The best raspberry varieties for southern Russia require special cultivation. The parent crimson modern form arose in northern latitudes.
Therefore, these crops are more likely to be frost-resistant than drought-resistant. They easily adapt to low temperatures. And they enjoy the long spring seasons and short, cool summer days.
Specifics of growing the best raspberry varieties in the southern regions
The crop is grown in a special way. Because, for example, Kuban has a special climate, that is, an early hot spring season. As soon as winter ends, the thermometer immediately rises rapidly, and at the end of the second month of spring it already shows from 25 to 30 degrees.
In addition, if we talk about winters, they have little snow. Frequent thaws occur. Raspberries grow in drying winds, which affects the lack of moisture in the soil, because there is no proper protective snow cover.
Important! At the end of the winter seasons, dry winds contribute to the dehydration of last year's vegetation and the upper layers of the earth.
And, as you know, raspberry roots are located not far from the surface at 30-40 cm, although they are branched. Therefore, there are special requirements for the placement of berry gardens.
The best raspberry varieties for southern Russia are planted according to certain rules
Shrubs are planted in forest areas, shelter belts or gardens where there is protection from the winds. Raspberry growers in the North Caucasus try to use the northern and western mountain slopes.
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Berry growers are not very demanding on water and do not like excessive stagnation of the root systems, but during the growing season, it needs watering.
And if the temperatures are high, they will ask for a lot of water. Knowing this, to grow raspberries, gardeners try to plant berry gardens in ravines and river valleys.
The North Caucasus and its mountainous regions do not suffer from low rainfall, so in order to avoid the use of artificial irrigation, raspberry fields are planted in such places.
The best raspberry varieties for the south of Russia are natives of the northern regions, so shaded conditions are provided for them to grow in the North Caucasus.
Important! For raspberries, good places to grow are: areas between buildings, trees next to houses. In general, where there is shade and a small amount of light, the best raspberry varieties for southern Russia will grow.
Because:
- Plants cannot tolerate sun
- the foliage begins to turn yellow;
- the berries bake and fall off ahead of time.
What varieties are called remontant
All cultivated varieties have a lot of advantages, such as large fruit, productivity and others.
But those that produce more than one harvest per season are remontant. The word “Remontant” is translated as “bearing fruit without interruption.”
For the first time, remontant raspberry varieties were obtained more than two hundred years ago; since then, the number of varieties of such varieties has been constantly increasing. Breeders achieve the qualities they need, including suitability for growing in different climatic conditions.
Remontant varieties produce the first harvest on last year's shoots, like ordinary varieties, and the second - on the current year's shoots; it is this ability that is the main advantage of such varieties. But only gardeners in the southern regions of Russia, where it is still quite warm in October and the first half of November, can take full advantage and appreciate this opportunity. In the middle zone and northern latitudes, the second harvest of remontant raspberries of southern varieties simply will not have time to ripen.
Remontant raspberry varieties for the south of Russia, namely Kuban, Rostov region, North Caucasus and Crimea, are able to withstand short-term temperature drops to sub-zero values, while producing fruits even in mid-November.
Breeders have noticed that some varieties of remontant raspberries produce a smaller harvest in the fall than in the summer, while the berries are small and are inferior in taste to summer berries.
To achieve large berries in the fall, it is advisable to sacrifice the first harvest. In summer, it is better to get berries from regular varieties of raspberry bushes, and transfer the harvest from remontant varieties only to autumn. Some varieties are better suited to a two-year (two-harvest) growing cycle, while others are better suited to a one-year cycle. With the annual growing method, all fruit-bearing bushes of remontant raspberries are cut off at the root for the winter. In the spring, young shoots begin to grow and by autumn they can produce a bountiful harvest.
The advantage of this method is that pests and diseases will not accumulate in wintering shoots, so you will not have to use a lot of chemicals to destroy them.
The varieties most suitable for using the annual method are:
- darling;
- Chief Marshal;
- red guard;
- apricot;
- Augustine;
- white guard.
In principle, any variety of remontant raspberry can be grown in both an annual and biennial cycle, so each gardener will decide for himself which growing method he will choose.
Advice! For those who do not strive to obtain large yields, but want to save space on their plot, it is better to plant tall remontant varieties and not cut off the shoots for the winter. Then you will have to spend a little more time on care and get two harvests from each bush.
Mistakes when growing raspberries in southern Russia
Since raspberries do not like bright sun, it means that novice gardeners begin to prepare raspberries in the garden aisles. Experienced raspberry growers warn against this.
Because raspberry crops are capable of littering gardens with their offspring. Plus, they can quickly become wild. Because it will be difficult to fight unnecessary vegetation in such growing conditions without damaging the root systems.
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The yields will be ridiculous, due to the fact that the raspberries will not receive enough nutrients, everything will go to unnecessary shoots. It will be difficult to control pests. And the berries are difficult to pick.
