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The topic of today’s article: Brilliant raspberry features: variety description, cultivation. Raspberry is a perennial shrub plant. The plant and its unique properties have been known since ancient times. As a horticultural crop, raspberries have been cultivated in Europe since the 4th century. Wild raspberries are also known, but their cultivated varieties are one of the favorites among both amateur gardeners and professionals. Each berry weighs an average of XNUMX g and consists of about a hundred drupes. What explains the popularity of raspberries?
Raspberry Benefits
Raspberries have a pleasant taste and aroma. The popularity of culture is also due to its wonderful beneficial properties.
Useful properties of raspberries:
- Neutralization of free radicals in the body, which prevents damage to cellular structures and the appearance of neoplasms. Raspberry inhibits the growth of malignant cells due to ellagic acid (the strongest anticarcinogen).
- The high content of salicylic acid in berries contributes to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
- Improving the patency of blood vessels from the consumption of berries.
- Regular consumption of raspberries reduces the chance of vision loss in the elderly.
- Pronounced anti-aging effect of raspberries.
- Thanks to vitamin C, contained in abundance in raspberries, the body’s immunity is strengthened. Increased resistance to bacterial and viral infections. Anthocyanins contained in the berries, in addition, have a pronounced antifungal effect.
- Despite the high content of sugars, consumption of raspberries does not cause an increase in blood sugar levels. Therefore, raspberries are useful for diabetic patients.
- Raspberries are a great helper for those who are struggling with being overweight.
- Raspberries have anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic effects. The famous tea with dried raspberries for colds is a clear evidence of the benefits of these berries. For the same reason, berries are useful for people suffering from joint pain.
Raspberry leaf tea is useful for everyone, but especially for pregnant and lactating women. It, like berries, reduces the manifestation of toxicosis of pregnant women, improves lactation, and contributes to a faster recovery of a woman after childbirth.
With all its wonderful qualities, raspberries are very unpretentious, grow well and bear fruit even with minimal attention. However, proper care makes it possible to achieve excellent yields of berries and avoid damage to bushes and berries by pests and diseases.
Raspberry Brilliant: description
The raspberry variety “Brilliant” was bred by employees of the Research Institute of Horticulture in Siberia.
The Brilliant varieties are based on raspberry varieties:
- Cumberland.
- Mall Landmark.
The variety is distinguished by increased winter hardiness, resistance to drought, low susceptibility to fungal infections and pests. The declared frost resistance of raspberries is -34 degrees. In fact, raspberry bushes can withstand much lower temperatures (according to gardeners, and 45 degrees below zero is far from the limit). Raspberry Brilliant is unpretentious in care, the bushes tolerate adverse weather conditions well. General purpose variety. The plant is medium-sized (up to 1,5 m), with elastic shoots of medium power.
The berries are large (the mass of one is from 2,5 to 5,5 g). The pulp is dense, dark red “ruby” saturated color, glossy-shiny (hence the name). Raspberry “Brilliant” is successfully grown not only in Siberia, but also in other regions of the country. Berries ripen in August. Berry picking is carried out in 5-6 stages. An important advantage of the variety is that the berries do not fall off the bush. At the same time, they are very easy to pick off from the bush. The variety tolerates the transportation of berries over long distances.
Variety Brilliant – universal. A pleasant sweet and sour taste of raspberries, a delicate aroma, a high percentage of sugar and vitamins make the berries quite suitable for fresh consumption and for making jams, jams, compotes.
You need to buy raspberry seedlings Brilliant (like other varieties) in proven, well-established farms. Seedlings purchased from dubious sellers will not allow you to fully appreciate all the advantages of the variety.
Landing
You can plant raspberry bushes both in spring and in autumn (September-October) time. Raspberries are photophilous, so under the raspberries you need to allocate an area well lit by the sun. If you choose a shady corner, then the young stems on the bushes are strongly drawn out, shading the fruits. Naturally, a good harvest from a variety in this situation is not to be expected.
There are no strict regulations regarding the soil. Raspberry bushes feel great both on black soil and on loamy soils. More requirements for soil reaction. The optimal pH value for planting raspberry bushes is 5,7-6,5.
Raspberries do not grow well both in the lowland and in the elevated area. Water stagnates in the lowlands, and bushes will dry out on a steep slope. The best option is a flat area. As a last resort, with a slight slope.
Favorable for planting under raspberries are legumes and cereals. And nightshade (tomatoes, eggplants, peppers) are not categorically suitable for the subsequent planting of bushes.
If you plan to plant raspberries in your summer cottage, you can plant bushes in partial shade near the fence or near outbuildings. Will grow well, checked. On the traditional “six acres” you can’t especially clear up, so you have to save space. The advantage of such a location of raspberries is that in winter these places are better swept with snow. The risk of freezing raspberry bushes is much less.
