How to grow raspberries

Raspberry , also known as palm-leaved raspberry, is a functional plant with both fruit and medicinal value. Its fruit is berry-shaped, soft and juicy, with a moderate sweet and sour taste, rich in nutrients and a unique flavor. Raspberries have an attractive appearance and are rich in a variety of essential nutrients that are easily absorbed by the human body. Let’s take a look at how to grow raspberries.

1. Site selection and land preparation

Choose a location with plenty of sunlight, sheltered from the wind, and convenient drainage and irrigation. The soil should be rich in humus and slightly acidic. Before planting, the land needs to be fully plowed and sufficient base fertilizer applied, with 2,500 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer and 30 kg of compound fertilizer applied per mu. The land is harrowed and ridged. The width of the ridge is 0.8-1.0 meters, the height is 0.2-0.4 meters, the width of the ditch is 1 meter, and about 400 plants are planted per mu.

2. Cultivation and weeding

Carry out inter-row weeding 3-5 times throughout the year. The tillage should be shallow around the root zone and slightly deeper to 6-10 cm at a distance. Be careful not to damage the roots. When the branches are dense in the later stage, thin out the flowers and remove weeds in time. The soil needs to be loosened after each irrigation and rain, and farming should be stopped in late summer and early autumn to promote branch aging and enhance winter resistance.

3. Water and fertilizer management

Avoid water accumulation and irrigate during droughts, using methods such as sprinkler irrigation or watering. According to the fertilizer requirements of raspberries, the seedlings absorb more nitrogen fertilizer from February to June, reaching a peak in May, and then gradually slowing down; they absorb more phosphorus fertilizer from March to May, and gradually decrease after the fruit is harvested. Apply base fertilizer once and top dressing three times a year. Base fertilizer is applied after leaves fall in autumn. Apply 300 kg of decomposed organic fertilizer and 50-75 kg of superphosphate per mu. The first topdressing is before spring bud break, applying 10 kg of urea and 5 kg of calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer per mu. The second top dressing is one week before flowering, applying 10 kg of potassium sulfate fertilizer per mu. The third top dressing is after fruit setting, applying 10 kg of urea per mu to the root distribution area 20 cm away from the trunk. Experiments have shown that spraying 0.1% borax 10 days before flowering can significantly increase the fruit setting rate and increase the weight of single fruit.

4. Scaffolding and Binding

Raspberry branches are soft and the weight of the fruits can easily cause them to droop to the ground, causing the fruits to be contaminated. At the same time, the drooping branches block each other, ventilation and light transmission are poor, management is inconvenient, and production and quality are affected. Therefore, it is necessary to set up a support and tie the branches to the support to improve ventilation and light conditions. From the perspective of economic benefits and operational management, the pillar-binding method saves time and money. The specific method is to set up pillars between the plants and directly tie the branches to the pillars.

5. Shaping and pruning

Carry out timely shaping and pruning in spring, reasonably prune the withered branches of the previous year, and clear the dense branches; process and prune the main branches in summer. After the fruits are picked, all the fruit-bearing branches should be removed to make the branches stronger.

6. Disease and pest control

Raspberries are highly disease-resistant and less susceptible to pests and diseases. The main diseases are stem rot and powdery mildew, which can be controlled by spraying biological fungicides such as polyoxin, agricultural Streptomyces, and 500 times diluted thiophanate-methyl. The main insect pests include willow bat moth, leaf roller, borer moth, longhorn beetle, etc., which can be controlled by spraying biological pesticides such as avermectin. Newly built sites have fewer pests and diseases. As long as management is strengthened in the autumn, dead branches are destroyed and disposed of in a timely and centralized manner, and pathogens are eliminated, pests and diseases can be effectively prevented and controlled.

The above is an introduction to the planting methods of raspberries. Raspberries taste sweet and sour and have high nutritional value. They are a kind of fruit that many consumers like to eat now, and their planting prospects are better than before.