When to prune raspberries correctly. How to properly prune raspberries in the fall for beginners. How to prune remontant raspberries at different times of the year

Pruning raspberries in the fall is an important part of caring for raspberries, which are characterized by overly active growth. If you give the bushes free rein, in a couple of years they will turn into impenetrable thickets with dense foliage instead of sweet berries. No, you will have a harvest, but it will not please you with its size or quantity. But the plantings cleared in the fall will survive the winter better, they will suffer less, and they will produce more berries. For pruning to really bring benefits, it is important to know how to do it correctly and when it is best to do it. By preparing your raspberries for wintering, in the spring you will receive a healthy and abundantly fruiting raspberry tree.

Why is autumn pruning of raspberries important?

You can often hear, especially from novice gardeners, that berry bushes It is better to prune in spring. Yes, after the end of fruiting it is clear which shoots have produced a harvest and need to be removed and are difficult to confuse with young ones. And unsuccessfully overwintered and frozen stems are also visible to the naked eye.

Together with unpruned raspberries, both pests and fungi overwinter safely on them. And with the arrival of warmer weather, they begin to actively multiply, infecting new areas. This is precisely the main goal of autumn pruning: to remove excess plants along with the insects living on them in a timely manner. Affects the choice of when it is best to prune and the nature of winter. The colder it is and the less snow, the more sense it makes to carry out the work in the fall. An unkempt raspberry tree with young stems not covered with a blanket of snow will simply freeze.

Besides, autumn work in a raspberry garden can improve its development and increase fruiting, namely:

1. Removing fruit-bearing shoots makes it possible to obtain adequate nutrition for young growth. As a result, it winters better and does not freeze.
2. Pruning helps regulate growth, because raspberries produce a lot of shoots over the course of a season. This leads to thickening of the plantings, and they begin to go beyond the designated area. Shoots from root shoots can appear at a distance of 3 m from the planting site. In raspberry thickets, plants do not receive enough nutrition and light. The ovary becomes smaller, the berries become smaller. What can we say about the fact that it becomes difficult to collect even such a harvest. You have to wade through the thickets and every trip to the raspberry patch ends with scratched hands and more. And in such wilds, various insects and diseases quickly appear.

Non-repairing raspberry varieties produce crops only on last year's shoots. In the third year, most of them dry out, and if they survive, they produce few berries, while taking away nutrition from the fruit-bearing second years.

When to prune raspberries in the fall

The pruning time depends on two factors: the type of raspberry and the region where it is grown. In the latter case, the timing varies from mid-summer to mid-autumn. You can start pruning after the end of fruiting and harvesting of the last harvest. If the moment was missed, it doesn’t matter - it’s quite possible to do it a month later.

But the main rule is: work in the raspberry garden must be completed 3 weeks before the arrival of frost.

Approximate trimming times for different regions:

• southern strip - from the second ten days of July to the second ten days of October;
• middle zone - from the second half of August to the second half of September;
• northern regions – the month of August.

The nuances of pruning fast-growing raspberry varieties in the fall

Carrying out pruning of those varieties of crops that differ rapid growth shoots has its own characteristics. One of the brightest representatives of vigorous varieties is the black Cumberland raspberry. With regard to it and other similar varieties, it will not be possible to use the cutting method for simple raspberries and limit yourself to doing it once. In this case, by mid-summer, due to too active growth, the bush will become too dense. A single pruning only stimulates the appearance of more more branches. Thickened raspberries will begin to hurt, and the yield will drop.

Both Cumberland and all fast-growing raspberry varieties require double pruning:

1. In summer. At the end of June, young stems are shortened, the height of which has reached and exceeded 2 m. After the procedure, shoots no more than 1.7 m high should remain. By next summer they will grow many lateral fruiting branches. Accordingly, the harvest will be greater.
2. In autumn. From October, raspberries can be prepared for wintering. Now it’s time to carry out sanitary pruning: remove thin, broken and diseased stems. Branches older than 2-3 years (bearing fruit) are also completely cut out. Last year's lateral growth is shortened by 20 cm (the future harvest will be on it). And young stems that are too tall are trimmed to the height of the trellis.

If summer pruning is carried out to increase productivity, then autumn pruning is sanitary and shaping.

Features and methods of autumn pruning of remontant raspberries step by step

Regular raspberry varieties produce only one harvest, no matter how you care for them. But remontant types of crops are capable of bearing fruit several times in one season. In addition, unlike the first ones, sweet berries ripen not only on two-year-old stems, but also on one-year-old shoots. Therefore, pruning of such varieties is radically different both in method and timing. Since the procedure is carried out after the last harvest, it does not fall in the summer, but in the autumn. And only in the southern regions, otherwise the bushes will freeze in winter.

The general rules for autumn pruning of remontant raspberries are as follows:

• complete removal of fruit-bearing biennial stems at the root;
• shortening annual shoots by 20–30 cm.

As already mentioned, remontant varieties set berries until autumn. However, some gardeners prefer to harvest one harvest, but a larger one.

