How to feed raspberries in spring for a good harvest

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Powerful raspberry bushes strewn with large aromatic berries are the dream of every gardener. One of the most important conditions for its implementation is the timely application of fertilizers. Therefore, gardeners never cease to worry about how to feed raspberries in the fall and spring, in the summer during flowering and after fruiting, in order to have abundantly fruiting plants on the site.

Drought and moisture stagnation are detrimental to raspberries.

What types of fertilizing do raspberries need in spring for a good harvest?

The shrub needs a number of macro- and microelements to ripen a good harvest. The most important elements include: nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, boron, sulfur, iron.

Nitrogen is necessary for the abundant development of the green part of plants: leaves and shoots. However, with an excess of nitrogen, the green mass begins to grow to the detriment of the berries.
Potassium is required for fruit ripening and maintaining plant immunity from diseases.
Phosphorus is required to ensure excellent fruiting and excellent taste of berries.

There are two methods of feeding:

Root - with this method, fertilizer must be applied at the root of the plant. This type of feeding is the most important. Fertilizers can be used in liquid form, poured into special holes, or in dry form, evenly distributed over all beds with raspberries.
Foliar - with this method, fertilizer should be applied to the stems and leaves by spraying with a spray bottle. It is impossible to completely replace root feeding with foliar feeding.

Tips and tricks

Recommendations from experienced gardeners will improve the condition of the plant and the quality of the harvest:

Combustion products should not be added together with nitrogen substances. It is good to fertilize raspberries at different times of the year: apply one fertilizer in the spring, the second in late autumn.
Superphosphates are incompatible with ash, since a neutral or slightly acidic environment is needed to absorb phosphorus fertilizers. Ash fertilizers create an alkaline environment, and phosphorus is not absorbed.
There is no ammonia in ready-made mullein infusions that have completed fermentation, so you can add ash. You cannot mix them if the infusion with manure has not yet matured.
Much more nutrients are contained in ashes obtained from small branches or thin brushwood than in ashes from old and large trees.
Treated or painted wood should not be used to produce ash - it can release toxic substances.

This is interesting:
Which raspberry varieties are the most productive?
Advantages and features of early raspberry varieties
The best varieties of remontant raspberries

Stages of fertilizing

It is imperative to adhere to the timing of fertilizing; the effectiveness of fertilizing depends on this.

There are 4 stages of fertilizing:

It is performed in early spring, when the growing season of raspberry bushes begins. During this period, plants need to grow leaves, so it is better to fertilize mainly with nitrogen fertilizers.
It is carried out during the formation of buds on raspberries, before flowering begins. Fertilizers applied during bud formation can help produce a bountiful harvest.
It is carried out during the flowering period or at the beginning of the berry ripening period.
It is carried out after the harvest. At this time, fertilizers are necessary for the formation of flower buds for the ripening of fruits in the coming season.

Thus, fertilizing in the spring is performed only once. At the same time, it is not recommended to rush; in early spring the soil has not yet warmed up to a temperature of +5-10°C, and this temperature is optimal for the absorption of fertilizers.

To properly fertilize raspberries, you should adhere to the following rules:

If any fertilizers were used during planting of bushes, additional feeding is not needed for another two years;
To avoid burns, the ground must first be watered with clean water;
When using liquid fertilizers, you should be careful not to get them on the aboveground part of the plant.
It is not recommended to apply fertilizer during the day; it is better in the morning or evening.

Timing of the procedure

Depending on the raspberry varieties and growing region, the timing may vary. The plant is fertilized twice per season: when the buds swell or during the appearance of leaves and after fruiting or preparing the raspberry tree for wintering.

If the soil is sandy and loamy, in order to get a significant harvest from the bushes, be sure to fertilize in early June.

For reference . Remontant varieties often require fertilizer due to almost continuous fruiting.

It is better to feed raspberries in the spring (late April - early May), when the top layer of soil dries out, before the leaves appear. Fertilization in the summer is more necessary to increase productivity and restore the vitality of the plant. Organic fertilizers are replaced with mineral or complex ones (“Ideal”, “Kristalon”).

Root feeding

Applying fertilizer in the spring is very important, as it ensures good growth and fruiting of raspberry bushes. It is better to give preference to root feeding, especially nitrogen and potassium fertilizers.

