Characteristics of large raspberry varieties

If the berries of wild raspberries do not exceed 0.5 grams in weight, then in traditional garden raspberries they are already up to 4 grams in size. In the nineteenth century, there were practically no large-fruited raspberry varieties; they appeared not so long ago. The first representatives of this family produced berries of about 10 grams, and today no one can be surprised by berries weighing 25 grams. All large-fruited varieties are characterized by relatively low growth and thick shoots.

Here is a list of the most common large-fruited raspberry varieties.

• White Guard.
• Generalissimo.
• Chief Marshal.
• The pride of Russia.
• Beauty of Russia.
• Red Guard.
• Favorite.
• Patricia.
• Taganka.

Large-fruited raspberry varieties — these are often unstable varieties, susceptible to insect and disease damage, and have poor frost tolerance. This also applies to the Atlant variety, which is praised by all and sundry. This is the characteristic of large raspberry varieties. That is why experts and experienced gardeners recommend planting no more than 25% of large-fruited varieties of the total number of raspberry bushes on the plot in their garden plots. Otherwise, you will risk being completely without a harvest in a bad year. In addition, the importance of purchasing disease-free planting material from nurseries comes to the fore.

Sweet large varieties of raspberries

For many people, the taste of berries is a priority characteristic of the variety. And they are determined by the amount of sugar in the berries and the content of ascorbic acid in relation to it. Let us describe some sweet large varieties of raspberries, which, in addition to their wonderful taste, are also distinguished by their pronounced aroma. This is confirmed by high ratings from professional tasters — experts.

• Apricot. A very famous remontant variety in Russia, bred more than 40 years ago, but still remaining very popular. A variety with a sugar content in berries of more than 11%, that is, they can be called very sweet. At the same time, a variety with an average yield of up to 120 kg per hundred square meters for the entire season, maximum — 180 kg. The berries for large-fruited raspberries are “small”, about 5 grams.
• Tree-like. This variety has much heavier berries, up to 17 grams. The variety can rightfully be called unique. The bushes grow up to 2 meters in height and produce versatile, sweet and very aromatic berries. The yield is excellent, reaching 170 kilograms per hundred square meters. Provides excellent preservation.
• Sunny — A very tasty variety, without any special advantages. It is easy to grow and does not require staking or constant care. The berries are about 6 grams, each bush produces approximately 6 kg of harvest, with excellent care - 8.5 kg per bush. These raspberries are good fresh, and for processing, they make delicious mousses, jams, cocktails and preserves.

The main advantage of the listed varieties — dessert berries, so they do not compete with high-yielding varieties, and cannot be considered industrial for the same reason.

Harvest large variety of raspberries

For those gardeners who are looking for the most productive large variety of raspberries, we advise you to take a closer look at the following varieties:

• Atlant. The bush is 150 cm high and needs staking. The berries are about 8 grams in size, each bush produces up to 6 kg of yield, but in the sun and with sufficient watering the yield reaches 7.5 kg per bush. Berries with a sour taste; they make excellent jam. The variety is remontant.
• Heritage Heritage — This American variety has been successfully grown throughout Russia for more than 20 years. He can hardly be called a record holder, but he shows fairly good results. If you need large yields of marketable berries, be sure to plant Heritage; it produces about 170 kilograms of large, 8-gram berries per hundred square meters. The shoots are up to 170 centimeters high, and this variety requires a mandatory garter. But this variety does not need to be covered for the winter.

Super large raspberry varieties

For many summer residents, the most important characteristic of large varieties of raspberries — after all, the size of the berries, they dream of having super large varieties of raspberries, if only so that they can brag about them, and so that no one else has such berries. Today, 10-gram berries are far from being record holders. There are varieties that produce fruits weighing about 25 grams. Moreover, such indicators are found in plants of both foreign and domestic selection.

• Firebird — a real record holder among super heavyweights. With a rather light load on the shoots, the berries can be gigantic, up to 22 grams, but the average statistical indicators — 7 grams. At the same time, the harvest is excellent — up to 180 kg from 100 square meters with full watering and fertilization. The bushes powerfully pull all the juices out of the ground. These plants need to be planted in quiet, secluded places, because they do not tolerate draft winds and generally do not like cold.
• Golden Autumn — an early variety with 10 gram fruits, the berries are slightly sour, more technical than dessert. The bushes are about 170 centimeters high, it is advisable to tie them up. It cannot boast of frost resistance and often suffers from leaf fleas, so it needs special care. The yield is small — 110 kg per hundred square meters.

What needs to be done to make raspberries large

Many gardeners are interested in what needs to be done to make raspberries large, so we will offer one of the growing recipes.

Raspberries need to be well fertilized, as they grow strongly and deplete the soil. After autumn digging, the soil should be covered with humus with a layer of 10 cm. In the spring, it is advisable to feed it with phosphorus and potassium or ash, covering them to a depth of 12 cm.

Nitrogen-containing liquid fertilizers, including bird droppings or slurry, should only be applied in the spring because nitrogen is needed for vegetative growth. When the berries are formed, there is no need for it. Otherwise, nitrogen will provoke strong growth of shoots, which simply will not have time to ripen before winter and will most likely die. When the berries are filled, it is necessary to feed the plants again with phosphorus and potassium.

The raspberry plantation needs constant irrigation. When the ovaries form, the area with raspberries needs to be watered abundantly once every 7-10 days. Watering stops by the beginning of September.

For the winter, raspberry shoots need to be bent and pinned in the ground. If the snow covers the entire plant, it will survive the winter safely. Lifespan of raspberry bushes — 10 years, after which the yield decreases sharply.

Most gardeners recommend feeding the raspberry bed with ash and urea after spring pruning, then mulching it well. This could be straw, compost, manure. Weeds will not break through the mulch and it will protect the bushes from trampling, and also protect young growth from late spring frosts. In addition, such a warm blanket will make it possible to harvest at least a week earlier. Mulch will also provide gradual replenishment, which will increase the yield.

Proper pruning of raspberries is also important. We will tell you about the original method of triple cutting. The first time raspberries are pruned is at the very end of May or beginning of June. At this time, all green shoots that have grown this year are shortened by 5 cm, after which they stop growing upward, but lateral branches form in the axils of the leaves. Usually, from 3 to 5 lateral stepsons are formed on each shoot, which manage to grow 35 cm or more. The result is a low-growing, branched bush.

After the crop has been harvested, a second pruning is carried out. All last year's canes that have served their purpose, and all weak shoots of this year are removed completely, no more than 5 shoots are left for each bush, which have already been pruned and grown. As a result of such pruning, the remaining shoots receive the maximum amount of nutrients until the end of the season. In addition, the bushes become transparent, which provides additional laying of fruit buds, thanks to the large amount of solar energy that the branched replacement shoots receive. Literally a week later they change the green color of the stems to pinkish-brown, which indicates sufficient ripening and readiness for wintering.

At the very end of August, the 3rd pruning is carried out, which consists of shortening the side shoots by 15-20 cm. By the way, the prunings make an excellent fortified tea for the winter.

Here, in principle, are all the secrets of caring for large-fruited raspberries, which can produce very decent yields. And so that the characteristics of large varieties of raspberries fully correspond to your plants, buy seedlings only with a guarantee of quality, grown in a nursery!