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Many gardeners, having decided to grow raspberries on their plot of land, think about how and when is the best time to plant young seedlings. In practice, various technologies for planting shrubs are used in the spring and autumn seasons. At the same time, experienced farmers claim that planting raspberries in the fall is preferable, since rainy weather with low temperatures has a beneficial effect on the rooting of shrubs, and having gained enough strength, the plants will delight you with an abundant, full harvest of tasty and healthy berries in the new season. Of course, planting raspberries in the autumn will not be successful if you do not take into account some features and rules, which we will try to discuss in detail below in the article.
Why is it better to plant raspberries in autumn?
The choice of whether to plant raspberries in spring or autumn largely depends on the climatic characteristics of the area. It is recommended to plant shrubs in the fall in the central and southern regions of the country, where this season is quite long and warm. In the northern regions, frosts come quite early, and seedlings may simply not have time to take root.
In regions with favorable climatic conditions replanting raspberries in autumn recommended because:
- Air temperature at +10…+150C and humidity of about 80% are optimal conditions for rooting seedlings. The absence of scorching sun for young plants also contributes to better survival.
- In autumn, the shrub's forces are aimed at developing the root system, in spring - at increasing green mass. That is why replant raspberries in spring Not recommended. In this case, poorly developed roots are not able to supply the above-ground part of the seedling with nutrients and moisture in the required quantities.
- If you replant raspberries in the fall, then in the spring you can get full-fledged, mature plants that bear fruit in full.
- The autumn period is less busy for gardeners and gardeners.
- A few months before planting the seedlings, you can begin preparing the site for growing the crop.
- The cost of raspberry seedlings on the market in the fall is significantly lower than in the spring.
Based on the recommendations given and comparative advantages, each gardener can decide for himself when it is better to replant raspberries: in autumn or spring.
Time to plant raspberries
The timing of planting raspberries in the fall largely depends on climatic, weather conditions and characteristics of the variety. The only obligatory condition in this case is that the seedlings must mature well before transplanting. Their ripening is indicated by the appearance of a replacement bud on the basal neck of the shoots. The period of appearance of this bud depends on the early maturity of the variety. For example, on early varieties a replacement bud can be observed already in September; on raspberries of late varieties it can only be detected in mid-October.
It is impossible to determine specific dates for when to replant raspberries in a particular region, however, the following recommendations can be given:
- in the southern regions, it is recommended to grow raspberries in the fall from the end of September to the twentieth of October;
- in the central and, if necessary, in the northern regions, the procedure for planting raspberries should be done in early September.
From year to year, weather conditions can differ significantly, so the gardener himself must determine when to plant raspberry bushes on his site. To do this, you need to monitor temperature indicators and monitor the weather forecast. In some southern regions, raspberries can be successfully planted even in early November.
Selecting a location and preparing the soil for growing raspberries
The quality and quantity of raspberries will largely depend on the location where the bushes grow. So, for raspberries, it is recommended to choose a sunny piece of land, protected from strong northern winds. Of course, many gardeners may notice that unpretentious raspberries can grow even in the shade, but in this case the shoots of the plant are very elongated and flowers form only on their tops, as shown in the photo below. The fruiting process slows down and if frosts occur early, you may not be able to wait at all.
Raspberries prefer to grow in well-drained, loose, fertile soil. You need to prepare it in advance:
- in the place where the raspberries will grow a month before planting the seedlings, you can sow green manure, for example, rye or buttercup;
- Before planting seedlings, rotted manure and wood ash are added to the soil.
During the summer season, it is recommended not to grow other crops in the area intended for raspberries. This will allow the soil to rest and stock up on nutrients. If you still decide to use the land for growing crops in the summer season, then you should adhere to the rules of crop rotation. Thus, raspberries cannot be planted in places where nightshade crops previously grew.
