Content
Raspberry Senator is a productive variety intended for farms and garden plots. The variety was bred by Russian breeder V.V. Kichina. The berries have good commercial properties: large size, dense pulp, transportability. Due to their high cold resistance, plants can withstand harsh winters.
Botanical description
Description of the raspberry variety Senator:
- mid-early maturation;
- height up to 1.8 m;
- absence of thorns;
- slightly spreading bush;
- smooth and powerful shoots;
- high ability to form shoots;
- 10-12 berries ripen on each shoot.
Characteristics of berries of the Senator variety:
- large sizes;
- red-orange color;
- shiny surface;
- conical raspberry shape;
- sweet and sour taste;
- average weight up to 7-12 g, maximum – 15 g;
- dense pulp.
The yield of the Senator variety reaches 4.5 kg of berries per bush. The fruits are easily removed from the bush, do not fall off after ripening, and are not prone to rotting. The Senator variety is winter-hardy and can survive winter frosts down to -35 °C without shelter.
The fruits tolerate transportation well and are suitable for freezing and processing. Jams, jams, compotes are prepared from raspberries, and the berries are also consumed fresh.
Planting raspberries
Senator raspberries are planted on a prepared plot.Before planting, the soil is fertilized with organic matter or minerals. Seedlings of the Senator variety are purchased from trusted suppliers or obtained independently from the mother bush.
Reproduction of the variety
When purchasing Senator raspberry seedlings, you should contact nurseries. High-quality seedlings have a developed root system and several shoots with buds.
If Senator raspberries are already planted on the site, then the variety is propagated by any of the following methods:
- root suckers;
- cuttings;
- dividing the bush.
In the spring, root shoots up to 10 cm high are selected and separated from the bush. The plants are transplanted into a separate bed and provided with regular watering. In autumn, raspberries are transferred to a permanent place.
To propagate Senator raspberries, take the rhizome by cuttings and divide it into strips 8 cm long. The cuttings are planted in trenches, covered with soil and watered abundantly. During the season, shoots will appear that are transplanted to the chosen location in the fall.
The Senator raspberry grows in one place for no more than 10 years. At transplantation New plants are obtained by dividing the mother bush. The sections are treated with charcoal, then the material is planted in the ground.
Site selection
Raspberry Senator prefers lighted places not exposed to wind. The yield and taste of berries depends on access to sunlight to plants.
A flat area is allocated for the raspberry bush. Moisture often accumulates in lowlands, which negatively affects the development of shoots. At higher elevations, the soil dries out faster.
Raspberries are not grown after strawberries, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. The best predecessors are representatives of legumes and grain crops.When growing raspberries on a plot, replanting the crop is permissible no earlier than after 5 years.
Before planting the crop, it is recommended to grow green manure: lupine, phacelia, rye, oats. 2 months before work, the plants are dug up, crushed and embedded in the soil to a depth of 25 cm. Green manure enriches the soil with useful substances.
A month before planting, the site is dug up. 6 kg of compost and 200 g of complex fertilizer per 1 square meter are applied to the raspberry tree. m.
Work order
Senator raspberries are planted in autumn or early in the spring. When planted at the end of September, the plants will have time to adapt to new conditions before the onset of cold weather. The sequence of work does not depend on the selected landing time.
Procedure for planting raspberries Senator:
- Trenches or planting holes with a diameter of 40 cm and a depth of 50 cm are prepared for the bushes.
- Plant roots are placed in a growth stimulator for 3 hours.
- Part of the soil is poured into the hole, and a raspberry seedling is placed on top.
- The roots are covered with soil, compacted, and a depression is left around the plant for watering.
- Raspberries are watered abundantly.
Young plants are demanding of moisture. The plantings are watered and the soil is mulched with straw or humus.
Variety care
Raspberry Senator is provided with the necessary care, which consists of watering, fertilizing and pruning. Plants respond positively to the addition of organic matter and mineral solutions to the soil. To protect the variety from diseases and pests, bushes are sprayed.
High cold resistance allows Senator raspberries to withstand winter frosts. Autumn care consists of preventive pruning of shoots.
Watering
Regular watering ensures high productivity of the Senator variety.However, stagnation of moisture leads to rotting of the root system, which does not receive access to oxygen.
According to the description, the Senator raspberry does not tolerate drought well. With a prolonged absence of moisture, the ovaries fall off, and the fruits become smaller and lose their taste.
For irrigation, use warm water that has settled in barrels. Senator raspberries are watered in the morning or evening. On average, moisture is added every week. In hot weather, more frequent watering is required.
After adding moisture, loosen the soil and weed weeds. Mulching the soil with humus, peat or straw helps reduce the frequency of watering. In the fall, abundant watering is done to help the plants survive the winter.
Feeding
When using fertilizers during planting, Senator raspberries are provided with nutrients for 2 years. In the future, the plants are fed annually.
In early spring, plantings are watered with slurry. The fertilizer contains nitrogen, which helps grow new shoots. In summer, it is better to avoid nitrogen fertilizing to ensure fruiting.
In the summer, Senator raspberries are fed with superphosphate and potassium sulfate. Measure 30 g of each fertilizer per 10 liters of water. Plants are watered with the resulting solution during the period of flowering and berry formation.
Universal fertilizer for raspberries – wood ash. It contains potassium, phosphorus and calcium. Ash is added to the water a day before watering or incorporated into the soil during loosening. In summer, plantings can be fed with bone meal.
Tying up
According to the variety description and photo, Senator raspberry is a tall plant. To prevent the shoots from falling to the ground, a trellis is installed in the raspberry field.When placed on a trellis, the shoots are evenly illuminated by the sun, the plantings are not thickened, and plant care is simplified.
The procedure for constructing a trellis:
- Along the edges of the rows with raspberries, supports made of metal or wood up to 2 m high are installed. You can use iron pipes and rods of small diameter.
- If necessary, install additional supports every 5 m.
- A wire is pulled between the supports at a height of 60 cm and 120 cm from the ground surface.
- The shoots are placed on a fan-shaped trellis and secured with twine.
Trimming
In the spring, Senator raspberries cut off frozen branches to healthy buds. Broken and dry shoots are also eliminated. Up to 10 branches are left per bush, the rest are cut out at the root.
In autumn, two-year-old branches on which the harvest has ripened are removed. It is better not to delay the procedure and carry it out after harvesting the berries. Then, before the end of the season, new shoots will be released onto the bushes.
Diseases and pests
Raspberries of the Senator variety are resistant to major crop diseases. With timely care, the risk of developing diseases is minimized. In the raspberry garden, weeds are regularly removed and old and diseased shoots are pruned.
Raspberries are susceptible to attack by gall midges, aphids, weevils, and spider mites. For pests, the chemicals Karbofos and Actellik are used. Treatments are carried out before the beginning of the growing season and at the end of the season.
In the summer, for preventive purposes, raspberries are sprayed with infusions of onion peels or garlic. To make the product stay on the leaves longer, you need to add crushed soap. Pests are also repelled by spraying wood ash or tobacco dust.
Reviews from gardeners
Conclusion
Senator raspberries are characterized by good berry taste and high yield. The fruits have universal use, are stored for a long time, and are suitable for freezing and processing. Caring for the Senator variety involves regular watering, since the plant does not tolerate drought. Several times during the planting season they are fed with minerals or organic matter.
