Raspberries are a tasty and healthy berry in all respects. In the old days, it grew exclusively in forests, but when people learned about its healing properties, they began to grow it in their gardens. This culture, despite the fact that it is not picky, requires care, like all plants. But labor costs can be reduced if you select suitable neighbors for it. In this case, you will not have to devote too much time to your raspberry garden, and at the same time you will be able to harvest a good harvest.
Why is it necessary to respect the proximity of plants?
Each plant requires certain care, appropriate soil conditions, watering, has characteristics of the root system and needs fertilizers. If the correct proximity is not observed, the crop may suffer due to excess or lack of moisture and nutrients, as well as from the roots of those green spaces that are planted nearby. Experts divide plant compatibility into three categories: positive influence, neutral and depressing.
Getting a good harvest from raspberry bushes largely depends on what you plant next to the berry garden. If you follow the recommendations of agronomists, you can achieve not only a large number of berries, but also other positive results, such as the absence of overgrowth and the need for painstaking care. Therefore, if the area of your land is small, then you can save space by planting other crops in close proximity to the raspberry tree. But for this you need to familiarize yourself with the compatibility rules.
Features of growing raspberries and blackberries
Blackberries are planted in open areas because they need a lot of sunlight, but their shoots become tough and brittle as they mature and can be damaged by strong winds. To prevent this from happening, it is better to place the plantings away from windy places.
It is not always possible to find an open, elevated place protected from the wind with deep groundwater in a dacha, so blackberries, like raspberries, are most often planted along the fence. Both of these crops need a lot of moisture for comfortable growth, because the wide, large leaves evaporate a lot of it from their surface. But if swampiness or stagnation of water occurs at the level of the roots, then the lack of air flow to them will immediately affect the growth of the bushes. Therefore, both of these crops with berries similar in structure should be placed where groundwater lies no higher than one and a half meters from the surface. And you need to water so that the roots do not experience a lack of moisture, especially during the fruiting period, but the soil should be light enough so as not to retain water.
Raspberries, like blackberries, can suffer from weeds, so weeding and loosening the soil are mandatory steps in caring for them. You can mulch the ground around the bushes; this will not only prevent weeds from growing, but will allow you to water the plantings less often.
In addition, both of these berry crops respond well to nitrogen fertilizing. If you use humus or compost as mulch, then each watering will send a portion of fertilizer to the roots. They say that it is difficult to overfeed raspberries; it is recommended to feed them during or immediately after flowering. Blackberries will also delight you with large, sweet berries if they have enough nutrition, although experts do not recommend being particularly diligent in this matter. Blackberries need to be planted in fertilized soil, and then fertilized every few years. An exception can be made for depleted sandy soils. Such soil is initially weighted with loam, compost, humus or complex fertilizers are added, and then the plants are fed at the beginning of flowering.
It is better to feed raspberries again in the fall so that the fruit buds of the next harvest develop well.
These crops are also related by the fact that most traditional varieties produce many shoots and offsets, so the bushes have to be thoroughly thinned out during mandatory pruning. In raspberries, old shoots are cut out, on which the number and size of fruits decrease, and blackberries generally require replacement of shoots - each shoot bears fruit once, in the second year of life. Therefore, in the fall, the branches that bore fruit this year are completely cut out, and only those that grew next to them this year are left.
Blackberries with their thorns, as well as prickly raspberries, make them difficult to care for and harvest, so it is recommended to plant them in rows at a distance of at least 2 m, and 40–50 cm can be left between plants. It is very convenient to limit the rows with trellises, on which in the summer You can secure shoots bending under the weight of berries. The bushes should be kept out of the rows by annual pruning; let them grow better next to each other, and their density will also have to be adjusted during the pruning process.
Blackberries and raspberries have common enemies, which can be fought using the same methods. If you avoid thickening the bushes, there will be less threat of pests or diseases. To prevent the occurrence of these troubles, you need to ensure that weeds do not even get into the aisles. It is useful to periodically spray the greens with an infusion of nettle or horsetail. Infusions of ash or tobacco work well to repel aphids and some other disease carriers. Of course, there are special preparations that can get rid of most pests, but gardeners prefer to use less harmful means, although they can be less effective
It is very important not to allow plants to be shaded, and if they grow densely, they shade themselves.
