The berry season is very short, two or three weeks - and you have to wait a whole year for the new harvest. To extend the season, breeders have bred remontant varieties of raspberries, which bear fruit several times, the first time on last year's shoots, the second on the shoots that have grown this season. One of these varieties is the Hercules raspberry.
Description
The raspberry variety "Hercules" was bred by domestic breeders. Recommended for cultivation in the Central region, but successfully grown in more southern and northern regions. It is used for cultivation in private households and for industrial production.
The main advantages of this variety:
- High productivity;
- Great taste;
- Frost resistance;
- Resistance to adverse weather conditions;
- Resistance to berry dropping;
- Fruiting on new shoots.
Berries of raspberry variety "Hercules" are very large, weighing up to 12 grams, have a dense skin and small bones. Due to the density of the skins, they easily tolerate long-term transportation without losing their presentation.
Hercules raspberry bushes are medium, up to 2 meters high. The branches are dense, strong, do not bend under the weight of the berries. Green branches are quite resistant to gusts of wind; last year's woody shoots can break off. No garter required. The branches are densely covered with small thorns. Up to 6 shoots are formed annually. The fruiting zone takes up one third of the shoot.
Fruiting is amicable, abundant. The first wave of fruiting occurs at the end of June, the berries are formed on last year's shoots. The second wave of fruiting occurs in late August or early September, and may continue until the first frost. The total amount of berries reaches 1.5 kg. With a high level of agricultural technology, raspberries "Hercules" can produce up to 2 kg of berries from a bush.
Landing
For planting raspberry bushes "Hercules", it is advisable to choose a well-lit place, sheltered from the northern winds. This raspberry can bear fruit quite successfully in shady areas, illuminated by direct sunlight only in the first half of the day.
Raspberry bushes are planted in the spring, before the formation of green buds, or in the fall, when the raspberry bushes are already dormant.
To grow Hercules raspberries, it is important to take into account the characteristics of the soil. Raspberry bushes can successfully develop on all soils, except for depleted and high acidity. Before planting raspberry bushes, depleted soils must be fertilized, and lime must be added to acidic soils to reduce acidity.
Before planting raspberry bushes, the soil is freed from perennial weeds, dig up and fertilize. Since raspberries grow in one place for a long time without transplanting, long-acting fertilizers can be applied. The dosage is determined according to the instructions.
To control the beds with raspberry bushes, you can dig a fence around the perimeter of the bed to a depth of 40-50 cm. The material of the fence must be dense enough to hold the raspberry roots. You can use sheets of old slate.
The distance between the planting holes should be at least 65 cm. You can plant raspberry bushes using a one-line or two-line method. Leave a distance between the rows so that you can easily care for the bushes. As a rule, 80 - 90 cm is sufficient.
The root system of raspberries is shallow, so the depth of the planting pit can be no more than 50 cm. Organic fertilizers, a glass of wood ash and 2 - 3 liters of humus are applied to the bottom of the planting pit.
The planted raspberry bushes are covered with soil and poured abundantly with water. After 2 - 3 days it is advisable to repeat watering.
For these purposes, it is very convenient to use old cardboard boxes. The soil around the planted raspberry bushes is covered with cardboard, sprinkling with a layer of earth on top.
Care
The description of the Hercules raspberry states that it is undemanding, but it takes a little effort to get large berries, as in the photo. Caring for Hercules raspberries consists in watering, fertilizing, removing weeds, protecting bushes from pests, and timely harvesting.
Watering is carried out as needed, abundantly flooding the bushes. If the soil around the bushes is covered with mulch, the amount of watering can be reduced.
It can prevent young shoots from climbing out of the ground.
Fertilization is necessary on soils poor in nutrients, the development of raspberries is difficult. The berries become smaller, the bushes develop poorly, more often suffer from diseases and freezing in winter.
The first fertilization is carried out in the spring, before the first leaves appear on the bushes. During this period, raspberries "Hercules" most of all need nitrogen and phosphorus for the formation of green mass and shoots. Nutrients are introduced into the trunk circle in accordance with the instructions, they are slightly dug in and the bushes are watered abundantly.
Overfed raspberry bushes bear little fruit, fruiting begins much later.
The reparability of Hercules raspberries can be used to get a larger crop at a time. To do this, in the fall, the fruit bearing shoots are cut at the root. The next year's harvest will be formed on new shoots, the berries will be larger, their total weight will be higher. Raspberry fruiting in this case will begin in early or late August, depending on the region.
This method is also recommended for northern regions, where Hercules raspberry bushes can freeze and break off in winter. In addition, the berries of the second wave of fruiting may not have time to ripen before frost.
Planting and caring for Hercules raspberry bushes does not have any particular difficulties, in order to collect a rich harvest of fragrant berries, it is enough to give it a little attention and love.
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