Content
Raspberries are deciduous, slightly thorny shrubs with perennial rhizomes. Biennial erect stems grow from 1 m to 2.5 m in height. Among the many species, Caramel raspberries stand out for their large fruits, weighing about 8 g.
Cone-shaped berries are distinguished by sweet and juicy pulp and, due to their dense structure, tolerate transportation well. Since the stalks are easily separated, picking Caramel raspberries is not difficult.
Depending on the region, the bush begins to bear fruit from late July to early August. According to its characteristics, Caramel is one of the sweetest remontant varieties.
Planting rules, soil requirements
You can plant Caramel raspberries before the growing season begins in the spring - in March, or already in the fall, closer to the beginning of October.
When choosing the location of the Caramel raspberry, you need to take into account the need for good lighting. Typically, summer residents plant raspberries behind buildings.In this case, you need to choose a site under the walls on the south side, which will additionally protect the plants from strong gusty winds. For planting Caramel, you can select both large and small areas.
Particular attention should be paid to the “history” of the land. You can plant raspberry bushes after onions, carrots, beets, lettuce or dill.
Stages of planting work
- Holes measuring 56x60 cm and approximately 40 cm deep are dug. You can pour 2 tbsp at the bottom. l. superphosphate.
- Before planting, it is recommended to place Caramel seedlings in water in which a root formation stimulator is diluted.
- Caramel raspberry seedlings are placed in a hole and buried. When planting, the root collar should be flush with the ground.
- The distance between the bushes in a row is 70-90 cm. A strip of land 1.5-2 m wide is left between the rows. If you adhere to this raspberry planting scheme, the bushes will be better ventilated.
When planting and caring, you must keep in mind that this raspberry variety grows well on loose, rich soils. Therefore, it is recommended to fertilize the soil with compost. Approximate consumption is from 2 to 3 buckets of organic matter per 1 sq. m. Among inorganics, it is recommended to use the mineral complexes “Kemira” and “Ekofosk”.
Features of care
Thanks to proper maintenance of the bushes, it will be possible to reap an excellent harvest (as in the photo).
Watering
The optimal watering of the plant is once every two to three weeks. Moreover, one Caramel raspberry bush requires at least 5-9 liters of water. Plants require the most moisture during flowering and berry ripening.It is advisable to mulch the ground under the bushes and nearby with straw or mown grass.
There are several ways to water Caramel raspberries:
- Sprinkling is one of the most popular, especially in areas of unstable moisture. Water splashes in the form of rain over the surface of the earth and raspberry bushes. The stands are fixed between the rows, and the sprayers should be located above the level of the plantings. Advantages of the method: channels and furrows do not form in the soil, the soil is moistened evenly (which is especially important in areas with complex terrain), the structure of the soil is not destroyed, dust is washed off from the leaves and their respiration improves. In cloudy weather, watering Caramel can be done at any time of the day. And on hot sunny days, it is advisable to irrigate raspberry bushes in the evening. With this method of irrigation, it is important to select the correct match between the intensity of rain and the speed at which water is absorbed into the ground. Disadvantages include deterioration in the quality of irrigation due to strong winds or a decrease in water pressure in the system;
- Irrigation systems are set up using hoses and allow water to be delivered directly to the ground next to the raspberry stems. Advantages of the method: watering Caramel raspberries can be done at any time of the day, even with low water pressure in the system. The disadvantages include: the formation of a crust on the surface of the earth, uneven distribution of water in the area (especially on slopes), leaching of nutrients from the top layer of the earth, deterioration of the water-air regime of the soil.
Fertilizing raspberries
It is considered optimal to fertilize the soil three times.
Caramel raspberries are fed for the first time at the end of March. You can use both organic and inorganic fertilizers. Manure is diluted in water in a ratio of 1:10 and used at the rate of 4-5 liters of solution per square meter. For mineral feeding of Caramel raspberry bushes, mix ammonium nitrate with urea (15 g and 10 g, respectively, per square meter). The mixture is poured around each bush, then the raspberries are watered and mulched.
The bushes are fed the second time during the raspberry flowering period. To make a solution, dilute 2 tbsp in 10 liters of water. l. potassium sulfate and 3 tbsp. l. double superphosphate. This volume is enough for a square meter of soil.
Third stage – feeding raspberries Caramel in the fall after harvest. Add 1 tbsp to 10 liters of water. l. potassium sulfate and 2 tbsp. l. superphosphate.