An important factor in healthy plantings is not only healthy planting material, the choice of which must be taken very seriously. Predecessors and proximity matter here. So you can’t plant these crops after apple trees, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, and strawberries. It is advisable that they do not grow nearby either, this will have a bad effect on the health of the bushes, and therefore the harvest of vitamin-rich berries.
What not to plant next to raspberries
Some plants secrete colins, substances that have a depressing effect on various crops. Because of this, plants can slow down in growth, refuse to bear fruit and even die.
Next to raspberries, agronomists categorically do not advise planting radishes and parsley, popular vegetables among gardeners, which can stop the growth of bushes. But even if you achieve results, the taste of the berries will deteriorate. The grape culture is also not suitable for raspberries as a neighbor, since it will take away all the “food” from it, which will gradually lead to the death of the bushes.
Fragrant jasmine, which gardeners simply adore, is one of the worst enemies of raspberries. Sea buckthorn, which is useful for people, also falls into this category. The red berry also cannot tolerate some flowers: for planting marigolds, iris, and hosta in the neighborhood, it certainly will not reward you with a rich harvest. The most you can get is a few meager berries.
It would seem: berry crops should make friends with each other, so it would be correct to plant delicious strawberries, strawberries and blueberries next to raspberries, which, like raspberries, are suitable for making jam for the winter. But no! In these species, the roots are located at the same level in relation to the soil surface, so the competition between them for nutrients will become enormous. Cherry is a berry tree that, at first glance, will not harm raspberries, since, in fact, they have nothing to “share” , will also not be a good neighbor due to the fact that this tree is loved by cockchafer insects, the larvae of which, in turn, love raspberries.
Mutual influence of cultures
Everything in the plant and animal world is interconnected. Therefore, plants located nearby can have a strong influence on the “neighbor”. It can be positive, neutral, or even negative.
For example, some crops are so incompatible with each other that they can lead to a mutual decrease in yield, deterioration in the quality of fruits, inhibition of development and even the death of one of them. The negative impact is explained by the natural struggle of plants for light, water and nutrients found in the soil.
In addition, most plants release harmful substances into the soil and air - so-called colins, for example, ethylene. They can negatively affect plants located nearby.
The level of production of inhibitory substances is different for all cultures. Those that produce them more will suffer less from the influence of others and will dominate the fight for the necessary substances. This must be taken into account in order to optimally place plants on the site and get a good harvest.
What can be planted between raspberry rows?
So, to get a rich harvest of healing and tasty berries, as well as to save space, plant plants in the raspberry rows that will benefit the bush and will benefit from it themselves. Select crops that can get along with raspberries from the very first days. The best friend of this berry plant is the apple tree, which has been proven for centuries. The secret of their good neighborliness is that apples do not allow gray rot to develop on raspberries, and raspberries protect them from scab disease. The plum tree, pear tree and rowan tree are also recognized as worthy friends.
If you want your raspberries to be productively pollinated, plant dill next to them. This plant has an aroma that attracts beneficial insects, which will contribute to the formation of a large harvest of berries. Gooseberries, black currants and red currants get along well near raspberries. But please note: different types of currants should not be adjacent to each other, as they compete for nutrients. Plant only one type of raspberry in the raspberry rows that you prefer. This compatibility will benefit both cultures. In the same way, you should not plant an apple tree next to a currant, as the berry tree, as it grows, will begin to suppress the tree. Harmony between these two neighbors is possible only if they are located at a great distance from each other.
Some decorative flowers, including roses and peonies, as well as flowering shrubs, such as the barberry plant, have a beneficial effect on raspberries. From such a tandem, shoots will begin to grow in the berry garden. Vegetable crops can also be planted between the rows of raspberries: root vegetables, potatoes, regular cucumbers, red tomatoes, which make the taste of the berries much better.
