Good afternoon, my reader. The end of summer is the best period to put the raspberry tree in order. Usually by August 20, fruiting ends, and you can start preparing the bush for autumn and winter dormancy. It is in late August - early September that experienced gardeners begin to prune in order to get a rich harvest for the next year.
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When to start work?
The end of fruiting means that the shoots with flower stalks and ripe berries are no longer required for the life of the shrub. They take away nutrients, take up space, shade young shoots, which will just yield the harvest next season.
In addition, during the rest of the warm season, young shoots of this year should have time to take shape and accumulate a reserve of strength for wintering. If properly cared for, they will successfully overwinter and the next year they will start growing and bloom. If you cut off raspberries in August, the yield on average rises by about one and a half to two times.
Pruning times depend on the climate. It is necessary that before the onset of cold weather there is still 3-4 weeks of time. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out work:
- in the middle lane - the end of August;
- Siberia and the Urals - from the beginning of August;
- southern Russia - late August to late September.
What exactly needs to be done
First of all, you need to select those bushes that have already begun to degenerate. To do this, it is highly desirable to monitor the yield of each of them and remember when it was planted. On average, degeneration begins somewhere around 6-10 years of growth. It makes no sense to keep it longer: the old raspberries will no longer rejuvenate and will not give a lot of large berries. Such bushes - alas! - can only be mercilessly uprooted, making room for young growth.
When the old bushes are culled, it's time to start pruning.
What is pruned in raspberries in August?
When pruning raspberries, first of all remove:
- All dry shoots.
- Weak.
- Sick. This is especially important, since a neglected disease can affect the entire raspberry tree. It is better not to wait for this and destroy any diseased process.
- Two-year-old shoots bearing fruit this year. They can be recognized by the dark color of the bark and greater density - they are already stiff.
- Extra shoots. Too many shoots will not give a significant increase in yield, but they will take their place and begin to shade each other. If there is no access to the sun and fresh air, not only will yields fall, but fungal diseases may begin, and pests will breed. In addition, raspberries, if given free rein, strives to creep far away from the landing site. It is best to leave 5-6 young shoots on each bush.
Basic rules for pruning
Raspberries need to be trimmed:
- sharp scissors or pruning shears. A dull blade will wet the wood, and pathogenic bacteria start in the remnants of the shoot;
- leaving a stump. Its height should not exceed 3-5 cm, but it should be. If cut down to soil level, there is a risk of contamination: even common soil bacteria can be a problem - not to mention fungi. And one infected shoot can transmit the disease to the entire bush through the root system.
If you follow these rules, the harvest will be more and more every year.
Do you know how to properly trim raspberries?
Original articleand many other materials, you can find on ourwebsite.
You can also read about watering and feeding blackberries in the following article:How to pour blackberries to make the berries sweet