Raspberries are a completely unpretentious plant. But the quality and quantity of the crop depends on your care for it
Do raspberries need to be pruned in summer? Yes, it is necessary. Removing excess shoots has a good effect on the current year’s harvest. Also, pruning stimulates the growth of side shoots, and this will lead to an increase in yields in the next season. How to properly prune raspberries in summer, read this article.
Pruning raspberries in June – root shoots
In June, most summer (non-remontant) varieties of raspberries in the middle lane have a period of active flowering. It is in your power to influence the quality and quantity of the crop. This can be done by pruning.
Raspberries have a horizontal rhizome that forms a large number of adventitious roots. This branched roots can grow at a distance of 2.5-3 m from the bush. Shoots appear from the dormant buds of the rhizome during the growing season, and some varieties of raspberries have quite a lot of them – these are root shoots. These additional shoots suck nutrients from the mother bush that are needed to form berries. As a result, the fruits are small in size, their taste deteriorates, and the amount decreases.
Carefully inspect your raspberry tree. For most varieties of raspberries, the presence of 2-3 bushes per 1 sq.m is considered the norm. If, due to root shoots, their number exceeds the norm, excess shoots should be removed. Otherwise, in the near future, your raspberry tree will turn into an impenetrable jungle.
To remove unnecessary shoots, you need to dig up the ground to the very rhizome of the shoot. Then, with a sharp shovel, cut the roots, remove, cover this place with soil. This procedure should be done 4-5 times during the summer. Thus, you will direct all the nutrients to the ripening of the crop, improve its quality and volume. Thus, you increase the yield of the bush and provide free access to air and sun, and this will significantly reduce the occurrence of diseases and pests.
Root shoots are an excellent planting material. If you plan to increase the area of raspberry plantings, then leave the strongest shoots until autumn, then dig them up along with an earthen clod and transplant them to a new place.
Pruning annual raspberry shoots in June
How else can you increase the yield of raspberries? As you know, this shrub bears fruit on last year’s shoots ( remonant on this year ), that is, next year’s harvest depends on your correct actions in the current season. To help raspberries, you need to know some of the features of the plant.
The yield of different shoots on a raspberry bush differs and depends on their location. The upper branches produce a small number of flowers, and therefore fruits. In addition, they are small in size.
The strongest grow fruit shoots located in the lower part of the bush. However, the largest amount of crop is not given by them, but by branches from the middle (central) part: the reason is the shading of the lower branches. On the central shoots, the largest number of ovaries and the largest fruits are formed. This means that in order to increase the yield, you need to develop the middle and lower parts of the bush.
The active development of these lateral shoots begins after removing the top of the shrub. In early – mid-June, inspect all annual shoots. Those that have reached a height of 100-120 cm, cut the tops by about 15-17 cm.After this procedure, the plants will begin to bush vigorously. Each of them will have 4-8 additional side shoots. And lateral branching, as mentioned above, will lead to an increase in yield.
Pruning raspberries should be done with a sharp and clean tool. Before working with each new bush, disinfect the blade and treat your hands. This will protect the bushes from diseases.
Also read :
How and when to properly prune raspberries
When and how to plant raspberries
Pests of raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and strawberries (photo)
