How to plant raspberries in autumn

Many gardeners, having decided to grow raspberries on their land, are thinking about how and when it is better to plant young seedlings. In practice, various technologies are used for planting shrubs in the spring and autumn seasons. At the same time, experienced farmers argue that planting raspberries in the fall is preferable, since rainy weather with low temperatures favorably affects the rooting of shrubs, and having gained enough strength, the plants in the new season will delight in a plentiful, full-fledged harvest of tasty and healthy berries. Of course, planting raspberries in the autumn will not be successful if you do not take into account some of the features and rules, which we will try to discuss in detail below in the article.

Why is it better to plant raspberries in the fall

The choice of whether to plant raspberries in spring or autumn largely depends on the climatic features of the area. It is recommended to plant shrubs in autumn in the central and southern regions of the country, where this time of the year is quite long and warm. In the northern regions, frosts come early enough, and seedlings may simply not have time to take root.

In regions with favorable climatic conditions, raspberry transplantation in the fall is recommended because:

• Air temperature at +10…+15⁰C and humidity of about 80% are optimal conditions for rooting seedlings. The absence of scorching sun for young plants also contributes to better survival.
• In autumn, the forces of the shrub are aimed at the development of the root system, in the spring – at building up green mass. That is why transplanting raspberries in the spring is not recommended. Weakly developed roots in this case are not able to supply the aerial part of the seedling with nutrients and moisture in the required amount.
• If you transplant raspberries in the fall, then in the spring you can get full-fledged, adult plants that bear fruit in full.
• The autumn period is less busy for gardeners and gardeners.
• Even a few months before planting seedlings, you can start preparing a place for growing crops.
• The cost of raspberry seedlings on the market in autumn is much lower than in spring.

Based on the above recommendations and comparative advantages, each gardener can decide for himself when it is better to transplant raspberries: in autumn or in spring.

Time to plant raspberries

The timing of planting raspberries in the fall largely depends on the climatic, weather conditions and characteristics of the variety. The only prerequisite in this case is that the seedlings must mature well before transplanting. Their maturation is evidenced by the appearance of a replacement bud on the basal neck of the shoots. The period of appearance of this kidney depends on the precocity of the variety. For example, in early varieties, a replacement bud can be observed already in September; in raspberries of late varieties, it can be found only in mid-October.

It is impossible to determine the specific timing of when it is impossible to transplant raspberries in a particular region, however, the following recommendations can be made:

• in the southern regions, it is recommended to deal with raspberries in autumn from the end of September to the twentieth of October;
• in the central and, if necessary, in the northern regions, the procedure for planting raspberries must be dealt with in early September.

From year to year, weather conditions can vary significantly, so the gardener himself should determine when to plant raspberry bushes on his site. To do this, you need to control the temperature indicators and follow the weather forecast. In some southern regions, raspberries can be successfully planted even in early November.

Site selection and soil preparation for growing raspberries

The quality and quantity of raspberries will largely depend on the place where the bushes grow. So, for raspberries, it is recommended to choose a sunny piece of land, protected from strong northern winds. Of course, many gardeners may notice that unpretentious raspberries can grow even in the shade, but in this case, the shoots of the plant are very elongated and flowers form only on their tops, as shown in the photo below. The fruiting process slows down and with the early onset of frosts of berries, you can not wait at all.

Raspberries prefer to grow in well-drained loose fertile soil. You need to prepare it in advance:

• in the place where raspberries will grow a month before planting seedlings, green manure, for example, rye or buttercup, can be sown;
• before planting seedlings, rotted manure and wood ash are introduced into the soil.

In the summer season, it is recommended not to grow other crops in the area intended for raspberries. This will allow the soil to rest and stock up on nutrients. If, nevertheless, it is decided to use the land for growing crops in the summer season, then crop rotation rules should be followed. So, raspberries cannot be planted in places where nightshade crops previously grew.

