. This method allows the bushes to favorably survive severe frosts.

Thickened planting and nesting patterns are more often used in regions with dry soil and unfavorable climate. In regions with wet soil, the best option is strip or pit, which requires a large distance between the bushes so that the bushes and berries inside the planting do not rot after rains.

Technology for spring and autumn planting of remontant raspberries

Autumn and spring technology for planting remontant varieties does not differ significantly.For spring planting of raspberry bushes, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work on the soil twice:

• in the fall, dig up the area for planting deeply together with organic fertilizers;
• in the spring, 1-1.5 months in advance, the prepared trenches or holes are disinfected with special preparations and rotted fertilizers, ash, and peat are added;
• 1 day or 3 hours before planting, the seedlings are immersed with their roots in root formation stimulants, the time depends on the purchased drug;
• remontant raspberry seedlings are buried to the root collar, sprinkled with soil and mulch.

Watering can be done before planting the seedling, waiting until the water is absorbed, or after planting, but be sure to lay a layer of sawdust or dry grass on top so that the water does not evaporate quickly.

Autumn planting of remontant raspberries, as a rule, begins with soil preparation, which is best started a year before planting the bushes:

• in the fall, dig up a site with manure for planting raspberries;
• in the spring, plant green manure plants;
• Before flowering, green manure is mowed and the area is dug up along with it;
• in the fall, in September-October, holes or ditches are prepared in which young seedlings are planted.

If other garden plants grow on the site and the spread of raspberry bushes is undesirable, then around the area with seedlings at a distance of 50-70 cm from the bushes, slate, metal or plastic plates are dug to a depth of 0.5 m, which will prevent the roots from growing beyond their limits.

Is it possible to plant remontant raspberries next to ordinary ones?

Beginning gardeners often wonder whether it is possible to plant a remontant raspberry variety alongside an ordinary one? Perhaps cross-pollination will not occur, but gradually the offspring of ordinary raspberries will clog the remontant variety with their shoots, which quickly germinate, unlike the second one.There will also be problems with proper care, pruning, and feeding.

The usual variety bears fruit on branches of the second year of life, which are then pruned. The remontant fruit bears fruit twice, so in the fall the top of the young shoots that bear fruit is cut off. When 2 varieties are planted together, after 2-3 years it will be impossible to find the differences between the bushes.

How to properly care for remontant raspberries

For raspberry varieties with remontant properties, proper spring, summer and autumn care is very important: pruning, mulching, timely watering and balanced fertilizing. The varieties are distinguished by strong immunity to diseases and pests, but preventive measures are necessary to prevent diseases and pest attacks.

Spring care and pruning

Spring pruning raspberry bushes the most favorable in the early stages, starting from March in the southern regions, from April - early May in the middle zone and northern regions. The pruning process is carried out during the beginning of shoot growth and swelling of the buds. The formation of bushes depends on the vigor of plant growth and variety; the optimal number is 6-12 healthy, strong shoots. Remove damaged, diseased, weak, frozen, dull, thickening shoots.

After 1-1.5 weeks, the tops of the young ones are cut off, this is necessary so that the old shoots develop more actively and form fruitful clusters with raspberries. If healthy branches were accidentally cut off, they can be divided into cuttings, soaked in a growth stimulator, and when roots grow, planted with the rest of the raspberries.

It is better not to throw away the cut tops, but to dry them in the sun or in a dryer and use them in winter to brew tea, which helps fight colds and stimulates the immune system.

One of the progressive methods is double pruning.This method forms bushes over 2 spring seasons. In the first, annual shoots are cut at a level of 1 m, which stimulates the growth of lateral branches and the formation of more roots and root shoots. With it, actively growing young shoots are cut off at the base, leaving 2-3 of the strongest ones.

In the spring of the second year, the side branches on old shoots are cut off by 10 cm, which activates the processes of forming more ovaries. The method has a significant advantage, even if 1-2 shoots die after winter, this will have little effect on the loss of yield due to side shoots.

Loosening the soil

In the spring, after removing the cover around the raspberry bushes, the soil is dug up shallowly, and organic fertilizers can be added, this will increase the air permeability of the soil. The next loosening is carried out as the soil compacts, in dry weather or after rains, as well as when removing weeds.

Shelter and mulching for the winter

In regions with cold climates, where the soil freezes strongly in winter, all varieties are covered. To do this, use the method of autumn mulching around the bushes and between the rows, laying a layer of straw, sawdust, and mown grass. For varieties of remontant raspberries that are grown at a biannual pace, it is better to use mulch or spunbond, tightly covering the area around the bushes and between the rows so that the root shoots do not freeze.

In autumn, the branches are bent to the soil; this should be done at the beginning of the season, when the branches are more elastic and green.

This method is used for remontant varieties, in which raspberries are grown on annual shoots. They are tied into small bundles and inclined to the soil no more than 0.5 m. A peg is driven between several such bundles, to which bundles of raspberry branches are tied one by one.Of course, there may still be berries on the branches, but here each gardener decides for himself what is more important to him: getting a harvest for next year or waiting for it to freeze.

Standard varieties are covered with burlap or spunbond, creating a layer of straw or sawdust inside the shelter.