Important! It is advisable to plant crops in late autumn, when Indian summer ends. In the spring they will not take root because it will be hot for them.
Features of remontant varieties
Raspberries, bearing fruit once a season, produce a harvest on bushes of the second year, and remontant varieties produce a second harvest on annual shoots, but this is not the only feature of such varieties. Here is the difference between remontant raspberries and regular ones:
- the opportunity to receive two harvests annually or one abundant one in the fall;
- the ability to obtain berries in the first year of cultivation;
- bushes get sick less due to the peculiarities of care;
- remontants are not able to produce a large number of shoots, which makes care easier, but makes reproduction difficult;
- Such varieties require abundant watering and regular feeding.
Thus, it is clear that when selecting varieties, one should take into account the needs, climatic conditions and possibilities for care.
Assortment of the best raspberries for the south
Thanks to domestic breeders V.V. Kichina and I.V. Kazakov, many raspberry crops were created. The hot climate is suitable for breeding remontant varieties. What are the best raspberry varieties for the south of Russia?
The Crane has a two-year growing cycle. Shrub up to 2 meters high. From each bush you can remove up to 2 kg of berries. It is tasty, ruby and weighs about 3.5 g.
Apricot has a berry weighing 3-3.5 g and 2 kg per bush. The golden apricot berry is conical and has a blunt tip. It has tasty and aromatic pulp. The harvest begins from the beginning of August until the first frost. The shrub is medium-sized (1.2-1.5 m), slightly spreading.
Indian Summer has a red, round, aromatic berry, weighing 2-4 g. 1-1.5 kg is harvested from one bush. The shrub is medium-sized, medium-spreading. It has straight, highly branched stems.
Indian Summer 2 with juicy, tasty berries, weighing about 3.5 kg. About 2.5 kg is collected from the bush. A shrub 1.5 m high. It has straight branching stems. Produces up to 5 replacement shoots.
Diamond fruit bears fruit on spring branches. Shrubs 1.5 m high. Produces root suckers and replacement shoots (6 pcs.). The branches are drooping, and the harvest is half ripe.
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3 kg of berries (4-4.5 g, even up to 7 g) are harvested from one bush, starting in August. Raspberries can hang on the bushes for a week and not fall off.
Gardeners respect Eurasia for its large berries (4.5-6.5 g). About 2.5 kg is removed from one plant. Raspberries have conical fruits, early ripening, and fruiting in close proximity. These are standard plants, with a height of 1.5 m.
The Firebird is also planted, with a height of 2 m. A crop with a small number of thorns. A red, remontant berry weighing 4.5 g, appears at the end of August and produces 2.5 kg per bush.
The penguin grows up to 1.2 m, with a small number of spines. The berry weighs about 5 g. From each bush you can get 2 kg at the beginning of the autumn period.
The Ruby Necklace has a berry weighing 5.5-8 g. 3 kg is collected from each plant, starting from August until frost.
The Orange Miracle has large caps of berries, weighing 7-9 g. They are dessert berries. 2.5 kg of fruits are collected from one bush, which is about 1.7 m high.
Bottom line
The best varieties of raspberries for the south should be grown in areas protected from winds and excess sun. And do not forget about frequent and abundant watering. The raspberry assortment for these regions is extensive.
How do remontant raspberries differ from ordinary ones?
Naturally, the main difference is that ordinary raspberries bear fruit on a two-year growth, and remontant varieties produce two harvests - one on last year's branches, the second, extended in terms of ripening until late autumn - on the upper part of spring shoots. But the differences don't end there.
It is very easy to propagate ordinary raspberries - you plant a couple of bushes on the plot and, thanks to the abundant growth after a few years, you satisfy not only your own need for planting material, but also actively distribute “extra” plants to your friends and neighbors. Remontant raspberries are not like that. Most varieties produce very little root growth, sometimes barely enough to replace dying two-year-old shoots. This makes it very difficult to reproduce.
Ordinary raspberries have many pests and are often sick. It is almost impossible to obtain a full harvest without chemical treatments. As we noted above, the larvae of raspberry pests and spores of harmful bacteria overwinter under the bark of old shoots. To fight them, considerable financial and labor costs are required, and after many treatments, the berries can no longer be called environmentally friendly.
If remontant raspberries are grown as an annual crop, then you can simply forget about most diseases, and worry about pests only as they appear. After all, the most dangerous of them had nowhere to overwinter, and if there are no ordinary raspberry plantings nearby, it is quite possible that the pests will bypass your area. Those insects that overwinter in the ground and are not removed along with shoots that have completed fruiting are not able to adapt to the stages of development of remontant varieties.
Important! Remontant varieties are more demanding in terms of care, in particular, watering and fertilizing.
