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As a rule, gardeners simultaneously grow several varieties raspberries. Large-fruited raspberry The Arbat variety can surprise even experienced gardeners with its yield and size of berries.
Characteristics of the variety
Arbat raspberry bushes grow 1.5-2.0 m high and are formed by powerful annual shoots. The stems are characterized by medium internodes (length 3-5 cm), at the ends they become quite thin, without pubescence, and do not have thorns. About 17 berries are tied on medium-length fruit branches. Summer residents note that Arbat raspberry leaves look very decorative. The foliage on the bushes has a corrugated surface with bearded edges.
Among other varieties, Arbat stands out for the size of its berries, which have an elongated conical shape - large raspberries weigh up to 12 g. The berries are notable for their rich dark red color (photo).
Raspberries It can be easily removed from the stalk and withstands long-term transportation perfectly. The pulp of the berry is sweet and juicy. Arbat raspberry fruits are excellent in any form: fresh, boiled or dried.
The bushes winter well in low frosts. In regions with very low temperatures, it is recommended to bend the stems for the winter. The Arbat variety is noted to be resistant to major diseases. Arbat raspberries begin to bear fruit in the second half of June and end in August.With good care, it is not difficult to harvest 4-5 times per season.
The yield of raspberries of the Arbat variety is excellent; it is possible to harvest 4-5 kg of berries from one bush, every year.
Raspberry breeding
When growing Arbat, the most time consuming is caring for the bushes in spring and autumn. The large-fruited variety Arbat is demanding of care. Spring is the optimal period for arranging a raspberry garden. When planting a crop, special attention should be paid to several points:
- quality of seedlings. Bare-rooted raspberry stems of the Arbat variety should be without leaves and shortened to approximately 40 cm. Seedlings that are not damaged or withered and whose stem is at least 0.8-1 cm thick are suitable for planting;
- planting raspberries Arbat is produced on an area with moist, loamy or sandy loam soils. It is recommended to choose a place where the seedlings will be protected from drafts and well lit;
The soil must be well fertilized before planting. It is desirable that it is easy to carry out regular watering of Arbat raspberries.
Planting seedlings
Raspberries should not be planted among fruit trees or between vegetable beds. It is recommended to avoid proximity to strawberries, tomatoes or potatoes, because pests of these crops can harm the seedlings.
Arbat raspberries do not like stagnant water, so low-lying areas are not suitable for planting the crop. Before planting, the soil is thoroughly weeded.
Planting stages:
- A ditch is dug about 40-45 cm wide and up to 30 cm deep. Peat, humus, compost, and rotted sawdust are poured onto the bottom. Individual layers are covered with soil. At this stage, you can enrich the soil with inorganic fertilizers.For one Arbat raspberry bush, take 150-200 g of superphosphate and 50-80 g of potassium sulfide.
- The seedlings are lowered into the ditch and the root system is carefully straightened. It is recommended to place 2 seedlings in each planting place. The stems are covered with soil, and care is taken to ensure that the root collars remain above the soil surface.
- A distance of approximately 50 cm is left between the seedlings, and the row spacing is made at least 150 cm wide. All rows are well watered.
If raspberries are planted in spring, then the site is prepared and fertilized in the fall. And when planting in autumn, it is recommended to prepare the soil a month to a month and a half earlier.
How to water
Arbat raspberries are moisture-loving crops, but raspberries cannot simply be filled with water. The bulk of the plant's roots are located quite close to the surface of the earth (at a depth of 20-30 cm and within a radius of 30-55 cm from the rod). On light soils, roots can grow to a depth of up to a meter, but on dense clay soils - only up to 50-60 cm.
After watering, the soil must be loosened to prevent the soil from drying out quickly.
At the end of May, before watering, excess replacement shoots are removed (no more than 10-15 stems are left in the bush). Most of all, raspberries of the Arbat variety need watering in the hot summer months (during flowering, setting and ripening of berries), and towards the end of the season, watering is significantly reduced.
The most common two methods of watering raspberries:
- Sprinkling is done using a hose and is popular. To do this, sprinkler systems are installed on a flat, well-ventilated area.The peculiarity of the method is that high-quality water pressure is required for high-quality watering. Turn on the installations in the early morning or evening, when the heat subsides;
- For irrigation through furrows, grooves 10-15 cm deep are first made along the rows of Arbat raspberries, at a distance of 35-40 cm from the stems. Water is released along these grooves with low pressure so that it has time to be absorbed. After watering, the grooves are filled with soil and loosened.
The last watering can be done in November (if there is no rain).
Plant nutrition
At the beginning of the season, as a rule, nitrogen fertilizers are used, and at the end - phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. A common scheme: inorganic is used every year, and organic is used every other season. Many experienced gardeners recommend fertilizing the soil three times per season:
- in May, a mullein solution is used: 500 ml of fertilizer is taken per 10 liters of water. It is better to apply fertilizing (at the rate of 5 liters per meter of row) to the soil during watering;
- in early July, when Arbat raspberries begin to bear fruit, you can use the “Ideal” preparation. To prepare the solution you need 10 liters of water and 2-3 tbsp. l composition. You can also add 2 tbsp. l nitrophoska. This solution is applied at the rate of 7 liters per meter of Arbat raspberry row;
- in August, you can use a solution of 2 tbsp as a top dressing. l potassium sulfate in 10 l water. Fertilizers are applied in the same way as the second time.
Bush care
To reap consistently high yields, it is advisable to tie up the Arbat raspberry stems.To do this, trellises are installed along the rows: supports approximately 160-175 cm high are dug in along the edges of the rows and parallel lines of wire are pulled between them (every 40-50 cm).
For proper development of bushes, they are pruned several times a season:
- in early spring, overwintered stems are inspected and dry or damaged stems are cut out. From the remaining stems, the strongest and most powerful ones are selected (calculated at 15-18 per meter of row), the rest are also cut out. If the top of the stem is damaged (it could freeze in winter), it is cut back to a healthy bud;
- at the end of May, excess shoots of Arbat raspberries are removed, leaving only replacement shoots (it is enough to keep 35-40 pieces per meter of row). As soon as the stems grow to a height of 50-60 cm, it is recommended to fasten them to a trellis;
- Throughout the season, you need to monitor the spread of Arbat raspberries, although this variety is not prone to growth.
Raspberries of the Arbat variety usually overwinter painlessly. But this does not apply to regions where frost is below -30˚ C. In areas with very cold winters, raspberries are picked. To do this, at the end of September (when the stems are still flexible), the bushes are smoothly tilted towards the ground and tied to each other. To secure the plants, they are pinned to the soil. When snow falls, it naturally covers the raspberry tree.
Pest Control
Throughout the season, it is necessary to pay attention to the condition of the stems and leaves of the Arbat variety of raspberries. In the absence of proper care, the raspberry tree can quickly wither and be damaged by harmful insects:
- The raspberry beetle overwinters in the ground. A small, grayish-brown insect destroys flowers, buds, and leaves, which leads to a significant decrease in yield.If extensive damage to the bushes is noticed, the plants are sprayed with Karbofos (90 g of the drug is dissolved in a bucket of water). Prevention: thinning overgrown bushes, treating plants in early spring with Bordeaux mixture;
- The spider mite settles on the underside of the leaf plate and feeds on plant sap. Favorable conditions for the growth of insect numbers are a long dry period. Before flowering begins, you can spray the raspberries with Actellik 500 EC acaricide. As a preventative measure, it is recommended to spray the bushes with water in dry weather.
Malina Arbat requires attention during the season. But in gratitude for good care, the summer resident always receives a bountiful harvest of berries.