Watering rate and frequency

During the spring-autumn period, remontant raspberries are irrigated 4-6 times. The first watering after the spring thaw is carried out if the winter has had little snow and the soil is poorly moistened. If there was a lot of snow and the thaw occurs with flooding of the area, then shallow (up to 10 cm) grooves should be made between the rows to drain excess melt water. The following watering is carried out:

1. after 1-2 weeks in early May;
2. during flowering;
3. during fruit formation;
4. with repeated flowering and formation of polydrupes;
5. autumn moisture before shelter.

Methods for watering raspberries:

1. drip is used for large areas of plantings;
2. arychny (ditch), when water is released into the aisles of raspberry bushes, moistening the soil around;
3. Sprinkling is the most favorable method, which will allow you to irrigate not only the soil in the summer heat, but also moisten the shoots and leaves.

Fertilizer

You need to feed remontant raspberries 2-4 times a season, since their abundant fruiting draws many useful substances from the soil. In the spring, along with loosening the soil, rotted manure is added per 1 square meter. m 10 liter bucket. During the beginning of the growing season, raspberries really need nitrogen, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus, which can be purchased in retail chains and diluted according to the instructions.

For 1 bush use 50-60 g of superphosphate and 2-3 tbsp. l. potassium salt. Also, in early spring, you can add peat and ash under the bush.Summer care of raspberries of remontant varieties involves only watering with fertilizers under the bushes; it is usually carried out in June-July, when the shoots bloom.

In August and September, they are fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers or mulched with green manure.

Mineral supplements

Urea, azophoska, ammonium nitrate, nitroammophoska are applied once in the spring, but since these fertilizers contain sufficient amounts of phosphorus and potassium, then in subsequent feedings the volume of these elements should be less than normal. For every 1 sq. m of planting area with raspberry bushes no more than 20 g of one of the fertilizers.

During all feedings, you should adhere to the rule: “less is better than more.”

Folk remedies

Most gardeners use folk remedies:

1. manure - cow, horse;
2. droppings - bird droppings;
3. green manure;
4. weed infusions;
5. rotted organic products.

Manure contains a lot of nitrogen, so it is best to apply it in the spring. Litter and infusion of weeds are diluted in warm water and watered on the raspberries in the middle of the season, when the fruits are forming. It is better to add green manure and rotted organic matter in preparation for winter.

Tying and rationing raspberry branches

Raspberries need staking and standardization of branches to ventilate the bushes to prevent rotting of the berries or their prolonged ripening, as well as to reduce the likelihood of infection with rot and viruses.

For gartering, different types of trellises are installed; every 2-3 m, several shoots are tied to them with an elastic rope. Excess thickening branches are cut off; they will consume more nutrients and can cause diseases.

How to properly treat diseases and pests

The most basic and effective preventive treatment against pests and diseases is carried out in the spring, in April - early May, before flowering. Also in the fall after picking berries. At other times, treatment with chemicals is dangerous for human life, since developing fruits and ripe berries can absorb harmful substances.

In the spring, the drugs “Fitoverm”, “Aktellik”, “Agravertin”, “Nitrophen”, copper sulfate, Bordeaux mixture, “Topaz” are used. They also plant calendula, marigolds, nasturtium, lavender, tansy, pyrethrum, pelargonium, chrysanthemums, as well as garlic, celery, onions, and fennel to prevent pests.

Fight against regrowth

If the gardener does not need additional shoots for growing remontant raspberries, then they should be removed, since the plant spends a lot of energy and nutrients on their growth, which can reduce the volume of the harvest. The growth formed at a distance of more than 25 cm can be easily removed with a sharp shovel, which is buried 15-20 cm, since the raspberry root does not go deep, up to 40 cm.

The main mistakes of novice gardeners

It is worth familiarizing yourself with the main mistakes beginners make when growing remontant raspberries.

Raspberries don't grow

Poor growth or its complete stop on raspberry bushes often occurs due to non-compliance with agricultural practices:

1. a diseased seedling is selected;
2. the plant is overfed with fertilizers;
3. incorrectly selected planting site, depleted soil, little sunlight, drafts.

Doesn't bloom

One of the common reasons for the lack of flowering and ovary is considered to be an incorrectly selected variety for the climatic zone. The soil on which the bushes are planted is too dense or has high acidity and alkalinity.Weather conditions, lack of long daylight hours, constant rain or drought also have an impact. Pests on the site that damage the root system: nematodes, ants.

Doesn't bear fruit: why?

Lack of yield on raspberry bushes can occur due to overfeeding with organic fertilizers, diseases, pests, or improper spring pruning.

Bushes often get sick

Remontant raspberries, just like ordinary ones, are often susceptible to diseases, especially gray rot and anthracnose, due to violation of the rules of agricultural technology, namely too frequent watering, thick plantings and lack of sanitary pruning.

Advice from experienced gardeners: how to speed up the ripening of remontant raspberries

For vigorous growth and the appearance of flowers at an earlier date, several methods are used to speed up the process:

1. In the fall, old shoots are cut off without leaving stumps, young shoots are tied and bent to the ground. Cover the top with a thick layer of mulch.
2. They install arcs on which the film is stretched in early spring to create a greenhouse effect and awaken the shoots ahead of schedule. With the arrival of constant heat, they gradually open, adapting to the temperature of the open ground.
3. With the drug "Baikal", you can, following the dosage, warm up the soil ahead of schedule in the spring so that the root system wakes up faster.

Remontant raspberries do not differ in their beneficial properties from ordinary ones, but their yield is higher, although cultivation requires the time and attention of the gardener.