Competent care of garden plants throughout the growing season is a guarantee not only of their health, but also of productivity.
In this article, I want to tell you, using the example of raspberries (not remontant!), How following the basic principles of agricultural technology will help you get more berries from your favorite shrub.
1. Moderate feeding
The most obvious point is that the healthier, larger and stronger the plant, the richer the crop. However, don't overdo it!
Once every 2-3 years in the fall after harvesting, feed the raspberries with compost or rotted manure at the rate of 4-6 kg per 1m2. Carry out the next feeding of such a shrub already during its flowering - complex fertilizers with a mandatory nitrogen content are suitable. They will help the raspberry plant quickly gain vegetative mass and form more ovaries.
2. Regular watering
It is not obvious to many that regular overdrying of the soil can lead to a sharp decrease in the yield of raspberries. The root system of the shrub is located close to the surface, so it needs abundant regular watering throughout the growing season. Before wintering, be sure to carry out moisture-charging watering.
3. Protection against diseases and pests
A plant weakened by fungi, bacteria, insect pests will not bear fruit successfully. And it is always easier to prevent diseases than to cure them later. Therefore, in addition to strict adherence to agricultural technology, pay close attention to preventive treatments of the raspberry tree.
In the spring, while the buds have not yet blossomed, spray the shrub with fungicides - Fitosporin-M, 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid or 0.5% copper oxychloride. Before the insects fly out, spray the soil under the bushes with a 0.3% chlorophos solution - twice with an interval of 10 days.
In late autumn, after harvesting, spraying raspberries with Karbofos, Iskra, Aktellik or other insecticides / acaricides will be useful as a prevention of pest development.
If your raspberry plant is healthy in principle, you can replace the chemical treatment with folk remedies - solutions of garlic, onion peels, tobacco, and so on.
4. Timely pruning
Timely pruning helps the shrub stay healthy, stimulates the awakening of the kidneys, allows grow more young, better fruiting shoots, and gives them normal access to light and air.
In spring and autumn, pruning is usually sanitary, but in summer you can additionally cut off the tops of strong shoots - this will stimulate the appearance of new lateral fruiting branches.
5. Preparing for frost
If your raspberry tree freezes, there may not be any talk about the harvest next season. Autumn mulching will save shrubs from frost, temperature extremes, and humidity in winter and early spring. It is important to choose a mulch of neutral acidity (sawdust, straw, peat) and lay it in a layer at least 10-15 cm thick.
Read also on my website -How to determine what is missing in a raspberry by its appearance
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