Rules for gartering and trimming
This shrub stands out for its strong stems. But due to the weight of the fruits, they are able to bend strongly towards the ground. Tying the stems will not only make harvesting easier, but will also contribute to better ventilation of the bushes. Thanks to uniform illumination, Caramel raspberries will ripen faster and the likelihood of developing fungal infections will be reduced.
The trellis method is used to tie the stems. Poles are installed along the bushes at a distance of 3-4 m from each other. Supports approximately 2 m high are dug to a depth of 50 cm. Wire is attached to the posts, which is pulled at levels of 70, 100, and 150 cm. Caramel raspberry stems are tied to the wire as they grow.
At the beginning of spring, the Caramel raspberry produces new shoots. To prevent the stems from becoming crowded, the bushes are thinned out. In April, the shoots are pruned to the first bud.
During June, summer pruning of Caramel raspberries is carried out in order to remove excess root growth. Frail stems must be removed at the base using pruners.
In October-November, it is advisable to cut off the ground part of the Caramel raspberry. In autumn, plant nutrition stops, the leaves fall off and only raspberry roots remain for the winter. If the stems are not removed, they are tied, tilted towards the ground and fixed. Moreover, you should not wait for the leaves to fall completely. You need to work with raspberries while the stems are still green and flexible enough. If the bush is covered with agrofibre, then Caramel will be preserved even at temperatures below 22˚ C.
Harvesting and growing raspberries
The berries begin to sing from the end of July - beginning of August. With good care, you can remove about 5 kg of berries from the bush. It is better to harvest in the afternoon, carefully examining each bush. Caramel ripens gradually, so it is better to leave the pink fruits to ripen.
When describing the Caramel raspberry, one of the methods of its cultivation should be separately highlighted. Using conventional techniques may not work when growing a remontant variety that produces few shoots. You can use a method in which the stems located in the center of a two-year-old raspberry are cut out in spring or autumn. The next season, the Caramel raspberry produces new offspring, which are suitable for planting.
Diseases and raspberry pests
When growing a bush, it is taking care of it, timely prevention of diseases and protection from pests that will help you constantly reap a good harvest.
Common diseases, treatments and prevention
Anthracnose is a fungal disease of raspberries that appears as brown spots on the leaves.After some time, the affected area increases and spreads to the stems and berries, and depressions form on the surface of the foliage. Spreads with seeds, insects, and stem pruning devices. Treatment of Caramel raspberries - spraying the bushes with copper sulfate, oxychome, cuprosate.
Spotting (purple, white, ulcerative) - infection of the bush by a fungus. Purple and brown spots appear on the leaves, which then affect the stem. If the disease is not fought, the entire raspberry bush dies. The disease develops rapidly in spring and early summer. Therefore, before the buds open, it is recommended to spray the raspberries with a 7% urea solution. The main cause of the disease is very dense raspberry bushes.
General preventive measures that reduce the likelihood of infection include:
- timely fertilization of the land for the purpose of adequate nutrition of the bush;
- pruning of stems (sanitary and seasonal). Dry and old shoots must be cut out especially carefully;
- cut raspberry stems are burned;
- weeding weed;
- regular loosening of the soil around the Caramel raspberry to a depth of 5 cm;
- periodic irrigation of bushes with herbal infusions from harmful insects.
The main pests of raspberries
Raspberry mite that damages leaves. The spread of the pest can be prevented by spraying the bushes with a solution of copper sulfate, and the procedure is carried out before the buds open.
Aphids settle on the underside of raspberry leaves and are especially dangerous as a carrier of various diseases. If the pest is spotted on single bushes, you can try to wash it off with water from a hose. Chemical treatment effectively helps: “Aktara”, “Inta-vir”, “Kinimix”.Before using chemicals, you should carefully study the instructions from the manufacturers.
Raspberry glass has the appearance of a butterfly with transparent glassy wings. The caterpillars overwinter inside the shoot and begin to eat it out with the beginning of spring. Damaged stems of Caramel raspberry bushes have a swollen appearance, bear little fruit, dry out and break at the base. The best means of control is to carefully cut out damaged stems (almost at the root); damaged stems should be burned.
Raspberry bud moth damages the buds of bushes, as a result of which raspberry leaves do not develop. Protective measures include low cutting of damaged stems. If cases of damage are not isolated, then treatment of bushes with insecticides is recommended.
Conclusion
Raspberry Caramel is a relatively new variety that is quickly becoming popular. Delicious fruits with the aroma of wild berries will delight summer residents until the fall if they properly care for the bushes.
Reviews from gardeners
I was surprised by the yield of Caramel raspberries - very decent. The berries are of a decent size and have an excellent taste - no worse than Polka. So far I have not discovered any disadvantages of the variety.
