Rules for pruning raspberries in the fall for beginners
Content
Pros and cons of autumn pruning
In order to correctly carry out all the necessary manipulations with raspberries before winter, you need to have an idea of how to cut raspberries in the fall. This procedure is one of the most difficult and can be a problem for novice gardeners. How to cut raspberry branches can be told not only by the information in the article, but also by the video at the end of the recording.
What are the clear advantages of pruning ahead of winter? This procedure will help to make the thickets less dense in order to get a rich harvest in the season, the berries will not lose their excellent taste and will be large in size. Pruning will help prevent insects that can severely harm the plant, as well as prevent unpleasant diseases from occurring. And new shoots will be able to gain enough strength in order to survive the winter with honor and not freeze and die by the spring.
The pruning of ordinary remontant raspberries is carried out in different ways, only the second is pruned in the fall, while the usual one must be pruned in the summer, after harvesting. When pruning remontant raspberries, you can feast on berries all summer, but there is a significant drawback - the plant will be more susceptible to possible diseases and pests. Also, in this type of raspberry, the crown cannot be cut off, because in this case it is possible to ruin part of the crop that appears in the upper third of the shoot.
Instructions
Raspberry pruning should be planned about three weeks before winter arrives. Before starting it, they must inspect the bushes and decide which ones to leave for the next year, and which ones should be pruned. In autumn, old shoots that have already borne fruit, diseased and damaged ones, weak young ones that may not survive the winter, two-year-olds that have been harvesting for several years should be removed. You also need to cut off all the broken stems that are too thickening the bush.How to prune raspberries correctly in the fall? You can watch it in the video. There is also a generally accepted instruction.
It is important to leave 4 developed shoots on each of the bushes so that good berries grow on them next year.
The distance from the ground should not exceed 30 cm, the rest should be cut off. The best distance between adjacent bushes is about 60 cm. In the event that the plants have grown very strongly, individual shoots can even be cut down with a shovel. To complete this procedure, the tip is stuck into the ground in a circle several times, not forgetting to indent at least 20 cm from the bush. Then they dig in the soil outside the formed circle. You also need to cut off the leaves of the plant, but in no case simply cut them off so as not to damage the buds.
We advise you to put on gloves on your hand and guide them down the shoots. Do not leave the leaves, as they will begin to rot and can adversely affect the normal growth of the buds. After cleaning the plant before winter is completed, it can be bent to the ground to reliably protect the raspberry from frost. Wire can help to carry out this procedure. If the winter is with little snow, then the snow under the bushes should be poured on your own to prevent the plant from dying. Before the appearance of snow, after pruning, the raspberries must be dug in and weeds must be removed. Feeding the plant and treating its shoots with iron vitriol or phytosporin will also help. After watching the video and following the instructions, even the most inexperienced gardeners can competently trim raspberries in the fall.
Important nuances
Novice gardeners are often worried about the question - is it fundamentally to cut raspberries in the fall, or can it be done in the summer? Experts are sure that it is best to prune just before winter, before the first cold and cold weather. Some gardeners still cut the shoots of the plant in August, after the last harvest. Thus, the forces of the plant are directed to form more young shoots, which can then be transplanted.
In the event that you have remontant varieties of raspberries, you do not need to wait for the onset of late autumn. She still will not give advantages, and pests and diseases will be able to attack the bushes of the plant without hindrance. Therefore, it is recommended to start pruning immediately after the last harvest. To prevent dense growth in the raspberry bush, leave the same number of young shoots as you plan to cut. The larger the space between the bushes, the better the sun's rays will penetrate them and the air circulate. That is, the berries can quickly gain strength, become large and tasty.
Video "Pruning raspberries"
Experienced gardeners know to trim raspberries after harvest. Why? Watch this video for an explanation.