Raspberry seedlings News Kuzmina

Kuzmin's news – one of the most popular and well-established varieties of domestic raspberries among Russian gardeners. It was bred at the end of the 19th century by the Russian breeder  Nikanor Kuzmin, in the city of Vetluga, Nizhny Novgorod Region. 

The variety is in constant demand due to such advantages as: yield, fruiting in various climatic conditions, frost resistance, adaptation to any soil, including swampy, delicate dessert taste.

Variety features:

High raspberry bushes – up to 2.5 m. The shape of the bush depends on the climatic zone: in the south and in the middle lane the bushes are sprawling, in the northern regions – upright. Number of root offspring – minimal, substitution shoots – average. The thorniness of the stems is insignificant, mainly in the lower part.

Fruits of medium size (weighing 3-4 grams), obtuse-conical shape, pinkish-red color. Ripe berries are juicy, have a pronounced fragrant aroma and sweet taste of forest raspberries. After ripening, the berry does not crumble. When harvesting, it easily separates from the stem, does not fall apart.

Raspberry varieties «Kuzmin News» recommended for fresh consumption and for canning. It makes delicious jams, preserves, liqueurs. The berry is less suitable for sale in the markets, because. does not differ in good keeping quality and transportability.

Ripening of fruits – mid-early: starts at the end of June — early July. In dry weather, the dates can be shifted by 15-20 days. Fruiting extended up to 2 months. Productivity «Kuzmin News» quite high for a summer variety – 1.5-2 kg per bush, 50-70 q/ha.

The variety is characterized by increased frost resistance, withstands up to –30°C without shelter.

Landing. Sowing time – autumn or spring. For raspberries choose a sunny area, without cold winds and drafts – variety is sensitive to them. Since raspberries are moisture-loving, in the south, a lowland or a place near a reservoir will be the best site for planting.

One of the amazing features of Kuzmin's News – the ability to grow and bear fruit literally on any, even marshy, soil, which is completely uncharacteristic for the vast majority of garden raspberry varieties. But she will give the best harvest on fertile, neutral-acid soil with a pH of 5.5-6.5.

The soil for planting is prepared in advance, dug up and enriched with organic matter (humus, manure, compost). It is better to neutralize acidic soil with slaked lime or wood ash.

Dig holes or trenches for planting seedlings. A distance of 1 m is left between the bushes, between the rows – 1.5 m. After planting, the seedlings are watered abundantly. Malina «Kuzmin News» needs high supports, usually 2-3-row tapestries are used for garters: the bottom row is located at a height of 0.5 meters, the top – 1.7-2 m.

Irrigation. "Kuzmin's News" loves moisture, with its lack, the berry shrinks and dries. Therefore, in hot, dry weather, raspberries must be watered abundantly and regularly. The soil under the bushes should be moistened to a depth of 40 cm. Drip irrigation is recommended. Mulching and loosening the soil under the bushes will help retain moisture and improve air exchange.

Feeding. The variety does not need constant feeding, however, at the stage of formation and  ripening of fruits, it is possible to bring potassium with phosphorus into the soil, – this will have a positive effect on the size of the berries and the yield in general. With the appearance of buds, raspberries can be watered with wood ash dissolved in water. In the spring – nourish the soil with organic matter (mullein, humus).

Cutting. In early spring, sanitary pruning of bushes is mandatory, removing unviable, frozen shoots. The remaining stems are pinched at a height of 1 m to form new fruit branches. In summer, the bushes are thinned out, 2-meter non-fruiting lashes, thin young shoots are removed. This avoids excessive shading of plantings and redirects energy from the overgrown green mass to the formation of fruits. To increase the yield in the next season, in the fall or immediately after the last ripe berries are harvested, the old fruit-bearing and damaged shoots are removed.

Preparing for winter. In autumn, raspberries must be removed from the trellis and bent to the ground. "Kuzmin's News" calmly tolerates frosts, especially with high snow cover. In regions with little snow in winter, raspberries need to be additionally covered with straw, coniferous spruce branches, agrofibre.

Preparations