Gardeners often ask the question: what will happen if blackberries are planted next to raspberries? In this case, cross-pollination is possible, which is a problem for many crops. Experts explain that this process will bring nothing but benefits to raspberries and blackberries. You will receive a new variety - ezhemalina, the berries of which are tasty and no less healthy than non-hybrid species.
In order to obtain a good harvest, you can plant a vetch-oat mixture in the inter-row space. Becoming a homogeneous mass, it will act as a fertilizer, which will make the raspberry bush smell fragrant. Another positive point is that the growth of weeds in the area will be reduced. And if you make minimal efforts to prevent them, then such plants will not remind you of themselves at all.
Beneficial effect on raspberries
What can you plant next to tomatoes?
Raspberry culture coexists well with a large number of plants. Moreover, in some cases they complement each other, improving taste and yield, protecting against pests and a number of diseases.
You can identify plants that protect raspberries from pests:
- Spicy herbs, such as marjoram, basil, and parsley, effectively fight raspberry flies. Their specific smell, constantly hanging in the air, scares away flies;
Parsley repels raspberry flies
- Medicinal herbs with a bright aroma, planted in close proximity to raspberry bushes, repel a number of pests. Therefore, gardeners recommend planting calendula, chamomile, tansy, and yarrow nearby. The pest simply does not smell the raspberry; it is overwhelmed by the floral aroma;
- Garlic (its rich garlicky aroma) repels dangerous insects;
- Nettle is rarely present in the gardens of summer residents, however, it only brings benefits to raspberries, protecting the juicy fruit from insects that want to feast on it;
- The smell of red elderberry is quite unpleasant for many insects, so its close proximity has a beneficial effect on raspberry beds.
For a number of plants, the raspberry itself is an aggressor, which slowly but surely takes over the territory, gradually growing and surpassing its area.
But there are cultures that prevent its active reproduction:
- If sorrel is planted around a plot of raspberries, the growth of raspberries will stop, since sorrel has a certain acidity that prevents the raspberry root system from spreading;
Important! The width of the sorrel planting should be at least 0.5 meters.
- Metlitsa, according to a number of agronomists, is a weed from which they clear their garden. But if you look at it from the other side, it well restrains the spread of raspberries, since its roots go deep into the soil, thereby preventing the rapid growth of the root system of its neighbor, and also retains moisture in the soil;
- A neighbor like corn will help reduce the growth of raspberry bushes;
- Green beans can significantly reduce shoots, since during the growth process their root system secretes specific components that suppress the growth of new raspberry shoots.
When choosing what can be planted next to raspberry plantations, you should follow the recommendations of experienced agronomists and remember once what can be planted nearby, and which vegetable or fruit to exclude from your “friends”. Different neighbors have their own effect on the raspberry: positive, neutral or negative. Blackberry and raspberry plots, apple tree plantings, and currants coexist seamlessly nearby.
Raspberries and blackberries go well together
You should also not forget about the required care for the berry: it should be planted in open ground, and pruning and bending should be done every fall if necessary. If winter is expected to be harsh, use covering material. This applies to all varieties of raspberries, regardless of whether the fruit grows on the bush is yellow or red. The reward will be a large harvest, from which you can make a delicious summer dessert, for example, strawberry mousse cake.
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What crops will repel pests from raspberries?
Parasites love this red and sweet berry. Gardeners have to fight insects throughout the entire season, but some plants will come to your aid and save the bushes from harm. Plant red elderberry in the inter-row spaces, the aroma of which is not tolerated by pests. Elderberry secretes phytoncides, which is why the boogers won’t even dare to get close to the raspberry tree. Garlic and onions do this job well.
Harmful insects are also afraid of spicy and medicinal herbs. The basil plant and marjoram will not only protect the berry garden, but will also be present on your table. Experienced gardeners advise giving preference to calendula, chamomile, yarrow and tansy. Nettle, considered a weed by some, provides great benefits to raspberries. Do not neglect this plant, as it can be used in cooking, cosmetology and medicinal purposes.
