How to properly treat raspberries in the spring against diseases and pests, what products to use
Raspberries are among the unpretentious berry crops. Most varieties are frost-resistant and bear fruit consistently in southern and northern latitudes. To obtain a rich harvest, it is recommended to devote time and attention not only to watering and fertilizing, but also to treating the bush from diseases and pests.
In rainy and cloudy weather, pests appear on raspberries, and when there is a lack of mineral and organic substances, viral, bacterial and fungal diseases appear. To prevent their occurrence, with the arrival of spring, summer residents carry out a number of preventive measures.
How to treat raspberries in the spring against diseases and pests and what to pay special attention to, we will tell you in the article.
Goals of spring raspberry processing
The main goal is protection from diseases and insects. In spring, warm weather sets in, the soil and air warm up, microorganisms and insect larvae awaken, many of which are dangerous for raspberries. If you do not treat the raspberries, fungal spores and harmful bacteria will soon appear on the bushes., which over time will provoke the development of diseases. The plant’s immunity, its productivity, and resistance to negative external factors depend on the treatment. Otherwise, the bush will get sick and produce few berries.
What pests threaten raspberries?
To protect raspberries from insect pests, it is recommended to study the descriptions of the most common ones. These include the raspberry beetle, weevil and glass beetle.
Raspberry beetle
The size of the insect does not exceed 6 mm, the color is gray-brown. Raspberry beetle, or raspberry beetle, multiplies quickly, its offspring can destroy the entire crop.
The pest appears at the end of April or at the beginning of May, when the soil warms up to +12°C. First, the raspberry beetle eats the leaves, then proceeds to shoots and young fruits. If the beetle is not destroyed, it burrows into the ground at the end of summer and pupates, only to reappear the following year.
Important! Raspberries love pears, plums, and apples and can get onto bushes from these crops.
Raspberry glass
Caterpillars overwinter inside damaged shoots, then gnaw tunnels in the roots and stems. The body of the glass moth is thin; adult butterflies are colored black and blue. In the caterpillar stage, the insect is white, the head is brown or orange.
If the raspberry glass is not detected in a timely manner, the bushes dry out and the branches become weak and take on a painful appearance. If it is possible to see signs of damage, then weak shoots are removed and burned away from the garden plot. The remaining bush is sprayed with systemic fungicides.
Weevils
The beetle is easy to recognize by its gray-black color and elongated proboscis. Weevil activates in the spring, when the air temperature warms up to +14°C.
Insects lay eggs in the buds, causing them to turn brown. Because of this, raspberry yields are reduced by 40-70%. Weevils appear especially often in old areas where raspberry bushes have not been pruned and formed for a long time.
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What diseases
Fungal diseases pose the greatest danger to raspberries.. They develop quickly in hot and humid environments and do not spare the crop.
White spot or septoria
Fungal disease becomes active in late spring or early summerwhen the weather is humid and hot. Fungal spores multiply quickly if plants are planted close to each other. Septoria does not spare berries, flowers, and fruit crops.
Signs of infection - white blurry spots and plaque on leaves, shoots, fruits. In case of severe damage, the raspberry buds die and the bark on the shoots cracks. For prevention purposes, it is important to follow the rules of crop rotation, monitor the density of plantings, and pay attention to protective measures.
Anthracnose
The disease is caused by a harmful fungus. It is capable of destroying the entire crop in a season. Fungal spores are carried by wind, insects, and rain. First, signs of damage appear on the leaves, gradually moving to shoots and berries (green and red).
Raspberry bushes are covered with small gray-brown spots with a dark rim, young shoots have ulcers, the top of the bush dries out. The fungal spores are frost-resistant - if they are not destroyed, the disease will attack raspberries next year.
Gray rot
The fruits are affected by gray rot - the berries become covered with brown spots, lose their elasticity, and become deformed. Gray-brown spots with fluff appear on the leaves. Gray mold overwinters on plant debris, so it is important to remove them and burn them in a timely manner.
Disease spreads quickly in rainy weather, as well as in thickened and trash-contaminated plantings. The affected areas are removed and burned, and the remaining plants are sprayed with protective and medicinal preparations.
Interesting. Gray rot affects not only raspberries in the garden, but also berries during storage. They become covered with gray fluff and lose their taste and marketability. Raspberries become watery and unsuitable for consumption. Gardeners throw away or burn such fruits.
Processing times
The first time raspberries are processed before flowering, in early spring. In the southern regions this is approximately mid-March, in central Russia and the northern regions - the end of March or the beginning of April. At this time, summer residents use folk remedies (ash, soap, iodine) or simply spray the plants with boiling water.
Raspberries are processed a second time after 2-3 weeks. - use spraying with Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate. The procedure is carried out in dry and windless weather so that rain does not wash away the preparations. The next treatment is carried out only in the summer, in early to mid-June.
Preparatory activities
As soon as the snow has melted from the ground, gardeners remove last year's leaves and other debris. There should be nothing under the raspberries except clean soil. The earth is loosened to disturb the wintering areas of raspberry flies, glass flies and other pests.
The main stage of preparing raspberries for processing is bush pruning. The procedure increases raspberry yields and prevents the occurrence of diseases and pests. Summer residents cut out dry, broken and weak shoots, pinch the tops and thin out the branches. If this is not done, they will grow in a chaotic order, which will negatively affect the number of berries collected. In addition, pruning gives the bushes a neat appearance - the raspberry tree looks well-groomed and attractive.
Attention! Trim the raspberries until the buds open.In the south of the country this is March or early April, in the middle zone - late April or early May. It is easy to distinguish old shoots from new ones - they have many lateral and short branches, they break. New shoots are covered with green buds and are resilient and flexible. Summer residents inspect the bushes, prune old shoots without swollen buds.