Before using root feeding, raspberries must be thoroughly weeded and all weeds removed. After this, old shoots should be cut off, since they only take away nutrients and produce little yield. After this, it is necessary to loosen the soil; this should be done shallowly to avoid damage to the root system.

The benefits of ash for raspberries

The ash formed after the combustion of wood contains all the elements that were contained in the original material. The presence of potassium, sulfur, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and a number of other minerals in a form easily accessible to raspberries makes this organic product a good fertilizer.

Using raspberry ash as fertilizer

helps replenish the deficiency of minerals in the soil;
improves the structure of the soil, making it looser;
reduces the acidity level of the soil by adding alkali to it;
activates the process of photosynthesis;
helps regulate the process of budding and fruiting;
promotes the growth of the root system;
strengthens raspberry immunity and reduces the likelihood of developing fungal diseases;
repels harmful insects from raspberry bushes;

Attention! To feed raspberries, ash is used both in pure form and as part of organic mixtures.

For the first time, raspberries are fed with ash at the beginning of summer.

How to feed raspberries with nitrogen: proportions

Nitrogen affects the development of leaves, therefore it is a necessary fertilizer for this berry. It is important to use nitrogen in the correct dosage, as too much nitrogen risks excessive stem and foliage growth and poor fruit set. It is necessary to use nitrogen only once per spring, the optimal period is April or May.

Fertilizer can be sprinkled on the ground or directly on melted snow. There are a number of things to keep in mind:

nitrogen has the ability to increase soil acidity, so after using nitrogen fertilizers it is necessary to sprinkle wood ash under each bush;
Fertilizing with nitrogen must be used before fruiting begins, since later application impairs the winter hardiness of plants.

Urea is an excellent nitrogen-containing fertilizer.

Fertilizing must be done in two ways: either by watering with fertilizer diluted with water, or by directly sprinkling the product on the surface of the soil under the bushes.

The fertilizer rate should be 20 grams per 1 square meter of soil.

Nitrogen mineral fertilizers

Urea

It contains at least 45% nitrogen. To prepare the working liquid, you need to stir up to 15 g of the drug in 5 liters of water and apply it strictly to the root zone of raspberry bushes. But this preparation can be scattered dry on the soil, using 20-25 g of urea for each square of area. As a rule, this particular drug is used as the first application in the spring under this berry garden.

Use of stove black and local fertilizers

Ammonium nitrate

This drug consists of approximately one third nitrogen. The working fluid must be prepared as follows: up to 20 g of this type of nitrate is dissolved in 5 liters of water and the raspberry plantation is watered. Also, this amount of the drug can simply be scattered over a square area.

Related article on Ofazende.ru: Ammonium nitrate - use in gardening as a fertilizer

How to properly use manure to feed raspberries

An alternative and more affordable option for fertilizers for raspberries is manure.

Manure can also cause vigorous shoot growth and burn roots and leaves, so it should not be used in too large quantities. Particular care must be taken when using bird droppings.

Approximate doses:

Manure: Approximately 1 bucket of manure, rotted during the year, scatter over an area of 1 square meter, mix with soil.
Infusion of manure: pour manure into a container to a third of the depth, add water, cover and leave in a warm place for fermentation. The fertilizer must be mixed thoroughly every day. At the end of the fermentation process, dilute with water and water the bushes.
Chicken manure: add manure to a third of the depth in the container, add water, cover and leave in a warm place for fermentation. Stir every day. At the end of the fermentation process, dilute with water and pour the resulting solution over the raspberries.

Using these instructions, it is possible to prepare fertilizers from fresh, just collected manure or droppings. However, store-bought fertilizers must be diluted according to the instructions that come with them. After feeding, raspberries must be watered with clean water.

Kinds

Fertilizers for feeding raspberries can be of three types:

Organic

Organic fertilizers include:

manure;
bird droppings;
plant humus;
herbal infusions;
green manures rich in nitrogen and other useful substances.

Organic matter contains nutrients and plant building elements. They are quite accessible, easily digestible and safe for crops and soil.

Mineral

Ready-made mineral fertilizers for raspberries are fast-acting, but accumulate in plants and soil for a long time. They can be in different forms:

phosphorus;
nitrogen;
potash;
limestone;
mixed;
with microelements;
complex fertilizer for raspberries;
wood ash;

Bacterial

Such fertilizers do not contain nutrients; they improve the biochemistry of the soil, structure it, promoting the development of the root system and the absorption of nutrients. Fertilizers are harmless.