Metlitsa
Metlitsa is an annual plant with a highly developed root system, which can have a restraining effect on the spread of raspberry shoots. In any other situation, broom could easily be called a weed, but in the case of raspberries, the use of this plant is completely justified.
Growing between the rows of the raspberry tree, the broom covers the soil, thereby depriving the raspberry root shoots of sunlight and moisture. At the same time, the root system of the broom itself draws upon itself all the substances that could go into the growth and development of the raspberry root branches with the subsequent formation of daughter shoots.
Among owners of personal plots, broom is known as a weed, but now the seeds of this plant are added to lawn mixtures.
Good neighborhood
Competent planning of a summer cottage is a real art. It is important to take into account the rules of beneficial compatibility of crops. Each plant is planted in the garden bed not alone, but in the vicinity of another, preferably a companion. Such tactics can minimize the harmful effects of pests and diseases, as well as increase productivity.
Apple tree
Raspberries and apple trees get along well together. Such proximity contributes to a good harvest. The apple tree protects the raspberry tree from gray rot, but the berry crop does not remain in debt, it protects the fruit tree from scab.
Blackberry
Raspberries can be planted near blackberries. In terms of requirements for cultivation conditions, the plants are similar, which is why it is convenient to water, prune and feed berry bushes together.
But it is important to take care of the separation of plants by burying limiters. If the procedure is not carried out, the crops will be mixed, since the root growth will spread to a distance of more than 1 m from the bush itself. You can solve the problem by leaving a distance of about 2 m between plants when planting.
Currant
Raspberries get along well with currants, but it is important to remove excess growth in a timely manner and feed the plantings so that there are enough nutrients for all crops. Ignoring these agricultural practices, the raspberry rhizome will quickly grow and begin to oppress the currant bushes.
Juniper
This plant releases substances beneficial to raspberries into the soil and suppresses the growth of weeds.
Dill
Dill planted nearby can attract beneficial insects to fruit bushes that pollinate their flowers, thereby increasing raspberry yields.
Sorrel
This plant secretes substances that inhibit the growth of the underground part of the raspberry, thereby preventing the formation of root shoots.
A positive result can be achieved if the width of sorrel plantings is at least 50 cm. It is important to take into account that this will reduce the usable area that could be allocated for the construction of other crops. Sorrel is also a fast-growing crop. As a result, having solved one problem, there is a risk of acquiring another.
Legumes
Legumes can be planted near the raspberry patch. They are able to make the soil looser, saturate it with useful elements, especially nitrogen, and also protect it from weeds.
It should be noted that legumes love well-lit beds. Therefore, if you plan to limit the growth of raspberry shoots and get a rich harvest of legumes, then it is better to plant them at a stage when the seedlings of the berry crop have not yet grown to large sizes in order to inhibit the growth of their neighbor.
Cereals
Good natural sources of nitrogen are a beneficial substance that promotes rapid growth of fruits and also improves their taste. The soil under such crops is saturated with nutrients, loose, perfectly permeable to air and moisture, which is very important for fruit bushes.
If you plant cereals to support raspberries, it is better to place them between the rows. In addition, this is the best way to combat weeds.
There is no need to worry if the beds with onions are located next to the raspberries. Berry bushes have nothing in common with vegetables, which is why they will not suffer from infections and onion parasites. On the contrary, the onion aroma repels many parasites, which is why it is very beneficial for raspberries.
Garlic
This vegetable crop inhibits the spread of the raspberry root system, so it is recommended to plant it along the borders of the raspberry tree so that it does not migrate throughout the area.
Flowers
Such combinations are not only beautiful, but also useful. Flowers growing near raspberry bushes repel many dangerous parasites. It is advised to give preference to calendula, chamomile, tansy, cloves, and barberry. Pests do not smell the raspberry because it is overwhelmed by the aroma of flowers.
