Raspberry seedlings Erica

Repair raspberry Erika – Italian by birth. Bred in Trentino (northern region of Italy) in 2002, as a result of self-pollination of the variety "Autumn Bliss". The new berry was patented in 2010

Studies have shown that Erika produces a consistently high yield, which is 20% higher than her competitor Polka, and is able to push out the reference varieties of the autumn assortment. Raspberries are suitable for both industrial cultivation and private gardens.

Varie Features

Erika's bushes tall 1.6-2 m., powerful, upright with large bright green leaves. They need support. Raspberry shoots are studded with small spines (5-6 pieces per cm). 

The fruits are large, the weight ranges from 4.6-7 grams, and depends on agricultural technology. Merchants are captivated by the presentation of berries: the uniform shape of an elongated cone, bright red skin with a glossy sheen, good tenacity of the bones. During collection and transportation, raspberries do not fall apart and do not flow. The taste of fruits – sweet, raspberry, juicy, as well as a pleasant fruit and berry aroma.

As a repairman for "Eric" gives two crops per season. The first wave of berries ripens on last year's shoots in July. Second – on young, in the second half of August – September. More specific dates vary by region. On average, 3.5-5 kg of raspberries are harvested from one raspberry bush.

Planting and care

Among the positive properties of "Erika", which greatly simplify the planting and care of the variety, one can single out: increased resistance to major diseases, unpretentiousness to soil quality, and undemanding to top dressing. At the same time, raspberries demonstrate average winter hardiness (up to -25 ° 30 ° C) and frost tolerance, therefore, in regions with an unfavorable climate and "surprises" nature plantings may need shelter.

Landing. Recommendations for planting raspberry varieties "Erika" the following:

1. Healthy seedlings of raspberry "Erika": do not have spots, growths, signs of dryness on shoots and roots. The root system is well branched, moist, not brittle, at least 15 cm long. The growth of the seedling itself is 50 & ndash; 60 cm. It is more reliable to purchase planting material in specialized nurseries and farms.
2. Planting season. Spring – temperate and cold latitudes, autumn – southern regions (due to the early and rapid onset of summer heat).
3. Place – well lit by the sun, without drafts. Partial shade is possible in the southern climate. Valid predecessors for the – legumes, cereals, calendula. Invalid: nightshade family, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, other raspberries or blackberries.
4. The soil is desirable light, fertile, loose, with moderate acidity or neutral. The occurrence of groundwater at a depth of at least 1.5 m from the surface. Before planting, the soil is dug up with humus and wood ash.
5. Landing patterns. Tape – dig trenches 40-50 cm deep. Leave 1.5-2.0 m between rows, between plants in a row – 50-70 cm. In small areas, the pitting method is used. They dig holes 40 cm deep and the same in diameter, between the pits they leave a step of 0.8-1.0 m.
6. Landing. Before planting raspberries, a nutrient mixture is added to the pits from the top layer of fertile soil, humus and superphosphate. The seedling is released into the hole and sprinkled with earth to the root collar. The soil around the bush is compacted, watered abundantly with warm water, mulched. The mulch will retain moisture and energize the soil, helping the plants to better adapt and take root in the new soil.

Irrigation. Variety «Erika» bears fruit and ripens almost throughout the season. In order for the berry to grow large, juicy and sweet, raspberries must be watered regularly, while making sure that the moisture does not stagnate. The usual mode of watering in warm and moderately humid summer weather – 1 time per week. It is desirable to water the bushes under the root; for this, a groove is formed along the rows where water is poured.

The organization of a drip irrigation system in the raspberry garden will help save time and effort, with it each plant will receive the necessary amount of moisture.

In especially dry periods, the number of irrigations is increased, the bushes are sprinkled. This should be done in the early morning hours or in the evening before sunset, otherwise the raspberry leaves and stems can get sunburned. After watering, weeds are removed, the ground around the bushes is loosened to prevent the formation of a dry crust.

Feeding. In spring or autumn, before planting the future raspberry, the soil is enriched with organic matter and dug up. In the next season in the spring, you can limit yourself to adding potassium and mineral fertilizers. At the stage of fruit formation, ammonium nitrate is introduced, during the ripening period of the berries (2 weeks before harvesting), the bushes are watered with a solution of superphosphates.

Cutting. Autumn method of pruning raspberries «Erika» depends on the variant of its cultivation:

1. Like a summer variety – one voluminous crop per season. In autumn, before the onset of cold weather, all the bushes are cut "under the root". New shoots will form in the spring, producing one late summer crop.
2. As a remontant variety – two harvests per season. After collecting all the berries of the first wave, cut two-year-old shoots. Young stems are left in autumn, a second, but less plentiful harvest appears on them.

During the season, sanitary pruning of excess shoots is carried out, thereby controlling the excessive growth of raspberries. In the spring, weak, diseased, frozen shoots are removed.

Preparing for winter.  First-year shoots that remain for the next season are removed from the trellis and bent to the ground. From above they are covered with a special agrofibre, an alternative to which can be the paws of coniferous plants, cardboard. If you cut out the planting under the root, you can cover the ground with mulch – thick layer of hay, straw, sawdust. In the spring, it is important to remove the coatings with the first steady heat so that the plantings do not start to fade.

Preparations