Among them are the following:

Nitragin;
Azotobacterin;
Baikal;
Nikfan;
Phosphobacterin.

Raspberry foliar feeding

For abundant fruit ripening, foliar feeding is also necessary. This is spraying the leaf part using a special device - a spray bottle.

It is better to carry out foliar fertilizing in clear weather, as rain will wash away all the fertilizer from the leaves.

Advantages of foliar feeding over root feeding:

adequate nutrition of the plant in bad weather conditions;
good berry growth on raspberry bushes;
earlier ripening of berries;
immunity to pests and various diseases.

Foliar feeding can be planned, emergency or sporadic.

When the need for foliar feeding arises:

in case of untimely use of the root;
if the ground under the bushes is wet and not suitable for applying root fertilizing;
for various disorders of the root system;
with problematic soil, for example with increased acidity of the soil.

Negative consequences of feeding with ash

Novice gardeners have heard a lot about the dangers of excessive use of fertilizers and are not always aware that ordinary hardwood ash is safe for plants. The clarification about deciduous species is not at all accidental.

Attention!

When burning coniferous wood, some of the resins and volatile substances remain in the ash, which inhibit the growth of any plant and destroy beneficial soil microorganisms. As a result, root nutrition is disrupted and the soil structure deteriorates.

In the process of evolution, forest raspberries have adapted to feeding on products remaining after the combustion of wood. It is no coincidence that such lush vegetation grows at the site of forest fires. This is also the result of feeding plants with ash.

The cultivated relative of wild raspberries does not differ in any peculiarities of metabolic processes and responds just as gratefully to fertilizing with ash for healthy bush growth, good yield, excellent taste and aroma of berries. , like her forest relative.

How to feed raspberries in spring for a good harvest: folk remedies

Folk remedies are widely used among gardeners due to their simplicity and ease of availability. Old folk recipes help to get a bountiful harvest without the use of chemicals, which is a definite advantage.

Fertilizing with herbal infusion

How to feed raspberries in spring for a good harvest. Herbal infusion is an excellent supplement. To obtain an infusion, you need to grind the herb, add water and leave for 7 days to ferment. The resulting mixture should be diluted with water in proportions of 1 to 5 and watered over the raspberries. You can also use the solution for spraying; before using the spray bottle, the solution must be filtered.

How to properly feed raspberries with ash

Ash is a source of a large amount of useful substances; it helps in the fight against parasites, alkalizes the soil, and is capable of loosening the soil. However, it cannot be used as the only fertilizer - ash does not contain nitrogen, which is important for raspberries.

To fertilize, add 1 cup of ash to a bucket of water and stir. Pour the resulting solution over the raspberries. You can also use dry ash - spread it under the bushes and pour water on top. You cannot feed nitrogen and ash at the same time - this will lead to undesirable chemical reactions in the soil. About 10 days should pass between applications of these fertilizers.

Other folk remedies for feeding raspberries

Raspberry roots are located and develop under a significant layer of grass and fallen leaves. Mulching the soil with organic mixtures is the best effective method of fertilization.

You can use the following as mulch:

Compost or rotted grass.
Organic animal matter, such as manure.
Peat. Makes the soil looser.
Straw. It is a high-quality, but quickly decomposing material for feeding.
Ash. For feeding, you cannot use ash obtained from burning household waste.
Potato peelings. Vegetable peels contain many chemical elements in plant-available forms. Can be used dried or frozen.
Yeast. Capable of significantly catalyzing the processes of decomposition of organic matter. Dilute 10 grams of dry yeast in a bucket of warm water with the addition of 5 tablespoons of sugar. Leave for 2 hours, then dilute with clean water.

Popular mistakes in the process of spring feeding

Most often, both new gardeners and experienced gardeners make the same mistakes when feeding raspberries:

Violation of deadlines for applying fertilizers. Applying fertilizers too early or, conversely, too late.
Violation of fertilizer dosages, which can lead to a decrease in yield or burns of leaves and stems.
Violation of the sequence and algorithm for applying fertilizers, improper watering or spraying.
Fertilizing with expired fertilizers.
Fertilizing raspberries with preparations containing chlorine, since chlorine is very harmful to the plant.

