The raspberry, fruiting on biennial shoots, is a perennial plant with a permanent root system and with shoots growing in a biennial cycle.
This raspberry bears fruit only once a year (in Polish climatic conditions – from July to August, depending on the season of ripening of the variety).
The raspberry fruiting on biennial shoots form longer shoots than the raspberry fruiting on one-year shoots, and therefore usually require supports or attachment to a special construction.
In the first year of cultivation, non-fruiting shoots (primocanes) are produced from the root neck or adventitious buds. During their development, buds form in the leaf axils, from which fruit-bearing shoots (floricanes) grow in the following year.
Thus, within one season, the fruit develops and ripens on two-year shoots, as well as the development and setting of buds on young shoots, which will bear fruit next year.
After harvest, the two-year shoots die off and are cut just off the ground. Three to six young, strong shoots intended for fruiting next year are attached to the construction, and the remaining ones should be removed.
Raspberries grow best on mineral, fertile soils rich in nutrients, with high humus content and high water capacity. They prefer soils with a slightly acidic pH (pH in the range 5.5–6.5).
Raspberry roots are shallow. Therefore, when growing this species, it is important to ensure adequate soil moisture and the availability of an optimal amount of nutrients according to nutritional requirements, which vary depending on the variety and technology of cultivation.
The fertilization program for raspberry fruiting on biennial shoots, like other fruit plants, is established on the basis of soil and leaf analysis and on the basis of visual assessment of plants.
Plant biostimulation and foliar fertilization are an important supplement to soil fertilization.
- After the start of spring vegetation, TYTANIT® stimulates plants to intensive growth after winter dormancy.
Foliar fertilizers such as: PLONVIT® NITROMAG, PLONVIT® FOSTAR, PLONVIT® KALPRIM, PLONVIT® OPTY, MIKROKOMPLEX®, provide macronutrients in forms readily available for plants, thus enhancing the development of leaves and shoots.
For the proper course of biological processes in the plant, micronutrients are also necessary, e.g. AMINO ULTRA® Cu-24, AMINO ULTRA® Fe-20, AMINO ULTRA® Mn-22, AMINO ULTRA® Zn-24.
- During flowering and fruiting – particularly important for the quantity and quality of the crop are: calcium – OPTYCAL® and PLONVIT® CALCIUM TURBO and boron – e.g. MIKROVIT® BORON TURBO.
Foliar use of the TYTANIT stimulates plants for better flowering and yielding.
An element that significantly increases the mechanical resistance of fruits is silicon. That’s why the immunity biostimulant OPTYSIL® and shelf life extender OPTYSIL® LONGLIFE – are an indispensable elements of treatments aimed at obtaining very good quality fruit.
- After the fruit harvest, foliar supply of nitrogen – e.g. PLONVIT® NITRO, magnesium – MIKROKOMPLEX® and boron – MIKROVIT® BORON TURBO, is used to build yield potential for the next season.
- Use of the fertilizer AMINO ULTRA® BORZIN before the beginning of leaf colour turning – prepares plants for winter dormancy.
In the cultivation of raspberry, it is particularly important to improve the natural resistance of plants to stress-causing conditions.
The foliar applications of TYTANIT®, OPTYSIL®, PLANTICINE® stimulate plants for better growth and yield. These products also ensure improvement of tolerance to abiotic (weather conditions) and biotic (disease and pest appearance) stresses, as well as the capability of accelerating the recovery of plants after the occurrence of stressful conditions.
Shielding product (alkaline fertilizer) – ALKALIN™ PK 10:20 is also very useful and effective in programs supporting the control of some fungal pathogens.
The formation of a strong root system is essential for the correct development of the plant.
The use of BACTIM® VIGOR – increases the microbial biodiversity of the soil, stimulates the development of the root system and its regeneration, accelerates the mineralization and humification of organic matter, improves the structure of the soil and its physical and chemical properties, and reduces the development of soil-borne fungal diseases.
INTERMAG‘s wide range of products allows you to design your own individual foliar fertilization and biostimulation program, taking into account local soil conditions, cropping intensity, crop development stage and product availability.