When growing this variety of plants, there are two pruning methods to choose from:

1. Drastic pruning to get one harvest. After the first frost, the entire raspberry tree is cut off completely into a stump. This cannot be done before, otherwise the young shoots that appear will freeze in the winter. In the spring they are simply thinned out.
2. Double pruning for two harvests. After the first wave of fruiting, two-year-old shoots are cut out. The remaining stems are trimmed as plain raspberries, after the second, autumn, fruiting.

When using the second method, each of the harvests individually will not be particularly large. But together they will produce the same number of berries as ordinary varieties, but in terms of keeping quality they will surpass them.

Double pruning of raspberries in autumn using the Sobolev method

In the 80s, one of the gardeners named Sobolev proposed his own method of pruning remontant raspberries. It is aimed at significantly increasing the yield of the berry garden and allows you to collect up to 6 kg of harvest from each bush. The basis of the procedure is also double pruning, characteristic of this plant variety, but improved.

The formation of a young bush itself takes several years:

1. During the first season, raspberries leave no more than 10 shoots.
2. In the second year, those branches that bear fruit are removed. They are replaced with young growth, while reducing the number of stems to 8 pieces per bush.
3. This is how replacement is carried out annually, reducing the number by 2 stems. As a result, at the final stage the bush will have 4 young branches.

To ensure that all plants in the raspberry garden have enough light and air circulates freely between the stems, distances must be maintained. Seedlings are planted at a distance of at least 1 m from each other.

In the future, care is taken to ensure that the young shoots do not spread beyond these boundaries. When planting raspberries in rows, leave row spacing of at least 2 m wide.

Despite the enormous advantage of the method of relatively high yields, it also has disadvantages. As a result of intensive pruning, the bushes quickly produce young shoots and thicken. To prevent this, excess growth is regularly removed during the season.

Advantages of pruning raspberries according to Sobolev

Sobolev pruning is used mainly in warm regions and is carried out in the spring:

1. In the first ten days of May, the stems are shortened, leaving no more than 1 m. This height will not take away much nutrition from the roots. At the same time, the shoots grow strong and do not break in the wind.
2. In the second year, the trimmed branches have lateral branches. They are also pruned in the spring by removing the tops. At the same time, straight young stems are shortened, also up to 1 m. By mid-summer, a bush pruned according to Sobolev has: branching second-year plants with many ovaries, flowering annuals, and young growth.
3. In the fall of the second year, the two-year-old branched stems that produced the harvest are removed.
4. In the third spring, the lateral branches of last year's trimmed growth are again shortened and the young ones are pruned. The stems of the current year must be thinned out, forming the bush further.

In the fourth season, the procedure is repeated from the beginning. As you can see, as a result of frequent pruning, the raspberries branch strongly and produce a lot of growth. On the one hand, this is good: the more stems, the higher the yield. All this happens thanks to the ability of remontant raspberries to bear fruit on both young and last year’s shoots.

Frequent thinning of the raspberry bushes will help to avoid the main drawback - thickening of the bushes.

How to properly prune raspberries in the fall is described in detail in the video.

Caring for raspberries in the fall after pruning

Undoubtedly, pruning is an important procedure and helps prepare the raspberry tree for a successful winter.

However, that’s not all, because after cutting the plants need the following care:

1. Autumn feeding. Potassium sulfate and superphosphate will increase the winter hardiness of crops and promote the formation of fruit buds. A solution of bird droppings for watering at the roots is also suitable for autumn fertilization of bushes.
2. Moisture-charging irrigation. It is especially important if the autumn turns out to be dry, without rain. One adult bush requires at least 5 buckets of water.
3. Preventive treatment. Spraying with Bordeaux mixture will protect raspberries from diseases. Conventional varieties are processed in the spring.
4. Mulching the tree trunk circle will protect the roots from rodents and frost.

As for whether it is necessary to cover remontant raspberries, then it winters well only in the southern regions. In the rest of the territory, where winters are cold and often have little snow, the raspberry tree needs additional protection. It is easier to cover by first tying the stems into bunches and bending them to the ground. The top of the raspberries is covered with plant debris or film, making ventilation holes.

How to prune raspberries in the fall - video

Raspberries are delicious and healthy berry. That's why I often grow it in gardens. However, to get good harvest, here you need to know how to care for raspberry bushes. And most important point care will be a pruning procedure. This article will tell you when to prune raspberries and how best to carry out this important procedure.

Why trim

Raspberries are an unusual shrub that produces aromatic and tasty berries that have healing properties. This bush has one peculiarity - in the second year of planting, the fruit-bearing shoots (two-year-old shoots) die off. As a result, in the second year after planting, this plant needs its first professional care.

Many novice gardeners often ask the question “should I prune raspberries?” To answer this question, you need to understand what care such as pruning means.

For raspberries this procedure is an important step in care. It needs to be pruned in order to increase yield. To get excellent results, you need to know when it is best to do it.

It is best to do pruning after fruiting has finished at the end of summer. The timing of this procedure can be moved to the beginning of autumn. By this time, the shoots of the plant will no longer bear fruit and will gradually begin to die off. They should be removed to the very root. The closer the cutting level is to the ground, the better. Experts do not recommend leaving stumps.

You need to know that the raspberry bush has a powerful root system. Therefore, the plant strives to occupy as large an area as possible, which leads to a decrease in ovaries. As a result, if it was carried out correct pruning raspberries, then uncontrolled spread of roots can be avoided.