Selection of seedlings
Adult raspberry seedlings form adventitious buds on their roots, which over time become full-fledged shoots. They are often used for propagation of crops. Shoots at the age of 1 year are suitable for transplantation. Planting material can also be obtained by dividing previously grown adult bushes.
To breed raspberries, the strongest seedlings are dug up or purchased, the trunk diameter of which at the bottom exceeds 1 cm. The roots of the seedlings must be healthy and well developed, as shown in the photo:
For planting, you need to prepare seedlings with a height of more than 40 cm. After planting, they can be trimmed, leaving only 15-20 cm of shoots above ground level.
Schemes for placement of seedlings
In order to understand how to properly plant raspberries in the fall, you need to familiarize yourself with the possible layouts for their placement on the site.
So, there are several basic schemes:
- Trench (belt) planting involves digging up a piece of land 0.5 m wide and the required length. The digging depth should be at least 40 cm.In one trench, raspberry seedlings are placed no closer than 40 cm to each other. The distance between two trenches should not be less than 1.5 m. An example of such a planting can be seen in the photo:
- Pit (nest) planting involves creating holes 40 cm deep and 50 cm wide. 3-4 seedlings are planted in one hole at once. There should be a distance of at least 1.5 m between adjacent nests. The pits can be placed in rows or isolated from each other.
Depending on the available space on the site and personal preferences, the gardener himself decides how to plant raspberries in the fall, and what scheme to use. Experts recommend planting raspberry bushes in trenches. They are easy to arrange. When planted this way, raspberries grow quickly and ripen quickly. Caring for seedlings is quite simple. The advantage of the pit method of growing raspberries is increased productivity: for every 1m2 soil can accommodate a large number of seedlings.
Planting raspberries: step-by-step instructions
Regardless of the chosen scheme, the gardener must clearly follow the sequence of actions when planting raspberries. To do this, we will try to provide a detailed guide on how to properly plant raspberries in the fall:
- Mark the area, determine the location of the trench or hole with bushes.
- When digging the soil in the fall, remove everything under the trench. weedy grasses and introduce rotted organic matter, fallen leaves, and wood ash. In the absence of ash, you can use superphosphate. It is phosphorus fertilizers that seedlings need for successful root growth.If it is decided to grow shrubs using the nesting method, then pits are prepared before planting in the fall. Organic matter is placed at the bottom of the hole and covered with a layer of soil. Ash or phosphorus fertilizer is added to the remaining soil.
- Before planting a seedling in a new place, it is recommended to dip its roots in a nutrient solution prepared by adding clay to a mullein infusion. This product will speed up the plant adaptation process and protect young roots from pests.
- When planting raspberry seedlings, you need to ensure that their roots are straightened and horizontal to the ground. After placing in the hole, the roots of the seedling are sprinkled with earth and the soil is compacted over the entire area.
- Once the raspberries have been transplanted to a new location, they are watered abundantly, spending at least 8 liters of water per bush.
- The soil over the entire planting area should be mulched. For this you can use sawdust, hay, peat. Mulch will retain moisture in the soil, prevent weeds from appearing, and protect plants from freezing.
- The final stage of planting is shortening the seedlings. For the winter you need to leave only 10-15 cm of shoots above the ground.
Cover the drainage layer with fertile soil and organic matter.
Such simple instructions will certainly help even a novice gardener figure out how to plant raspberries in the fall, so that when the new season arrives, he can get a good harvest of tasty and healthy berries.
Additionally, some important points related to how to replant raspberries can be emphasized from the video:
Raspberries have high viability and, if all the rules for autumn planting are followed, the survival rate of seedlings is close to 100%. At the same time, it is important to determine exactly when it is better to plant raspberries in a particular region and what to do to ensure that the seedlings quickly take root after transplantation. Choosing a location and preparing high-quality material, applying fertilizers to the soil will only increase the yield of raspberries and improve the quality of the berries. Thus, every gardener should remember that raspberries are not only tasty and healthy, but also very simple.
