Content
Raspberry Josephine is an American variety developed several years ago. The culture is not very widespread in Russia, but some summer residents have already tried to grow seedlings. Almost all reviews about this variety are positive. There is good winter hardiness, excellent taste of berries and high yield.
History of appearance
Raspberry Josephine is a variety developed in the USA. The culture began to appear in Russia recently, and the first reviews from gardeners about cultivation are already available. Many summer residents note that the variety is promising because it has good winter hardiness and high yield. As of May 2021, the crop is not included in the register of breeding achievements of the Russian Federation.
Description of Josephine raspberry
Raspberry Josephine is a tall bush with powerful, vertically growing shoots. Forms large fruits with a very pleasant taste. They do not crumble and are transportable. Can be transported even over long distances.Keeping quality is also quite good. The fruits can be stored in the refrigerator without loss of harvest for up to seven days.
Berries
The berries of the Josephine variety are dark red in color, very large - up to 2 cm in diameter, weight 5-7 g, often up to 10 g. The drupes are small, well held together, and do not crumble. The pulp is dense and fleshy, making the tear-off dry. Another advantage is that the berries on the branch do not rot or fall off, so the harvest can be harvested at a convenient time. The taste is excellent, dessert type: sweet, with a pleasant sourness. Berry aroma, pronounced.
Bush
The raspberry bush of the Josephine variety is tall - 160-180 cm, the branches are powerful and strong. But the harvest can be very large, so the shoots need to be tied to a support. The branches grow upward without bending. Thanks to this, the bush is quite compact and does not take up much space.
Josephine raspberries are large, so harvesting is easy
Characteristic
The variety yields twice a season. The shrub is winter-hardy, which allows it to be grown in most Russian regions.
Ripening time and yield of Josephine raspberries
Raspberry Josephine is a remontant variety. As a rule, this term refers to the ability of a crop to bloom and produce crops not once, but several times per season. But in this case it is meant that the seedlings are capable of bearing fruit in the first 1-2 years after planting.
The timing of raspberry ripening depends on the climatic characteristics of the region. The berries begin to ripen from mid-June to early July. Fruiting lasts several weeks. The second wave occurs in August and early September. The yield is high - up to 7 kg per bush.
Winter hardiness of raspberries Josephine
The winter hardiness of Josephine raspberries is quite good - without shelter the plant can withstand frosts down to -30 degrees. This allows the crop to be grown even in the Urals and Siberia. But in regions with unfavorable conditions, it is necessary to make a protective shelter.
Disease resistance
Josephine raspberries are characterized by good resistance to various diseases and pests, including fungal infections. If you follow the watering norm and apply fertilizing on time, the plant will not suffer from diseases.
Pros and cons of the variety
Some gardeners have already managed to appreciate the Josephine raspberry variety. They note the excellent taste of the berries, the high resistance of the plant to adverse weather conditions and diseases. The plant needs shade because the berries fade in the sun. Another important maintenance rule is the installation of supports.
The main advantage of Josephine raspberries is their tasty and large berries.
Pros:
- high yield;
- dry tear;
- there are few thorns on the stems;
- good resistance to diseases and pests;
- fruiting is long, in two waves;
- the berries do not fall off and do not rot on the branch;
- keeping quality;
- transportability;
- marketable condition.
Minuses:
- needs installation of supports;
- berries can fade in the sun.
Features of growing Josephine raspberries
Raspberries of this variety are grown according to standard rules. However, to get a good harvest, it is advisable to create shading. You also need to water in a timely manner and fertilize several times a season.
Landing rules
The main period for planting Josephine raspberries is from late September to early October. The variety is winter-hardy and will survive frosts normally. You can also plant in the second half of April. The planting site should have partial shade from tall bushes, trees or buildings.It should be noted that raspberries cannot be planted in lowlands - water constantly accumulates here, which will lead to rotting of the roots.
When planting Josephine raspberries, proceed as follows:
- Dig several holes 60*60 cm at a distance of at least one meter.
- Fill in a layer of small stones.
- Lay fertile soil (garden soil with humus, peat and sand in a ratio of 2:1:1:1).
- Place the seedling for several hours in a solution of a growth stimulator, for example, “Heteroauxin”.
- Place in the center and bury.
- Compact the soil so that the root collar remains 3-4 cm above the surface.
- Water and mulch with sawdust, wood chips, and straw.
How to care
Caring for Josephine raspberries has several features. Watering is given weekly, and in drought - twice as often. In this case, you need to ensure that the surface layer of soil has time to dry out. Fertilizing is given more often than many other varieties, since fruiting lasts almost the entire season:
- in early April, urea or ammonium nitrate is added (15-20 g per bush);
- at the flowering stage - superphosphate (40 g) and potassium sulfate (25 g);
- a similar composition is given two more times with an interval of 3-4 weeks;
- In the fall you can feed it with wood ash.
Raspberry Josephine needs 3-4 feedings per season
If there is no shade on the site, it is necessary to install a support and stretch the agricultural mesh. You can also shade with a white non-woven fabric or an umbrella or awning.
Another rule for caring for raspberries is installing a trellis. This could be a metal rod, a plastic or wooden structure, or even a branch from a nearby tree. A raspberry bush is tied to the support with a strong rope.
Every spring it is necessary to carry out sanitary pruning. Remove weak, frozen branches. Non-fruiting shoots should be removed from old bushes.If a branch is affected by disease, it is pruned immediately. In the fall, it is necessary to collect all the fallen leaves, take them away and burn them (pests can overwinter in them).
In regions with harsh winters, it is necessary to additionally cover the branches with non-woven white fabric. They are first tied with a rope into a bun.
Reproduction methods
The main methods of propagating Josephine raspberries are by dividing the bush and cuttings. In the first case, the plant is dug up in the fall, shaken off the ground and divided into 2-5 fragments. Each of them must have healthy roots and shoots.
You can cut raspberries in spring or autumn. To do this, you need to carefully dig up the soil within a radius of 40 cm from the trunk and cut healthy roots into cuttings 8-10 cm long (each should have at least one bud). They are planted in moist, fertile soil and transferred to a permanent location at the end of the season.
Josephine raspberries can also be propagated from green cuttings. To do this, at the end of May, shoots with 2-3 leaves (length up to 15 cm) are cut. They are placed in a solution of a growth stimulator, and then transferred to a greenhouse under film or covered with a jar. They are periodically watered, ventilated, transplanted to a permanent place in the fall and mulched thoroughly.
Cuttings are grown in moist soil with peat and sand
Prevention of diseases and pests
Despite the fact that Josephine raspberries have good immunity, it is advisable to carry out preventive treatment in early spring. Fungicides are used for this:
- Bordeaux mixture;
- "Abiga Peak";
- "Fundazol";
- "Maksim";
- "Skor" and others.
If aphids, spider mites or other pests are detected, Josephine raspberry bushes are treated with folk remedies, for example, infusion of dandelion leaves, wormwood, and garlic cloves. If this does not help, use the following drugs:
- "Aktara";
- "Agravertine";
- "Match";
- "Ephoria";
- "Karate".
The treatment is carried out in dry and windless weather, preferably in the late evening or early morning.
The following are suitable for spraying: “Vertimek”, “Fitoverm”, “Bitoxibacillin” and others.
Conclusion
Gardeners liked Raspberry Josephine. It is valued for its very tasty and large berries. They are well suited for fresh consumption. You can also rub the fruits with sugar or make jam to preserve them for the winter. High yield allows you to harvest 20 kg per season from just three bushes.