Another feature of raspberries is that each shoot has a two-year lifespan. life cycle. This means that after planting for the first year, the branch actively develops and grows. During this time they become very stretched. In the second year of life, fruiting occurs on them. After fruiting is completed, the shoots simply die off.

If you do not cut out the biennial branches, the bush will become very thick and will begin to vaguely resemble currants. At the same time, dry wood will prevent the formation of healthy and strong young growth. It also creates very good conditions for the appearance of insect pests on the bush or the development of pathogenic microflora (fungi, viruses, bacteria). All this ultimately has a detrimental effect on yield: the berries become crushed over time. In the future, fruiting may stop altogether. And you will have to run to the store for new bushes.

In addition to increasing productivity, pruning removes all diseased and old shoots. It is believed that after this procedure, approximately 8-12 shoots should remain on 1 meter of land. This is considered the optimal number. In this case, the bushes receive good lighting, which will have a positive effect on fruiting next year. It is imperative that after pruning, all cut shoots should be removed from the area and burned.

Pruning can also be carried out for the purpose of reproduction. Cut young shoot, after preliminary preparation, ready for transplant. By pruning, you can regulate the timing of berry ripening. There is a special technique for this (double pruning). We'll talk about it below.

To understand how to prune raspberries correctly, you need to know one rule - do everything clearly and on time. Pruning is a whole complex of measures aimed primarily at increasing productivity, and only then at creating optimal conditions for the bush. Experienced gardeners understand this procedure as carrying out the following manipulations:

• cutting out dead shoots;
• trunk cutting;
• cutting off frail, deformed and damaged branches;
• shortening shoots;
• removal of root shoots;
• bending branches to the ground or tying them.

Moreover, each stage described above must be carried out in its own time. Typically, part of the action is carried out in the fall, after harvesting, and the other part in the spring to prepare the bush for the growing season.

As you can see, it is better to trim the raspberries. Otherwise, the bush will inevitably lose its ability to bear fruit.

Video “Effective ways to prune raspberries in autumn”

From the video you will learn how to prune raspberries in the fall.

To understand how to properly prune raspberries, you need to know and follow the advice given by experienced gardeners. Following these recommendations will allow you to achieve a high-quality and tasty harvest that will ripen throughout the summer.

To do this, gardeners give the following tips on how to prune raspberries correctly:

• Raspberries should be pruned at different heights. To do this, you need to divide all the bushes into three groups. The first group should be pruned by 10-15 cm in the spring, the second by half the height, and the third should be left only 15-20 cm. As a result, the fruits will ripen in the order in which the bushes were pruned.
• use the double cutting method. This procedure should be carried out in the summer. Double pruning of raspberries is carried out for bushes with a height of approximately 1-1.2 m. First, the shoots should be shortened from above by 5-7 cm. This will allow nutrients to more actively enter the lateral buds. As a result, by autumn 4-8 strong shoots with a length of 50 cm will form. They need to be bent to the ground so that they overwinter under the snow. In spring, the pruned bush, namely the long side shoots, is cut back by about 10-15 cm. This guarantees high yield.

In addition, it is important to know that pruning deadlines must be observed. By cutting branches at a later date, you risk that they will freeze and die.

Please note that these tips apply to all varieties of raspberries. Therefore, in this case, the question “is it possible to prune raspberries of this variety” will be irrelevant.

The only thing that should be taken into account before pruning is whether a particular variety bears fruit once during the growing season. Indeed, in addition to ordinary varieties, there are also remontant plants. The latter have their own specifics for carrying out this procedure.

To get a good harvest, it is necessary not only to prune the raspberry shoots correctly, but also to carry out all agrotechnical measures. It is especially important to follow the rules of watering and fertilizing. These procedures are necessary for the raspberries to grow into a good, strong and fruit-bearing bush. Every gardener who intends to grow raspberries in their garden should know all this.

Pruning once-bearing varieties

Regular raspberry varieties, which are not remontant varieties, bear fruit once during the growing season.

For such bushes, the pruning process is carried out according to the following scheme:

• in the autumn, after harvesting, it is necessary to remove shoots that have already bear fruit;
• Next, you should cut off all diseased, dried and damaged branches. This procedure is called sanitization;
• then you can begin thinning out one-year-old shoots;
• With the arrival of spring, preparing the bush for fruiting involves shortening the tops of the branches.

As you can see, the procedure itself is very simple and does not require much time. Remember that all cut branches must be burned away from the plantings. This is done in order to protect the plants from possible diseases. Even if the cut shoot looks healthy, this does not mean that there are no pathogenic microflora inside it. Many microorganisms are able to overwinter in cut branches and awaken with the arrival of spring. For this reason, all green mass, as well as branches from pruning, must be burned.

This technology is not suitable for varieties that can produce several waves of harvest in one growing season.

Pruning remontant varieties

Remontant raspberry varieties differ from ordinary ones in that they are very productive. They bear fruit already in the first year of life. These varieties appeared in our country relatively recently and their popularity is increasing every year. Therefore, it is important to know how to prune such plants.