To obtain maximum effect, you must use proven products. There is no need to purchase them in large quantities; variety in feeding is a good tactic. Fertilizers with nutrients should be used strictly according to the indicated dosages and according to the instructions.

Natalia

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With proper provision of raspberries with spring feeding, the chance to please yourself and your loved ones with a large and tasty harvest is much higher.

Spring feeding of raspberry bushes

To get a good harvest, it is most important to feed raspberries in the spring. If remontant varieties are located on the site, the first portion of fertilizers is applied before the snow completely melts, usually in the first half of April. Grooves or grooves are made around the shoots. In them

The result of proper care

pour in an infusion of mullein prepared in a ratio of 1:5 or chicken manure diluted 1:10. Organics can be replaced with ammonium nitrate.

Fertilizers are not placed directly on the snow cover. As it begins to melt, much of the nutrients will be washed away by the water.

It is better to feed ordinary raspberries in late April or early May, before the leaves appear. When the top layer of soil dries, it is loosened to a depth of about 10 cm, trying not to touch the roots, then mineral or organic fertilizers are applied.

Wood ash as a source of potassium

In the first 2 years after planting, they are needed in the following quantities (per 1 m²):

13-16 g urea;
6-8 kg of humus or peat in the form of mulch.

Gardeners also often use wood ash, but as an independent fertilizer. It can be combined with lime, compost, and herbal decoction. Despite the controversial attitudes towards this fertilizer, many experts claim that it can be mixed with phosphates. Moreover, wood ash should account for no more than 8%.

In subsequent years, the amount of fertilizer applied is changed. Gardeners prefer to use one of the following options:

Take 7-8 g of urea (can be replaced with 10 g of ammonium nitrate) per 1 m².
For another option, superphosphate (50 g) and ammonium nitrate (20 g) per 10 liters of water are suitable.
Adherents of organic farming use an infusion of mullein or chicken manure, diluted 1:5 and 1:20, respectively, followed by mulching the soil.

When the first leaves appear, a second feeding of remontant varieties of raspberries is carried out. For it, use granulated ammonium sulfate (15 g for each bush) or Kemira solution (1 tbsp per 3 liters of water).

It is recommended to drop the granules

Is it possible to feed raspberry bushes during flowering?

The end of May is the time of flower buds opening on the shoots, so you can’t do without fertilizers. Shallow grooves are dug around the plants and a solution containing 1 tbsp is poured into them. urea and the same amount of superphosphate per 10 liters of water.

Raspberry fertilizer: features

Even an inexperienced gardener can identify problems with raspberries. The plant will “tell” by its appearance what chemical elements it needs. To do this, you should periodically inspect the bushes:

Thin and underdeveloped shoots and small leaves mean a lack of phosphorus.
Single yellow leaves with green veins indicate iron deficiency.
Slowly growing leaves that turn yellow from the center to the edges are a magnesium deficiency.
Small yellow leaves that have stopped growing indicate a need for nitrogen.
Darkening of leaves and acceleration of shoot formation is an excess of nitrogen.
The edges of the leaves become “burnt” and brown – a lack of potassium.

Raspberries need feeding several times a year
Raspberries are usually fed annually in spring and autumn. This is the key to a large and juicy harvest. For shrubs growing in sandy soil, it is worth carrying out additional feeding in the summer. If your site has a clay base, the norms from the solution recipes should be increased by 1.5 times.

Complex of mineral fertilizers

To ensure that raspberries receive the full range of necessary minerals during such feeding, it is best to use complex mineral fertilizers, which contain all the nutrients plants need:

Nitroammophoska , which contains nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus (16% of each element). To prepare the working fluid, 25-30 g of the drug are diluted in 10 liters of water.

Diammofoska . It contains 26% phosphorus, the same amount of potassium, and only 10% nitrogen. Dissolve 30 g of fertilizer in 10 liters of water and mix thoroughly. Apply 5 liters of working solution under each raspberry bush. We must remember! Such complex mineral fertilizers do not contain other minerals that are also needed by this berry crop. Therefore, it is recommended to add potassium humate to the prepared working fluid.

Humate must be applied simultaneously with the main fertilizing because it helps plants more actively absorb nutrients from the soil. Therefore, a solution of mineral fertilizers and humate is prepared separately, then combined into a tank mixture and applied under the raspberry bushes. The rest of the raspberry feeding is carried out in the summer - at the time of active ripening of the berries and after harvesting.

