What Threatens Raspberries In Winter?

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Raspberries are highly cold-resistant. And in regions with mild winters during the cold season, it can do without bending over and sheltering. However, for the most part, the bushes still require a bundle of a beam at the support and hilling with snow. This is a very important condition in which the shoots are not dried out or damaged by strong gusts of wind. But with sharp temperature fluctuations, severe frosts, the threat of serious damage to plantations remains. What danger can your raspberry tree face in winter and how to prevent it?

Bunches and arches on a raspberry plantation - what you need to know?

Cracking of integumentary tissues can be seen on the stems not collected in bunches along the entire length of the shoot. This occurs under the influence of strong gusts of wind in conditions of low air humidity. Such damage occurs on plants in late autumn and in the first days of winter. Therefore, you should hurry in order to protect raspberries from adverse weather conditions.

Cracking is also observed at significant temperature fluctuations. Therefore, it is advisable to isolate your pets from these influences in regions with frosty winters, but clear sunny days.

Tall shrubs are collected not only in bunches, but also bend the stems in arcs. And when the snow cover is not able to hide the entire plant under it, the place of the fold in the snowy layer remains unprotected. In such conditions, during the bright February sunlight, buds can die on the arc, which will lead to a decrease in yield. Therefore, do not disregard these areas of the bush.

When the shoots are threatened with freezing?

If the plant was not prepared for winter with summer and autumn watering in time, the shoots do not have time to ripen, and at negative temperatures, moisture freezes in them, and in other words, the stem dries out. These damaged areas will need to be cut off.

Unfortunately, the snow cover does not always please the gardener with a sufficient layer height, and it is rarely possible to completely hide the bush under it. Therefore, sometimes such damage to the bush occurs as annular freezing of the stem tissues. The reason for this phenomenon is a sharp drop in air temperature to negative values after a prolonged thaw and sunny weather. This disadvantage may not be immediately noticed, since with such damage, the buds often develop well, flowering occurs. But in the future, the depleted plant does not have enough strength and the buds dry out along with the leaves. Regular irrigation of plants will help to avoid this.

With the arrival of spring, one can notice on a young raspberry tree such damage as peeling of the upper integumentary tissues. Such a misfortune often occurs at the base of the stems. The cause of this damage is the vagaries of the weather, when the shoots are supported by a deep layer of snow and frequent strong thaws. It also happens from damage by the ice crust - this is observed during the settling of snow in late winter - early spring. When caring for such shrubs, it is possible to save the plant and make it bear fruit.

How to prevent damage to the raspberry tree?

Many of these problems and damage can be avoided if work is carried out in time to prepare the raspberry tree for wintering. To prevent shrubs from freezing at the tops, bending points and other parts of plants, it is recommended to bend the shoots to the ground - this way it is easier to hide them under snow and other shelters. As soon as it starts snowing, you need to cover the planting with snow. In addition, you should take care of snow retention on the site - this moisture will be very useful with the arrival of spring.

After the end of the winter months, do not relax, because spring frosts may come. And then you need to be ready to save the shrubs on the plantation by smoking and spraying with water - sprinkling.