Remontant bushes are able to quickly produce crops. This is facilitated by the fact that their replacement shoots have upper buds. Therefore, with partial death of the branches the next year, a slightly reduced, but nevertheless abundant fruiting is observed. It is this point that must be taken into account when carrying out the procedure for pruning dried shoots.

In the first two years after planting, caring for such plants will be no different from ordinary varieties:

• loosening;
• watering;
• application of fertilizers.

However, in the second year you already need to be on your guard. Due to the peculiarities of growing remontant raspberries, you need to know what to do and how to prune so as not to reduce the yield of the bush. In such a situation, if you do something wrong, the bush may no longer grow. To prevent this, a special technology for pruning remontant raspberries was developed. It is implemented as follows:

• after the first fruiting, a situation is observed when some of the shoots die off. They should be cut off;
• it is necessary to cut off the entire above-ground part of the shoots;
• the remaining branches will bear fruit next year;
• after this, all shoots should be burned;
• then you should loosen garden plot. This should be done at a shallow depth;
• After loosening the soil, water it well.

Pruning of remontant varieties should be carried out in the fall, when the last harvest has been harvested from the bushes. After this procedure, all annual shoots will grow healthy and strong. This is due to the fact that with maximum pruning, the plant will be reliably covered with snow. And this guarantees rapid restoration of buds and shoots. Also, pests and pathogenic microflora will have nowhere to hide for the winter, which is another plus for the future growing season.

In order for pruning carried out in the fall to have a more positive effect, in the spring the pruned remontant raspberries should be cleared of snow and then covered with black film. These conditions will allow the growing season to begin approximately two weeks earlier than expected.

It is worth noting that the harvest of the second year will be slightly different from the first: the berries are somewhat smaller, and the fruiting is less abundant. However, even in this case, the second year’s harvest may, in its qualitative and quantitative characteristics, differ from ordinary varieties.

After the entire harvest has been harvested in the second year, it is necessary to cut off all shoots without exception at the root. After this, the soil should be loosened well and watered. Typically, gardeners in our country carry out such actions at the end of October or at the beginning of November. When choosing the timing, you need to focus on weather conditions, which should be more or less favorable. For the southern regions, the timing of pruning is postponed by 2-3 weeks, which is due to the milder and warmer climate.

Next year (the third year in a row), correctly carried out pruning technology will allow you to get healthy, strong and strong young branches that will quickly stretch to the desired height. At the same time, during the winter the bush will not freeze out and will be able to rest well, accumulating strength for new abundant fruiting.

As you can see, pruning remontant varieties is not very different from the same technology for ordinary plants that bear fruit once a season. Despite its apparent simplicity, this element of care is very demanding in terms of precise and strict adherence to all rules and advice.

Video “Pruning remontant raspberries”

From the video you will learn how to properly prune remontant raspberries.

Why, when buying the same varieties of raspberries, do some gardeners reap a large harvest of large and juicy berries, while others are content with only the small “fruits” of their labors? Of course, factors such as soil composition, fertilizing, and weather conditions have their influence. By learning how to prune raspberries in the fall, you can significantly improve the quality and quantity of the harvest.

Many gardeners have different opinions about the most favorable time for pruning. Based on their own experience and practice of growing various varieties of this crop, some opt for spring pruning, others - summer pruning, while others prefer autumn pruning.

By learning how to prune raspberries in the fall, you can significantly improve the quality and quantity of the harvest.

Proper pruning is as important as feeding plants with organic fertilizers. It allows you to prevent the occurrence of various diseases, effectively control pests, and also maintain high plant productivity. If, for example, the shoots are left too long, the berries on their tops will be very small. And, conversely, if you overdo it with pruning, the plant will have to spend a lot nutrients and time for growing new shoots, forming ovaries and maturing a year.

How to properly prune raspberries in the fall

Autumn pruning work is carried out 3 weeks before the arrival of cold weather. To begin with, it is necessary to identify the shoots that should be removed, and which ones will delight the owners with berries next year; the bushes are carefully inspected.

Which raspberry shoots need to be pruned?

The following shoots must be removed without regret or hesitation:

• old fruit-bearing branches on which pathogenic bacteria grow, and which act as a home for many pests. If you send a plant to spend the winter with a “bouquet of sores,” then with the onset of the warm season, all pathogenic microorganisms become active, infecting healthy bushes growing nearby;
• young, underdeveloped shoots that are likely to die during the winter cold. The plant spends food and resources on each shoot (even the smallest one). However, when all non-viable branches are removed, unused nutritional components are used to form larger berries;
• shoots that produced crops for two seasons. Even if there are no visible signs of diseases or pests on such shoots, they should be removed. They are unlikely to be able to produce a good harvest in the third year, but will hinder the full development of young shoots;
• broken, underdeveloped shoots and offspring, which create excessive thickening of the main bush. If the berry does not receive sufficient lighting, its ripening period will increase significantly. The berry itself loses its sweetness.

Beginner gardeners often make the mistake of leaving a stump after pruning a shoot. This should not be done, as there is a high risk of the disease spreading to healthy shoots. Pests often like to settle in such stumps and can migrate to healthy shoots, thereby worsening the yield.