If fertilizers for this berry crop are applied on time and in the required quantity, then raspberries will thank their owners with a bountiful harvest.

Features of composition and application

Chicken manure is a highly effective and widely available fertilizer of organic origin. Its composition in terms of the content of bioactive substances in some respects exceeds even cow manure.

Attention! The result of feeding raspberries with chicken droppings can be observed after 2 weeks, and the resulting effect lasts for a long time, gradually becoming more pronounced.

The effectiveness of using manure as a fertilizer for raspberry fields is explained by its rich chemical composition, including:

Chicken manure is a natural organic fertilizer

Being a fairly concentrated substance, chicken manure, if applied incorrectly, is quite capable of burning the berry garden, so it is important to follow certain rules when using it.

In addition to freshly collected manure, dried manure can also be used to prepare liquid fertilizers. Its use does not at all reduce the value of the resulting product.

Why feed in the spring?

In early spring, raspberries begin to flow sap, and the vegetative parts of the plant (shoots, roots) begin to grow. It is through them that the entire bush is nourished and metabolic processes occur. The stronger and better these parts grow, the stronger the resistance to various diseases and insect pests will be. More flowers will appear on long and powerful shoots, and with sufficient nutrition, raspberries will ripen from them.

If during planting raspberries or when transplanting the necessary fertilizers were applied to the holes under young bushes, then this will be enough for 2 or 3 years. But after that, the soil in the tree trunk circles is depleted, and the raspberries have nowhere to take substances useful for development. Therefore, you need to know how and with what to fertilize raspberries in the spring for a better harvest.

Boric acid for raspberries

Are your raspberry bushes full of flowers, but there are few ovaries? They may be lacking boron. A lack of a microelement will be indicated by falling flowers, hard leaves bending down and poor plant immunity.

Try foliar fertilizing of raspberries during flowering with boric acid. The solution is prepared from 10 liters of water and 2 g of powder. Dissolve the powder in a small container with some hot water before pouring into the bucket.

Spray the bushes with boric acid in cloudy weather or in the evening. Make sure there is no rain for several days after the procedure.

To improve the setting and increase the yield of raspberries, it is very useful to add ash extract to the solution with boron. It is prepared from a liter of boiling water and a glass of ash. Infuses for 24 hours. The bushes are treated with this nutritional composition based on leaves and flowers.

Manure as fertilizer

Raspberries bear fruit well in soils rich in organic matter. Manure is considered the best fertilizer for enriching the soil and preparing the plant before winter. In addition, an important property of the fertilizer is pest control.

From the raspberry beetle

Manure helps get rid of the dangerous raspberry beetle, which actively eats berries. If these insects infest the planting area, then healthy bushes will soon turn into dried out thickets. Under the influence of its larvae, already ripe berries deteriorate, and the overall harvest becomes significantly smaller.

The most effective way to combat the pest is in the autumn when digging the soil. A population of raspberry beetles thrown out into open frost simply freezes and dies.

In the fall, manure should be added to the soil at least once every 2 to 3 years, with 3 to 5 buckets per square meter. For the best effect, manure is mixed with a handful of ash or other available fertilizer.

Adding nutrients during planting

The first question for an inexperienced gardener: what fertilizers should I apply to raspberries when planting? A young bush must receive the necessary amount of nutrients in order to better adapt and grow. After selecting a site for raspberries, during the autumn digging, the following fertilizing is applied to poor soils per 1 m2:

10-15 kg of organic components;
20-30 grams of potassium compounds;
30-45 grams of phosphorus compounds.

On “fat” soils this ratio will be slightly lower. What fertilizers for raspberries are applied to the planting hole? If the soil is soddy-podzolic, then add 8-10 kg of humus or compost, 150-200 g of superphosphate and 70-80 g of potassium sulfate to the prepared hole. Superphosphate and potassium sulfate can be replaced with 600 grams of wood ash.

Fertilizing raspberries with ash is much more useful because it contains a whole complex of macro- and microelements. Chemical components are mixed with fertile soil so as not to burn the roots due to their high concentration. The surface around the planted bush is mulched with loose organic matter: tree bark, peat, straw, sawdust.

Advice! Raspberries grow in soils with high acidity, but prefer neutral or slightly acidic soils, so liming should be done a year before planting raspberries.

It is also necessary to reduce acidity during the period of plant growth.