Spices
These plants can force pests to avoid raspberries. Insects are merciless to raspberries and can reduce all the gardener’s efforts to zero. Such herbs include: sage, mint, basil, marjoram. Of course, you can use chemicals, but this will have a bad effect on the quality of the fruit.
When to plant raspberries?
The most favorable time for planting varietal garden raspberries is considered to be autumn: the period from the end of the growing season until 2-3 weeks before frost. You can plant raspberries early in the spring, but it is important to plant them before the buds open.
Raspberry planting dates for Central Russia:
- Autumn:
end of September – first half of October - In spring:
end of April – first half of May.
When to plant raspberries in the southern regions:
- In autumn:
2 weeks later than in the middle zone - In spring:
2 weeks earlier.
Potato friendly
Corn grown immediately south of potatoes provides shade when the weather gets hot, helping to keep the soil cool and moist while the potatoes develop. Beans and potatoes planted together mutually repel insects that might invade the space. Planting eggplant, a relative of the potato, nearby can trap the Colorado potato beetle, which loves eggplant even more than potatoes. Surprisingly, horseradish plants planted at the four corners of a potato bed are reputed to make the potatoes healthier, more disease-resistant, and eliminate the Colorado potato beetle.
Planting technique: how to plant raspberries correctly
At what distance should I plant raspberries?
Raspberries are planted in straight rows. Placement on personal plots: the width between rows is 1.5 m, and between plants in a row - 0.5 m. Why is such a giant distance - you ask, - Where can one speed up on a summer cottage... But the fact is that next to the planted young shoots will regularly grow in the bushes. According to science, for 3-4 years after planting, all root shoots produced by planted plants in rows must be preserved. The shoots are removed from the row spaces. Thus, if space allows, stripes 40-50 cm wide are formed. The described method of placing raspberry bushes is called narrow-strip.
In a summer cottage where space is limited, it can be difficult to maintain stripes. But at the same time, it is important to trim the raspberries so that there is no thickening and in order to rejuvenate the plantings. How to prune raspberries and how to care for them in order to achieve a high yield will be discussed in the article “...”. Now let's get back to the landing.
How to plant raspberry seedlings in the ground?
Before planting, the seedlings are cut off from above, leaving a stump of 15-20 cm. The roots, if they are damaged, are cut to a healthy place using a knife or pruning shears. Do not break off the buds on the roots. After pruning, the roots are dipped in soil mash and planting begins.
So, the soil was dug up and fertilized. The depth of the planting hole should be exactly the same as that of the seedlings. Deep planting depresses plants. The roots in the hole should lie freely, not bend or curl. Approximate hole size for heavy soils: 40-50 cm deep and 50-70 cm wide. On loose soils, seedlings are planted directly under a shovel. When planting, the roots of the plant are straightened.
When backfilling, shake the plant carefully so that there are no voids in the soil. Finally, the soil around the planted plant is compacted with feet.
After planting, watering is required. Water consumption: 10 liters for 2-3 seedlings. After watering, the soil around the plants is mulched with manure or compost (diameter - 50 cm, mulch weight - 5 kg per bush).
In hot, dry weather conditions, watering of new plantings should be repeated, keeping the mulch under the bushes.
Many people know about compatibility when planting vegetable crops. But not everyone knows that compatibility exists between trees and shrubs. Without knowing the rules for placing plants in the neighborhood, their characteristics of general existence, you can accidentally harm your shrubs and trees. A mistake when planting vegetable crops together can be easily corrected next year by planting “unfriendly” vegetables in different places. However, this option is not suitable for trees, so it is worth carefully studying the materials on joint plantings.
Where is the best place to plant raspberries?
For a good harvest, it is worth considering where it is better to plant raspberries on the site
. But if you consider that raspberries grow well in the forest, you don’t have to worry too much. Our goal is to learn how to plant raspberries correctly. Therefore, read on. So, raspberries love:
- Loamy and sandy loam soils fertilized with organic matter;
- Legumes and cereal perennial grasses as predecessor plants.