Another requirement is regarding groundwater. Raspberries do not tolerate a high location of underground water. The harvest will be poor, and the bushes will die off quickly.
Spring landing
The procedure for the autumn and spring planting of raspberry bushes is no different, but the preparation is slightly different.
For spring planting, you need to do the following:
- In advance (preferably in the fall), add ash and humus to the soil.
- Before planting, clear the soil of weeds.
- Prepare planting holes so that the root of the plant fits freely in the hole.
- The interval between the pits must be at least 0,5 m. The minimum distance between rows is 1,5. Bushes grow quickly, so you need more distance so that the plants do not drown out each other.
If the area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbthe site allows, you can plant bushes in a checkerboard pattern.
Raspberries spread very quickly throughout the area. Therefore, it is desirable to provide for restrictions at the landing stage. Dig metal or boards 0,2-0,3 m into the ground, which will create an obstacle to the further spread of the roots of the plant. The barrier can be created from slate or roofing material.
If the seedlings are large, you can use a support or trellis for planting.
Planting raspberries in autumn
Experts advise to approach the choice of raspberry varieties for autumn planting with extreme caution, as there is a risk of winter freezing. The “Brilliant” variety is suitable for these purposes, since it has an increased winter hardiness. Pick up times vary by region. For the Middle Strip – this is the end of September – the middle of October. During the winter, young bushes “rest”, and in the spring they start growing.
For autumn planting, raspberry seedlings are selected, strong in appearance, in which shoots are well formed. You can get a young seedling by carefully separating it from an adult bush. At the same time, it is necessary that the height of the planting material does not exceed 40 cm. If you take a bush that is too high for planting, raspberries will spend all their energy on survival, which will delay the harvest for a year. The minimum distance between rows is 1,5 m. The interval between adjacent raspberry bushes is 50-60 cm. The order of planting raspberries is as follows:
- Dig a trench or planting holes 30 cm deep.
- Put a layer of top dressing on the bottom. Based on 1 well, 0,5 buckets of humus, 10 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potash fertilizers are obtained.
- The roots of the plant are best placed horizontally. In this case, you need to ensure that individual roots are not directed upwards.
Autumn mulching
Mulching is a favorite raspberry procedure. The soil around the bushes is covered with organic material. It can be shavings, sawdust, straw, humus. As a mulch, fallen leaves or grass left over from weeding are suitable. Gradually, the organic mass will rot and become a good source of nutrients for raspberry bushes.
Raspberry care at different times of the year
You need to work with raspberry bushes immediately after consistently warm (about +5 degrees) days have come.
Spring revision
During the inspection, you need to analyze how the raspberries overwintered. First, cut off the old shoots from the bushes, and also remove the frozen ones. Frozen tops are cut to live buds. In this case, the shoots will quickly gain strength and you can count on good fruiting.
Be sure to clean old leaves and grass residues from under the bushes. To avoid infection, it is better to burn them immediately. So, you will be able to avoid infections.
If the raspberry was bent to the ground for the winter, you need to release it. If this is not done, the buds near the ground may die from frost.
Tying
This is the next stage after the “preventive examination” after the spring revision. For the garter, install the tapestries (at a height of approximately 70 and 120 cm). You need to tie raspberry shoots in two places. To do this, use hemp twine or soft textile ribbons. Tie the bush not very tight, so long as it does not collapse.
Raspberry Cutting
This is a late spring care. Pruning is needed during the period when the buds open. Cut off all shoots, to the first blossoming kidney. This also applies to unfrozen tops. Pruning stimulates abundant fruiting and the formation of side shoots.
Soil cultivation
Dig up the soil in the raspberries in the spring should not be. The roots of raspberry bushes lie shallow (20-30 cm), so digging can harm the root system.
As mulch, you can use compost, humus, peat or rotted hay. Before mulching the soil, it must be deeply loosened and watered plants. With this approach, the raspberry roots do not dry out, the soil remains fertile, and the plants receive the necessary set of nutrients in full.
Features of summer care
Summer care for raspberries consists in timely watering, loosening the soil between rows and weeding under the bushes. In addition, it is necessary to remove yellowed and dried leaves in a timely manner. Shoots that appeared in the summer must be removed, leaving a little for planting raspberries.
Autumn care for raspberries
At the end of the harvest, raspberries need to be sprayed with an insect repellant. In addition, in the fall, all old vines and weak shoots should be removed from the bushes. The mulch must be removed and replaced with a new one. At the same time, you need to apply potash fertilizer (according to the instructions). After 2 weeks, it is necessary to tie the bushes in bunches and bend them to the ground. So, you can avoid freezing of living kidneys.