To avoid thickening, the distance between the bushes should be about 60 cm. Excessively spread shoots are removed at the root with pruners or its roots are cut off using a sharp shovel, and the ground around the bush at a distance of 20 cm is dug up shallowly.

After removing diseased and weak shoots, the bushes and the soil around them are disinfected and sprayed. The pruned branches are burned to reduce the likelihood of the disease spreading.

This pruning method is perfect for regions with snowy winters. A thick layer of snow that covers the branches at a sufficient level from the ground will protect the plants from freezing.

If you take the necessary measures to preserve the raspberry tree from freezing, then even in areas where snow falls extremely rarely in winter, you can practice autumn “cutting” of raspberries. The principle of work on removing old or excess shoots is the same as in the case described above, but after all the procedures, a wooden picket fence is placed not far from the raspberry tree. It will prevent snow from being blown away from open areas, resulting in the formation of snowdrifts that protect the bushes from frost and cold.

In regions with little snowy winters, in order to protect raspberries from frost, autumn pruning may not be necessary. It is tied in advance with a rope or twine and tilted to the ground. If necessary, the bushes are attached with improvised means that secure them throughout the winter. The resulting structure holds all the fallen snow. This work should be done before the onset of frost so that the shoots retain a certain flexibility and do not break when bending to the ground. Pruning must be done in early spring, when the first snow has melted.

In regions with little snowy winters, in order to protect raspberries from frost, autumn pruning may not be necessary.

With proper care and favorable conditions, one raspberry root can produce about 20 young shoots per season.

Experienced gardeners speak positively about the Sobolev method of double pruning, although it does not provide for pruning in the autumn. Thanks to this method, you can significantly increase the berry harvest.

Thanks to this method, you can significantly increase the berry harvest.

Raspberries are a crop that requires soil fertility. To successfully apply this method in practice, before planting the bushes, you should apply mineral and organic fertilizers, add ash, sawdust, compost or humus.

First pruning using the Sobolev method

The first pruning of raspberries according to Sobolev is carried out at the end of May - the first ten days of June. The optimal height of young shoots for pruning is 70-100 cm. They pinch off 10-15 cm of their tops, which promotes the active growth of side shoots, which by the end of summer will grow up to 50 cm in length.

The first pruning must be carried out within the specified time frame and no later, since young shoots growing after pruning may not become strong enough and die under the influence of winter cold.

Second pruning according to the Sobolev method

It is carried out next spring, when leaves appear on the branches. 5-15 cm of the top is cut off from all shoots that have survived after winter. Thanks to this, dormant buds on the branches are activated. In the future, they form new young shoots, which will also bear fruit.

A significant advantage of this method is the non-simultaneous ripening of berries, which can last until the arrival of autumn frosts. This way, family and friends will enjoy fresh, delicious raspberries throughout the summer.

Double pruning promotes the formation of many ovaries. However, to obtain a truly high-quality harvest, it is necessary to observe moderation, not to overload the plant, and carry out regular feeding and watering. A particularly important condition for obtaining high-quality products during double ripening is adequate nutrition of plants, whose strength is spent on the formation of several harvests.

Features and rules for pruning remontant varieties

Many gardeners grow remontant raspberry varieties. Her distinctive feature- This is the ability to produce crops twice a year. The first time the berries are set on the shoots of the previous year, and the second time the ovary appears on the young branches of the current year.

The most favorable time for pruning remontant raspberries is the first autumn frost.

During this period, the process of transfer of all nutrients from the leaves and stems to the roots ends. Spring pruning is also allowed, but it must be done before the buds open, so as not to simply waste the plant’s resources.

In spring, the growth of stems is activated, on which the first ovary is formed. Simultaneously with the first raspberry harvest, young stems develop, from which the second harvest of berries will be harvested in the future. During this period, the plant especially needs high-quality, nutritious nutrition.

In May, it is necessary to pinch the tops of two-year-old shoots of all bushes. This is done in order to delay the first period of berry picking, as well as to make it longer. For annual shoots, this procedure is unnecessary and even pointless, since the harvest of these young stems develops at the top. If it is removed, the plant will spend too much time and effort to develop side shoots. And there will be too little time left for the second harvest to ripen.

Thanks to the autumn pruning of all old shoots, the roots retained their supply of nutrients.

Many gardeners and gardeners advise planting remontant varieties of raspberries and regular ones on the plot. This will allow the berries to be harvested over a long period for consumption in fresh, as well as for workpieces.

In order for raspberries to produce a good harvest of large berries, they must be cared for throughout the season. Much has already been said about the importance of autumn pruning. However, there are situations when the plant requires mandatory pruning in the summer.

In order for raspberries to produce a good harvest of large berries, they must be cared for throughout the season.

Summer pruning during the flowering period is recommended in the following cases:

• for removing shoots with withered tops;
• to remove bushes that show signs of viral diseases;
• for thinning plants and getting rid of excessive growth, which can significantly deplete the plant.

Trimming in summer period can be carried out after all the berries have been collected. In this case, all fruit-bearing shoots, as well as underdeveloped offspring, are cut out. Thinning out unnecessary or overgrown offspring is also considered very effective. It should be dug out with a shovel along with the root system.

