Raspberry seedlings Pride of Russia

Pride of Russia – large-fruited medium-early non-repairable raspberry variety, giving one harvest per season. The variety was brought out by the Russian breeder – Professor, Honored Worker of Science,– Kichina Viktor Valeryanovich in 1992. The hybrid was obtained by crossing two varieties of raspberries «Stamp-20» and "Capital".

From their ancestors «Pride of Russia» inherited the best qualities: great growth potential, vitality of the bush, excellent commercial qualities of the fruit. In addition, the variety is adapted to the weather conditions of various climatic zones in Russia.

Varie Features

The Pride of Russia Bush without thorns, has a developed powerful root system. Shoots are erect, strong 1.7-1.9 m in height. Up to 12 fruit stems are formed in the leaf axil, which bring an average of 15-18 berries. It blooms with white fragrant flowers.

Raspberry fruits of this variety are large, average weight 8-12 gr., Maximum – 15-20 gr. The shape of the berries is conical elongated, the surface – bumpy. Even when fully ripe, the fruits remain a light red unsaturated color.  The pulp is tender, juicy, with a slight sourness.

The drupes of the fruit are tightly pressed against each other, the skin is dense, so raspberries  does not flow and does not wrinkle. During collection, they are easily detached from the stalk, do not fall apart. At the same time, "Pride of Russia" does not respond well to long-term transportation. Picked raspberries are stored for 1-2 days.

The yield of "Pride of Russia" – up to 6 kg of berries from a bush. The first ripe fruits can be found on the bushes closer to the beginning of July (depending on climate and weather). Ripening of berries is extended. Collection  the harvest ends in mid-August, in order to collect all the raspberries, they make up to 5 approaches per season.

Raspberry "Pride of Russia" – resistant to both low and high temperatures. Normally tolerates a decrease in temperature to -30 ° C, in the heat – berries do not bake and do not shrink. Therefore, the variety can be grown literally in any region of Russia. In addition, raspberries are genetically resistant to diseases, and only aphids threaten it from pests.

Planting and care

Landing. Planting seedlings "Pride of Russia" in the ground they produce in spring or autumn – depending on the climate zone.

Saplings planted in spring take root better in the northern regions – where spring is long and cool. At the same time, for spring planting, as a rule, cuttings without leaves are chosen, with awakening buds. Autumn is more suitable for planting varieties in the southern latitudes, here it is warm and long, and therefore the young plant has time to take root and get stronger before the cold snap.

For "Pride of Russia" choose a sunny site, preferably on an elevated place or slope, with deep groundwater. The soil should have a neutral pH. 15 days before planting, the soil is dug up, cleaned of weeds and found root residues, and ants are removed. If the soil is clayey, peat, sand or humus is added to it. The gerbil, on the contrary, is weighted with clay, it helps to retain moisture.  Additives are dug along with the soil.

Then, holes or trenches 0.5 m deep are dug on the site, soil mixed with organic matter (manure, bird droppings, compost), as well as wood ash and potassium-phosphorus composition, are added to the bottom. When planting between seedlings, a distance of 1-1.2 m is left, between rows – 2 m. Roots of bushes & nbsp; sprinkled with earth, watered abundantly, mulched with straw or sawdust. Then they install supports for the garter, most often they use trellises with wire. It is believed that a bush tied in this way will give more berries.

Irrigation. "Pride of Russia" needs abundant watering. During flowering, growth and ripening of berries – every 7 days pour 10-30 liters. water under the bush (depending on the weather). It is important to ensure that the soil gets wet 0.4-0.5 m deep. In the southern regions, raspberries continue to be watered abundantly even after the end of fruiting, because. August-September are usually hot. When irrigating, it is important to take into account the amount of precipitation, because. excess moisture can lead to root rot, and the berry will become watery and not sweet. Watering methods – sprinkling or ditches.

Feeding. Before planting new bushes, the required amount of fertilizer is applied to the soil: organic matter (manure, bird droppings, compost) mixed with wood ash and a mineral composition for berry plants. This top dressing, as a rule, is enough for the first 1-2 years. Excess fertilizer is bad for both soil quality and crop quality. From the third year through spring, the soil is again enriched with organic matter and mineral compounds.

Cutting. In the spring, shoots damaged or frozen over during the winter are removed, and the tops of the remaining stems are pinched, thereby helping the formation of new fruit branches. During the season, the growth of basal shoots is monitored, which must be regularly removed during weeding. Oversight will lead to the growth of the bush and processes around the site. In autumn, as a rule, fruiting and damaged stems are cut out, leaving 6-7 healthy, young shoots for the next season.

Preparing for winter. In cold regions and in the middle lane, before the onset of cold weather, raspberries are untied from the trellis and bent to the ground. In this position, the shoots can be fixed by tying them to the bottom wire. The site is additionally covered with mulch and agrofibre, especially in regions with little snowy winters.

Selection of seedlings. To ensure that all your efforts do not go down the drain, choose healthy planting material. The root system of seedlings should be well developed, without mold, with an earthy clod braided with roots. Stems – no spots, not dry, green flesh should be observed under the bark (to check – slightly pry the bark). It is best to purchase seedlings in specialized nurseries, where seedlings undergo the strictest control from experienced farmers.

Preparations