Raspberries don't like:
- Wetlands;
- Proximity of groundwater (water must lie at least 1.5 m from the surface of the earth);
- The plant does not like high soil moisture, but it also does not like lack of moisture. It is permissible to plant raspberries in low areas, but not in basins and depressions.
For raspberries, it is best to allocate sunny areas in windless areas, for example behind a fence or some kind of building or shed. More snow accumulates there in winter, which prevents it from drying out and also creates protection against freezing of buds and shoots. Raspberries do not take root well and grow in swampy areas, as well as on clay soils. BUT it also does not like dryness, where it suffers from a lack of moisture.
Increase growth and productivity
Raspberry bushes will benefit from dill beds in the neighborhood. Fragrant greens attract pollinating insects, which are essential for increasing crop yields. Garden flowers, for example, peonies and asters, as well as spices: coriander, basil, will be no less effective in this regard.
Roses, barberries, and junipers will help increase the number of new shoots in a raspberry garden.
And to improve the taste of the berries, you should plant tomatoes, cucumbers and potatoes next to the raspberry bushes.
It is also recommended to grow grains and legumes near the raspberry field. They make the soil looser, enrich it with useful substances, including nitrogen, and protect it from weeds.
Fertilizing soil for raspberries
Raspberries, like gooseberries and black currants, are a favorite in your diet:
- Manure,
- Compost,
- Superphosphate,
- Potassium chloride,
- Ammonium nitrate.
It is these substances that form the basis of all fertilizing and fertilizing the soil before planting for raspberries.
(along with gooseberries and blackcurrants).
Before planting, digging and fertilizing the soil is required. Fertilizers are applied to predecessor plants and directly to pre-planting digging. Fertilizers are added to the planting holes for each plant in the following amounts:
6-8 kg of manure (bucket) of manure, humus or compost, 150-200 g of superphosphate, 30-40 g of potassium chloride; for acidic soils, lime is also used in the amount of 200-300 g.
The listed fertilizers are mixed with the soil in the planting hole. After the plant is placed in the hole, the roots are covered with the top layer of soil, without fertilizer. Instead of superphosphate, phosphate rock is also used (300-400 g per hole).
Suitable plants
There are neutral crops: they will not help raspberries, but they will not harm either. And when the choice is based on the principle of “two evils,” it is better to choose neutral cultures rather than agree to a risky neighborhood. Neutral crops:
But some neighborhood can be called conditional. For example, the compatibility of raspberries with blackberries depends on a number of factors: the difficulties of pruning and harvesting. Both crops have approximately the same requirements for care, composition and soil condition.
Both of them can grow very large and have thorns. It will be difficult for the person who will maintain these shrubs if they grow close.
Therefore, the width sufficient for passage and collection is taken into account first of all. If it is possible to preserve it, the neighborhood will be completely neutral.
What to plant raspberries next to for successful development:
Beans and cereals are excellent natural sources of nitrogen compounds; they will have a beneficial effect on the growth of the berry, its yield, and taste. The soil under such crops will be more nutritious, loose, and will absorb moisture better.
For berry bushes, moisture is especially important. If you plant beans and cereals to support raspberries, it is better to do this in the inter-rows of shrubs. By the way, you can also fight weeds.
Plants that will repel pests from raspberries:
And these are very important neighbors, because pests are merciless to raspberries. They are capable of nullifying all the efforts of the gardener. Of course, you can use chemicals and other special preparations, but still they cannot completely affect the quality of the berries.
And in order to have to spray less often (or not to spray at all), you can choose plants with an unpleasant odor for insects - they are all on the list above.
But caution won’t hurt here either: for example, marigolds are the best guardians against pests, but they can suppress the growth of raspberries.
This side effect is not always noticeable; often the plants are “friendly,” but it needs to be controlled. With elderberry and garlic, the same precautions are taken, you just need to be careful.
You can often see raspberries growing next to an apple tree. This neighborhood, although considered neutral, still tends to produce a successful alliance.
The fruit tree protects the bushes from such a dangerous fungus as gray rot. But the raspberry plant will not remain in debt: it, in turn, protects the tree from scab.