Thanks to the efforts of breeders, there is a huge selection of raspberry varieties. Some of them tolerate autumn pruning well, while other varieties are preferable to pruning in the spring. Factors such as growing region, soil composition, and proper care have a great influence. Therefore, it is very difficult to answer whether it is possible to prune raspberries in the fall. It is best to conduct your own experiment by selecting 1-2 bushes from a raspberry garden for pruning in the fall. By observing the condition of the plant and the amount of harvest obtained, it will be possible to draw appropriate conclusions for the next season.

When figuring out whether it is necessary to prune raspberries in the fall, you can definitely answer that work can also be carried out in summer and spring. Regular pruning will prevent the raspberry tree from turning into impenetrable thickets and will keep it neat appearance and ease of caring for bushes. To obtain a high-quality harvest, it is recommended to prune several times during the season. Observing simple rules By pruning raspberries, you can be sure of getting an excellent harvest of berries.

Raspberry is a fairly unpretentious plant, resistant to diseases and pests, growing quickly in the allotted area. Large quantity positive qualities gardeners begin to form the idea that raspberries do not require care at all. We rejoice at the increase in the green mass of plants, the number of new branches, large foliage and powerful shoots, and all this is actually a path to reducing the yield of the next season and crushing the berries. Caring for raspberries is necessary, and one of the main criteria for obtaining healthy plants and an excellent harvest is proper autumn pruning. It is imperative to prune raspberries, and in this article we will look at how to properly prune raspberries in the fall, as well as the differences between pruning raspberries of regular varieties and remontant ones.

Why prune raspberries in the fall?

Ordinary garden raspberries have a two-year development cycle - in the first year, young shoots develop, which begin to bear fruit the next year. At the same time, we get high yields precisely in the second year; three-year-old stems bear fruit several times less, so the main task of proper autumn pruning is remove all fruit-bearing branches. This will allow, firstly, to thin out the raspberries, giving young shoots more light and nutrients, and secondly, to reduce the number of pests that actively overwinter in old foliage and dead stems. It is also better to collect fallen leaves and take them outside the raspberry patch - they can cause the spread of mold and various fungi.

Don't be sorry for old shoots! You can't get a harvest from them!

Autumn pruning height

Timing of autumn pruning

Raspberries should be pruned immediately after harvesting; therefore, the timing directly depends on the variety and climatic zone of growth. Don't delay pruning! Young shoots need time to gain strength in order to winter well and actively bear fruit the next year. Old shoots are a place for the active development of diseases and pests, therefore, the faster they are eliminated, the healthier the raspberry plant will be for the next season. The only reason for delaying autumn pruning may be the cultivation of raspberries in warm regions. For example, in the Krasnodar Territory, they are not in a hurry with pruning, because raspberries, after active summer fruiting, can bear fruit again. In autumn, there will be many fewer berries, but who can deny themselves the pleasure of enjoying aromatic raspberries in September or October.

Raspberries should be grown in one place for no more than 10 years, then the location of the raspberry plant is changed.

How many shoots to leave when pruning?

Most often, the number of young shoots left will correspond to the number of old ones removed, because initially you formed the number of branches also in accordance with some technology or according to recommendations related to the characteristics of a particular variety. If there was a break in caring for raspberries and it is difficult to figure out how many new shoots to leave, then you can focus on the average numbers for all varieties. It would be optimal to leave 7-10 shoots per bush, with a distance between bushes of 50-60 cm, but if planting was carried out in a trench and we form a row of raspberries, then the density of shoots should not exceed 10-14 pieces per linear meter.

Step-by-step instructions for autumn pruning raspberries for beginners:

1. Remove all dried branches at the root, as well as shoots that show signs of infection. Raspberries are especially susceptible to fungal diseases, which actively develop in dense plantings, which once again confirms the need for timely pruning;
2. Remove all broken and damaged shoots at the root. A branch with a break will consume nutrients just like a regular one, but you still won’t get a decent harvest from it. By leaving such a shoot, you will only reduce the number of berries on the remaining branches of the bush;
3. Remove all fruit-bearing shoots at the root. There is no need to leave stumps. Raspberries produce shoots from the roots;
4. Remove all growth that has appeared since mid-summer, as well as all weak shoots. These shoots will not have time to grow stronger before winter; most likely, they will die in the winter, but even if they overwinter, they will not produce a high yield;
5. Prune young shoots according to the recommendations presented in the “Autumn Pruning Height” section of the article;
6. Burn the cut shoots and fallen leaves. The result of autumn pruning should not be left as mulch. You can end up with an excellent “breeding ground” for diseases and a wintering place for pests, thereby only harming your garden.

Features of autumn pruning of remontant raspberries

Pruning remontant raspberries has a number of features. It all depends on how many harvests we want to get for the next season. Pruning using the technology of ordinary garden raspberries will give two harvests - summer and autumn, but if the remontant variety is pruned completely, at the root, then we will get a large harvest, but only once, only in the fall.

Components of proper pruning:

• only a sharpened tool (knife or pruning shears) is used;
• pruning is carried out to the very root. If stumps are left, they can rot and become sources of disease, as well as a breeding ground for pests;
• cut shoots and fallen leaves are immediately removed from the raspberry tree;
• Upon completion of pruning, the earth around the bushes is dug up using half a shovel, and fertilizers are applied to the plants.

