Content
Raspberry Giant is a variety that lives up to its name with very large berries. On average, their weight is 5-8 g, often up to 15-20 g. The pulp is dense and does not disintegrate, the taste is very pleasant. At the same time, the shrub is demanding on the composition of the soil and regular watering. Also, to maintain productivity, fertilizing should be done quite often - up to four times per season.
Breeding history
The raspberry variety Raspberry Ispolin was bred in 1992. In its production, well-known varieties were used - Stolichny and Shtambovy 20. Since then, the culture has spread to many regions of Russia. Not included in the register of selection achievements.
Description of the Giant raspberry variety
Raspberry Giant got its name for its very large berries - some of them set real records for weight. The shrubs are vigorous, but not spreading. Therefore, it is quite easy to grow such a plant even in a small area.
Berries
The berries of the Giant raspberry are very large.The average weight is 8-15 g, although some specimens reach 20 g. The shape is cone-shaped, 4-5 cm long, the color is typical bright red. They sparkle a little in the sun and look attractive. The pulp is dense, with a pleasant, but not too strong aroma. The taste is sweet and sour, balanced, without excess sugar. The bones are quite small and do not spoil the overall impression.
The berries are storable and transportable, they can be transported over long distances to the place of sale or processing.
Bush
The Giant raspberry bushes are tall, reaching 150-180 cm. The stems are erect, wide in diameter, and have no thorns. At the same time, the crown is quite compact and does not take up much space. Young shoots are also thick, there is no waxy coating on the surface. The leaves are of typical size, bright green in color.
During the season, the Giant raspberry bush produces 5-7 root shoots and up to 10 shoots. The growth rate is high, and the yield is quite high. During flowering, snow-white flowers appear en masse.
Characteristic
Raspberry Giant is distinguished by an extended wave of fruiting. Berries appear from the beginning of July to the first days of October. The yield is quite high and stable - about 5 kg per bush. Moreover, in favorable seasons the figure can almost double.
Berries appear in the second half of summer
Ripening time and yield of raspberry Giant
Raspberry Giant belongs to the middle (mid-season) varieties. The first fruits appear in early July. In this case, fruiting lasts until the first ten days of September. Therefore, harvesting is carried out up to 5-6 times. About 5 kg is collected from one adult bush.Experienced summer residents say that if the weather is good, then you can harvest up to 9 kg per season.
In the first season, young shoots grow, and berries appear on them only the next year. This must be taken into account when pruning - the new growth is left completely.
Frost resistance
Raspberry Giant is a winter-hardy variety; it can easily withstand frosts even down to -25 degrees. If the temperature drops to -30 °C, the young shoots freeze slightly. Therefore, in most regions, not only mulching is required, but also shelter for the winter. In the south this is not necessary. The shrub is also noted to be highly resistant to drought. Therefore, watering can be done less often (although regularly).
Disease resistance
The raspberry variety Ispolin has fairly good resistance to many diseases. But sometimes the bush can suffer, for example, from root cancer (incurable) or from fungal infections - rust, septoria, powdery mildew. Therefore, it is necessary to observe the watering norm, apply fertilizers in a timely manner, as well as inspect the bushes and carry out preventive treatments with fungicides and insecticides.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Gigantic raspberry variety has quite a few important advantages. One of them is large berries with excellent taste. The crop is productive, winter-hardy, and has good immunity. Therefore, many summer residents strive to breed this particular variety on their plots.
Giant raspberries are very large, the flesh is dense and juicy
Pros:
- consistently high productivity;
- excellent taste;
- long fruiting (until September);
- winter hardiness;
- drought resistance;
- immunity to common diseases;
- produces a lot of shoots - convenient to propagate;
- keeping quality;
- transportability.
Minuses:
- demands on soil composition;
- in hot weather it needs shading;
- If the summer is rainy and cool, the taste deteriorates.
Features of growing raspberries Giant
Raspberry seedlings Giant are purchased from nurseries or from well-known suppliers. Planting material must be healthy, not dry and without signs of disease.
Planting Raspberry Giant
Planting of the Giant raspberry can be planned for the end of March - beginning of April or for the last ten days of September - the first days of October. At the same time, the latter option is better, because the seedlings will have time to take root and will quickly begin to grow in the spring.
The landing site must be chosen carefully. Raspberry Giant is demanding on the composition of the soil. It is desirable that it be light and fertile loam or sandstone. If the soil is depleted, organic matter is added to it when digging (compost or humus - a bucket per 2 m2). If the soil is clayey, be sure to add sand or sawdust - 1 kg for the same area.
Gigantic raspberry seedlings with an open root system are placed in a solution of a growth stimulator overnight. Then proceed like this:
- Dig holes 40*40 cm at intervals of 50-70 cm.
- Lay a layer of pebbles and broken bricks.
- Place the seedling in the center and lay fertile soil.
- Compact it so that the root collar is flush with the surface.
- Give a bucket of pre-settled water.
- Lay sawdust, pine needles, hay or other mulch.
In this case, lowlands should be excluded, since stagnation of water has a detrimental effect on the condition of the root system.
Caring for Giant raspberries
Caring for Gigantic raspberries is not very difficult, so even novice gardeners can handle it. The crop is drought-resistant, but to maintain good yields, water should be given every 1-2 weeks, and in hot weather - twice as often. One adult bush is given 3-4 buckets of water at room temperature.
To obtain a good harvest, the crop must be regularly watered and fertilized.
Feeding begins from the second season. In the spring, after the snow melts, give urea or ammonium nitrate - 20 g per bush. During flowering, feed with superphosphate (40 g) and potassium sulfate (30 g). In the fall, after harvesting, you can feed with the same composition and also give a little (100-150 g) wood ash.
After watering, the soil must be loosened so that the roots receive sufficient oxygen. At the same moment, if necessary, weeding is done. To ensure that as few weeds grow as possible, mulch is laid and periodically changed in the summer.
Raspberry pruning is done in spring and autumn. It is necessary to remove all old, frozen branches, as well as old shoots. The crown is thinned out - it is better to do this after harvesting. For the winter, the shoots are tied together and bent to the ground, laid on spruce branches, and covered with burlap, lutrasil or other material on top. This must be done only in those regions where the temperature drops below -25 degrees.
Prevention of diseases and pests
To prevent fungal diseases of raspberries you need:
- remove affected branches in a timely manner;
- in the fall, remove all leaves and burn them;
- In early spring, treat with chemicals.
To spray Giant raspberries, choose any effective fungicide, for example, “Ridomil Gold”, “Respecta 25%”, “Fundazol”, “Maxim” and others.
For a good harvest, the bushes must be protected from pests and diseases.
To cope with moths, weevils and other insects, you should periodically inspect the bushes and carry out treatments with insecticides, for example, “Decis”, “Confidor”, “Fitoverm”, “Green Soap”, “Aktara” and others.
Conclusion
Raspberry Giant is suitable for growing in different regions. The shrubs are winter-hardy and adapt well to temperature changes and drought. At the same time, the yield is consistently high - from two bushes per season you can collect a bucket of tasty and very large berries. The description of the Giant raspberry is presented in the video.
Reviews from gardeners about the Giant raspberry