What to spray
For preventive purposes, gardeners use folk remedies, and for medicinal purposes, chemical and biological ones.
Purchased chemicals
Chemicals effectively protect raspberries from diseases and pests - A wide range of preparations are sold in specialized gardening stores. “Nitrafen” helps to get rid of raspberry beetles and glassware - 200 g of the drug is diluted in 10 liters of water. The brown paste with a pungent odor also helps cure anthracnose, gray mold and lichen.
Raspberries are processed until the buds open.so that the leaves do not get sunburn. In summer, treatment with Nitrafen is not carried out, as it is dangerous for the environment and humans.
In the fight against spider mites, aphids and weevils they use "Kemifos". For 10 liters of water, 10 mg of the drug is required. It gets rid of larvae and adults and has a long-lasting effect. The bushes are sprayed before and after harvesting, liquid consumption is up to 2 liters per 10 bushes. "Kemifos" quickly erodes and is used not only by amateur gardeners, but also by farmers.
Attention! A common and time-tested chemical for effective control of diseases and pests is Bordeaux mixture. During the period of kidney swelling, use a 3% solution. The product is evenly distributed over the leaves. It destroys fungal spores that survived the winter.The liquid penetrates into the small cracks of the bush, where dangerous microorganisms invisible to the human eye live.
Biological agents
Biological products are less aggressive than chemical ones. To protect against insects and diseases, gardeners use BioKill, a safe and non-toxic product. It is used for spring and summer processing of raspberries, it has a complex effect - it destroys old diseases and prevents the appearance of new ones. The drug takes effect within 2-3 hours after treatment. For 1 bucket of water, 1 ampoule is required. Raspberries are sprayed in the morning or evening; the suitable temperature for treatment is from +12°C to +25°C. The prepared solution cannot be stored; it must be used within 24 hours.
The biological preparation "Planriz" is used to protect against powdery mildew and anthracnose. It is used at any stage of plant development, including flowering. The product has a bactericidal effect, does not reduce the nutritional composition of the soil, and is safe for humans and animals. Planriz is also compatible with chemicals and folk remedies.
Get rid of aphids and caterpillars using the biological product "Fitoverm". After 3-4 hours, the pests stop feeding, and complete elimination of insects occurs in 2-3 days. “Fitoverm” does not accumulate in the plant and is used in any type of soil. To treat one bush, you will need 1 liter of water and 2 ml of the drug.
Folk remedies
Folk remedies have a preventive effect; they are used 2-3 times in the spring. A solution of ammonia is effective - 30 ml of the finished substance is required for 10 liters of water. Raspberries are watered at the rate of 2 liters per bush. Summer residents also prepare an infusion of birch tar - 15 g of tar and 40 ml of liquid soap are required for 10 liters of water.Stir the mixture thoroughly and water the bushes at the root in the morning or evening. Consumption - 1.5-2 liters per bush.
Attention! Mustard is also used for processing. Add 20 g of mustard powder to 10 liters of water and leave in a dark place for 4-5 hours. The solution protects raspberries from weevils, caterpillars, raspberries and spider mites.
How to properly process raspberries in spring
For treatment to be not only effective, but also safe, it is important to follow recommendations from experienced gardeners and precautions:
- To prepare chemical and biological preparations, do not use food-grade containers - use special garden tools or disposable containers.
- Prepare personal protective equipment - goggles, respirator, gloves, protective suit or apron.
- Study the dosage and recommendations for preparing the solution, do not store the finished mixture at home, and observe the temperature conditions for processing.
- Spray not only the bushes, but also the ground and the mulch between them. For preventive purposes, treat plants growing near the raspberry tree.
- Do not spray plants if there are children, pets, pregnant or nursing women nearby.
- Do not mix several biological and chemical drugs with each other unless recommended by the manufacturer.
Are there any nuances in processing remontant raspberries?
Repairing raspberries constantly need mulch — it retains moisture in the soil and protects against weeds. Therefore, during spring processing, it is recommended to remove last year’s layer and add a new one. Also, during spring pruning, gardeners remove all branches, leaving no stumps. This allows you to get more large fruits.
Remontant varieties are less likely to be affected by diseases and pests. However, this does not mean that they do not need preventive measures. With the arrival of spring, it is important to spray the raspberries with a solution of Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate.
Further spring care and feeding
After trimming raspberries tied to a support, especially if large-fruited varieties are grown. A trellis is installed between two bushes, to which the stems are tied on both sides. With this method, the raspberries do not shade each other, the berries ripen at the same time.
Organic fertilizers are used for spring feeding - 0.5 kg of cow manure is diluted in 10 liters of water. For 1 sq. m of plantings consume about 1.5 liters. Ammonium nitrate, superphosphate, and potassium salt are added to the second feeding in the spring. Before each fertilizing, the soil is loosened and mulched using cut grass, sawdust, pine needles, ash, and crushed stone.
Can not imagine plant care without watering. Raspberries are moisture-loving, but at the same time do not tolerate waterlogging. The amount and frequency of watering depends on weather conditions and the condition of the raspberry tree. The soil should be saturated with water to a depth of 10-15 cm. Approximate water consumption is up to 2 liters per bush 3-4 times a month. If the summer is rainy, then the amount of watering is reduced. It is important not to forget about removing weeds - excess vegetation stimulates the development of diseases and takes away nutrients from raspberries.
Conclusion
To spray raspberries from folk remedies, summer residents choose ammonia, ash, laundry or liquid soap; from chemicals and biological products - “Fitoferm”, Bordeaux mixture, urea, copper sulfate, “Planriz”. When preparing the solution, it is recommended to follow the dosage and safety rules. Treat raspberries in the morning or evening to avoid sunburn.The first treatment is carried out at the end of March or beginning of April; before the procedure, the bushes must be pruned.