Features of autumn pruning of standard raspberries

Autumn pruning of standard raspberries or, as they are also called, raspberry trees consists of removing all two-year-old shoots at the root. Young shoots are not pruned; they had to be pruned in the summer, immediately after harvesting, so that the main shoot has time to produce lateral branches, on which the main harvest of the next year will be concentrated. It is the side shoots that we need to trim in the fall so that their length does not exceed 50 cm.

Differences in pruning in the Krasnodar region, Moscow region, Siberia

Different climatic conditions make adjustments to the rules for autumn pruning of raspberries.

• In Siberian conditions, autumn pruning is a mandatory agrotechnical practice. Cold winters require the use of covering materials; pruned bushes will allow the covering procedure to be carried out faster and with less material costs;
• in Central Russia, in particular in the Moscow region, autumn pruning can be replaced with spring pruning. Long young shoots are easier to tie into bunches and bend to the ground. Bending down will protect from strong winds, icing, and will allow you to use snow cover as a natural insulation. But covering materials in conditions of frequent thaws can play a cruel joke on the gardener - condensation formed inside the shelter can lead to the development of fungal diseases, rot, mold;
• In the Krasnodar region, autumn pruning is carried out late, towards the end of autumn, thereby having time to obtain a repeat autumn harvest. The berries in autumn are most often small, the yield of the bushes is low, so there definitely won’t be enough for canning, but you will be able to enjoy fresh aromatic berries to relieve the autumn blues.

Raspberries are a valuable berry crop of the Rosaceae family and are widely cultivated in all climatic zones except the Far North, desert and semi-desert. By origin it is a wild berry. The fruits contain sugars, vitamins C, A, group B, organic acids, and pectin. Availability salicylic acid causes an antipyretic effect, so eating berries during a cold significantly alleviates symptoms and shortens the duration of the disease. Raspberries are grown in almost every garden, but not all gardeners know when and how to prune raspberries in order to achieve high yields and large berries. Let's look at these questions in detail.

Why is raspberry pruning necessary?

It is impossible to do without pruning bushes, since it is dictated by the biological characteristics of the crop. This agricultural technique allows you to get a high yield; the berries from pruned bushes are larger and sweeter. The bushes are well illuminated by the sun and ventilated, and are less affected by fungal and bacterial diseases. The entire plantation looks aesthetically pleasing; root shoots do not fill the entire space of the site.

Biological features

By its nature, raspberries are subshrubs that reproduce in the natural environment by root suckers. Cultivated varieties that are grown in gardens have retained this feature of their ancestors. If you do not remove their root shoots and do not prune the bushes themselves, the yield is significantly reduced. The operation allows you to maintain a balance within the plant between the distribution of nutrients for vegetative growth and crop formation.

Another important biological feature is fruiting on the shoots of the previous year, which die off after the berries ripen. On last year's shoots, fruit branches are formed - laterals, which bear fruits collected in clusters. Pruning stimulates the formation of laterals, allowing more berries to ripen and become larger.

Regular raspberry varieties have new shoots that grow into this year, will produce a harvest the next year, while remontant ones will have berries by the end of summer, and usually their ripening continues until the onset of frost. Here it is important to understand when to prune remontant raspberries for the winter in order to ensure active growth and fruiting for the bushes next year. In both types of varieties, old fruit-bearing shoots must be removed, otherwise the entire plantation quickly ages, takes on an unkempt appearance and loses its productivity.

When to prune raspberries correctly

Raspberries are generally an unpretentious plant. It is most correct to prune it in the summer after harvesting, while simultaneously pruning dead shoots, normalizing the bush and removing shoots. In Siberia and the Urals, it is good to prune raspberries in July or early August.

One-time summer pruning ensures good productivity of bushes with easy care. However, in order to achieve maximum yield and longevity of plants, one-time pruning is not enough. A whole series of operations with the bush are still needed. In fact, they are held throughout the season. So, year-round operations include:

1. spring pruning of the tops of shoots to different heights;
2. rationing the number of shoots at the beginning of summer;
3. removal of dead shoots in July-August;
4. rationing of young shoots in August;
5. autumn rationing or complete cutting of shoots of remontant varieties in October.

Below we will look at each procedure in more detail.

Tool preparation

The following tools are useful for pruning raspberries:

1. pruning shears with a sharp blade;
2. garden shears with long handles;
3. garden saw;
4. mittens or thick gloves.

The pruning shears and garden shears must be well sharpened, with an adjusted return mechanism, that is, it must return to the “open” position without effort, otherwise the hand will get very tired when working. To remove dirt and disinfect the cutting surfaces of all tools, use chlorhexidine, a solution of potassium permanganate, any alcohol or acetic acid. The instrument is immersed in a disinfectant liquid or treated with a spray bottle. During work, to prevent the transmission from bush to bush of fungal, viral or bacterial diseases, it is advisable to periodically wipe the blades with alcohol wipes or use a medical disinfectant spray.

If the plantation is planted near a hedge, then getting to the outer shoots of large bushes can be very difficult. Scissors with long handles, similar to those used to trim bushes, will come to the rescue. If you work with pruning shears, you can trim by grasping the shoots low with your other hand. Scissors are also easy to trim the tops of tall, upright varieties in the spring.

