Raspberries that have not been uprooted due to low purchase prices are also protected this year, and should be prepared for the next season. Key works include weeding, pruning immediately after harvest, irrigation and protection against diseases and pests.
Raspberry flower buds form at the end of summer and during autumn. This long and complex process ends on the new shoots just before flowering. It is necessary to provide optimal conditions for its flow, because fertility in the following vegetation depends on it. Raspberries should be cared for regularly, especially from harvest to the end of the growing season, in order to develop quality and healthy shoots that will bear fruit the following year.
Proper protection of raspberries from diseases and pests will save the leaves, which are necessary for the creation and use of nutrients during the formation of flower buds. Experts recommend a protection program that includes one winter treatment during bud break, four spring treatments, one spray after harvest, which can be repeated if necessary, and one in the second half of September or early October.
The first two treatments after harvest are the most important, because this is the period of intensive development of disease-causing and pest-causing agents, ensuring that healthy shoots enter the winter. Treatment immediately after harvesting and removal of old shoots (July-August) is aimed at controlling leaf and tree diseases, mites, raspberry midges and gall flies. All treatments are performed according to the recommendations of experts.
Treatment for better raspberry fruits – process
Start at dawn
Weather conditions can often be a limiting factor for timely plant protection. Experts state that treatment at a temperature higher than 25°C can cause burns on the vegetative parts of the plants. Also, at high temperatures, the active substance carrier evaporates, which reduces the pesticide particles, worsens their adhesion and exposes them to the wind. In order to avoid the negative impact of high temperatures during the summer months, planting should be treated in the early morning or late afternoon.
Eliminating weeds
A necessary measure in malinjak after harvesting is the destruction of weeds. If it is left out, the weeds will compete with the left shoots for food and water, which are most needed by the dwarfs in July and August, and they are also a good base for the development of harmful organisms. As a rule, herbicides should not be used in plantings until the raspberry is well rooted. In recent years, some herbicides are used in smaller doses immediately after planting. However, it is necessary to be very careful and not to use them without prior consultation with experts. In native plantations, where mechanical and chemical measures are combined, chemical measures should be applied only in a 0.5 meter wide band on both sides of the row.
Mandatory irrigation
The beginning and course of the formation of raspberry flower buds depend on the humidity of the air, the amount of nutrients in the soil, the time and method of fertilization, the age of the raspberry and other factors. The most important environmental factors are light, heat and water. The process of flower bud formation becomes more difficult in conditions of heavy shading, because shaded leaves produce less carbohydrates necessary for that process.
An increasingly necessary measure is irrigation, especially during the dry summer, especially on light and permeable soil that quickly loses water. Lack of water can reduce the growth of shoots for the following year and reduce their number. Watering is recommended especially in plantations where the shoots are late (before harvest). It must not be allowed to dry out the surface layer to the depth where the greatest mass of roots is, but neither should excessive watering, because an excess of water can delay the process of flower bud formation. Moderate humidity affects the proper and faster development of this process. Also, early autumn frosts can damage immature shoots, especially if they were fed late with nitrogen fertilizers or if irrigation was carried out late.
Prompt raspberry pruning: do it immediately after harvesting!
It is recommended to start pruning immediately after harvesting, i.e. to cut the shoots that have borne fruit and leave them to wither for a few days. If the temperatures are high, the shoots can be left on the wire to shade the new shoots. Later they should be taken out and burned. If the cut shoots are immediately removed from the plantation, the young shoots, which until that moment were growing in the shade, will be exposed to strong sunlight. And this can cause burns on the leaves and the tree. It is best to take out the shoots from the plantings when the weather is cloudy or in the morning and evening hours. In this way, the new shoots would gradually adapt to the weather conditions.
Pruning reduces the risk of developing diseases and pests. The aeration and sun exposure of the shoots that will bear fruit next year are improved. They ripen better and have more food and water. They need this for sufficient development and formation of flower buds until the end of the growing season.
It is desirable that young shoots grow upright, so it is useful to temporarily raise them between wires or twine and tie them. It is important to distribute them evenly to ensure good ventilation and reduce the possibility of infection. Temporary lifting of young shoots is also recommended for better distribution of pesticide particles when treating plants after harvest. In autumn, the shoots are freed from the binder. If there are too many of them, it is necessary to thin them out, taking care to leave enough shoots for the following year.
Source: Good morning
Source: boljazemlja.com