Selection of seedlings

Adult raspberry seedlings form adventitious buds on their roots, which eventually become full-fledged shoots. It is they who are most often used for propagation of culture. Suitable for transplantation are shoots at the age of 1 year. You can also get planting material by dividing previously grown adult bushes.

To breed raspberries, they dig out or acquire the strongest seedlings, the trunk diameter of which in the lower part exceeds 1 cm. The roots of the seedlings must be healthy and well developed, as shown in the photo:

For planting, you need to prepare seedlings with a height of more than 40 cm. After planting, they can be cut, leaving only 15-20 cm of the shoot above ground level.

Seedling layouts

In order to understand how to properly plant raspberries in the fall, you need to familiarize yourself with the possible schemes for its placement on the site.

So, there are several main schemes:

• Trench (tape) landing involves digging up a piece of land 0,5 m wide and the required length. The depth of digging should be at least 40 cm. In one trench, raspberry seedlings are placed no closer than 40 cm to each other. The distance between two trenches should not be less than 1,5 m. An example of such a landing can be seen in the photo:

  

• Pitting (nesting) planting involves the creation of pits 40 cm deep and 50 cm wide. 3-4 seedlings are planted in one pit at once. Between adjacent nests there should be a distance of at least 1,5 m. Pits can be placed in rows or isolated from each other.

  

Depending on the free space on the site and personal preferences, the gardener himself decides how to plant raspberries in the fall, and which scheme to use. Experts also recommend planting raspberry bushes in trenches. They are easy to equip. Raspberries with such a planting grow rapidly and ripen together. Caring for seedlings is easy enough. The advantage of the pit method of growing raspberries is an increased yield: on every 1 m² soil can be placed a large number of seedlings.

Planting raspberries: step by step instructions

Regardless of the chosen scheme, the gardener must clearly follow the sequence of actions when planting raspberries. To do this, we will try to give a detailed guide on how to plant raspberries in the fall:

1. Mark the site, determine the location of the trench or pit with shrubs.
2. When digging the soil in autumn, all weeds are removed under the trench and rotted organic matter, fallen leaves, and wood ash are introduced. In the absence of ash, you can use superphosphate. It is phosphorus fertilizers that seedlings need for the successful growth of roots. If it is decided to grow a shrub in a nesting way, then pits are prepared in the fall before planting plants. At the bottom of the pit lay organic matter and sprinkle it with a layer of earth. Ash or phosphate fertilizer is added to the remaining soil.
3. Before planting a seedling in a new place, it is recommended to dip its roots in a nutrient solution prepared by adding clay to the mullein infusion. This tool will speed up the process of plant adaptation and protect young roots from pests.
4. When planting raspberry seedlings, it is necessary to ensure that their roots are straightened and are horizontal to the surface of the earth. After placing in the hole, the roots of the seedling are sprinkled with earth and the soil is compacted over the entire area.
5. After it was possible to transplant raspberries to a new place, they are watered abundantly, spending at least 8 liters of water for each bush.
6. The soil throughout the planting area should be mulched. To do this, you can use sawdust, hay, peat. Mulch will retain moisture in the soil, prevent weeds, and protect plants from freezing.
7. The final stage of planting is the shortening of seedlings. For the winter, you need to leave only 10-15 cm of shoots above the ground.

Fill the drainage layer with fertile soil and organic matter.

Such a simple instruction will surely help even a novice gardener figure out how to plant raspberries in the fall, so that with the advent of the new season, you can get a good harvest of tasty and healthy berries.

Additionally, some important points related to how to transplant raspberries can be emphasized from the video:

Raspberries have a high viability and, subject to all the rules of autumn planting, the survival rate of seedlings is close to 100%. At the same time, it is important to determine exactly when it is better to plant raspberries in a particular region and what to do so that the seedlings quickly take root after transplantation. Choosing a place and preparing high-quality material, fertilizing the soil will only increase the yield of raspberries and improve the quality of the berries. Thus, every gardener should remember that raspberries are not only tasty and healthy, but also very simple.