Procedure for pruning regular raspberries

In the spring, check the bushes to see how they overwintered. Blackened and frozen branches are removed. The tops of healthy shoots are cut with scissors to different heights to allow the berries to develop in all tiers. The most developed and thick branches are cut to 12-15 cm, the thinner ones to 15-30 cm, and the weakest ones to 30-40 cm. Thus, weak shoots will be able to get stronger and produce large and juicy berries rather than small and limp berries. The upper buds on the shoots mostly bear rudimentary and underdeveloped berries. If you do not trim the tops, the plant will spend too many nutrients on their development and other berries will become smaller.

At the beginning of June, you need to count how many young shoots have developed on each bush and bring their number to the norm of 7-12 pieces. You need to cut out underdeveloped branches that grow too close and shade each other. The remaining powerful shoots, as they reach a height of more than 1 m, are fixed on a trellis. After about a month, the harvest begins to ripen. On some varieties, at this time stepsons may form in the axils of the buds; they are carefully cut off with pruning shears - stepsons are removed.

After harvesting, fruit-bearing shoots are cut out, sometimes without waiting for them to completely die. During this period, the bushes produce root shoots especially strongly. If you are not going to plant this raspberry variety, there is no need to save the shoots. If they are not cut out, they greatly weaken the mother plant, which may even die soon.

Choose the minimum cutting height for fruit-bearing branches. Best option when “stumps” from cuts no higher than 1.5 cm remain above the ground. Overgrowth shoots must be dug up and cut to a depth of at least 5 cm.

Autumn is the time to think about how plants will survive the winter. Most cultivated varieties have high winter hardiness and can overwinter open. In regions with harsh winters, it may be necessary to bend the shoots to the ground and mulch the soil in the plantation strip with old manure.

Procedure for pruning remontant raspberries and feeding

Remontant raspberries bear fruit twice a season. Almost all varieties get more berries during the second harvest within 3-4 weeks. With this variety of raspberries, it is important to ensure that new productive shoots begin to grow vigorously at the beginning of summer. To do this, they need to be well fertilized. In the first ten days of June, fertilizing with an infusion of bird droppings is needed: 2 kg of dry droppings are poured into 10 liters of water, left for 5-7 days, then diluted in a ratio of 1:10. This solution is used to water 4-5 liters for each bush.

Good results are obtained by fertilizing and spraying raspberries with ammonia in the spring. You need to start feeding when a stable average daily air temperature reaches 10º C. For watering, prepare a solution of 2-3 tablespoons per bucket of water. This product also helps plants resist diseases and pests in the form of spraying. Tar soap (2 tablespoons) is added to the treatment solution for better adhesion of the active ingredients and disinfection.

If strong bushes are formed, they will be able to provide food to 10-12 branches. But when the bush weakens, you should not leave more than 4-5 shoots. During the flowering period, the tops can be trimmed slightly for better berry set.

It is advisable to fertilize raspberries with potassium in early autumn. The berries will become sweeter and larger. You can use potassium chloride or give 1 cup of wood ash for each bush (you should not use ash from the stove if you used newspaper to light the firewood, since newspaper paints contain lead which can get into the berries). Harvesting should be done gradually. In years with early frosts, the middle and late harvest may not ripen. The berries can still be collected, dried, and used to make herbal tea in winter.

You need to prune remontant raspberries in the fall at the most late date before the onset of frost. Cut out all weakened, damaged and shading shoots. The rest are bent to the ground and secured with wire pins.

Double pruning raspberries

To reap a high yield during the second harvest, remontant raspberries are double pruned. This means that in July-early August, fruit-bearing shoots are cut out, and in October, absolutely all shoots on the plantation are removed. Branch cuttings are harvested for cuttings for subsequent propagation in the spring.

This technique allows you to completely get rid of wintering pests and there is no danger of the branches freezing. The roots are covered with organic mulch. In spring they give fertilizer with high content nitrogen. In this case, the plants will not produce an early harvest, but the second one will be very high. On field raspberry plantations, one late harvest covers both harvests in terms of quantity and quality of berries.

Conditions for high raspberry productivity and other tips

Pruning is undoubtedly an important agricultural practice, but it is far from the only one on which the harvest depends. Raspberries love to grow in open, sunny places with fertile, well-permeable soil. The reaction of the soil solution should be neutral or slightly acidic. If there are trees or a vegetable garden nearby, the bushes may be suppressed due to an unfavorable neighborhood. Thus, bushes may die if cherries, grapes, sea buckthorn, hosts, garlic, radishes or beans grow nearby.

Plants need regular watering, fertilizing, and mulching of the soil. Among the pests, the mite has a depressing effect on raspberries. In early spring, during the period of full bud break, it is good to treat with Fitoverm. This is an effective biological product that will significantly improve the health of the entire plantation.

We advise each gardener to develop his own calendar for caring for his favorite berries, taking into account the recommendations given and the opportunity to devote time to the garden. Try to prune raspberries at the right time. Remember, summer pruning is very important. Remontant raspberries can be completely pruned for the winter. In spring it is important to feed the bush well. We wish you good luck and high harvests!