Why raspberries dry and what to do about it - we treat plantings, save the harvest

Many gardeners are worried about why raspberries dry. This bush is not picky and grows easily, but it also has disadvantages. It does not tolerate cold well and is susceptible to diseases in which its branches and berries dry out.

Raspberry dries: reasons

Frequent diseases are largely due to the structure. The root system of the bush is located close to the surface, so it is overly sensitive to temperature changes. It even happens that raspberries dry out along with the berries.

Main reasons:

• lack of nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, iron, or manganese;
• excess potassium;
• aging of leaves and / or shoots;
• dry weather and poor watering;
• parasitic infection, especially by sucking insects;
• infection.

Advice
Before blaming yourself for improper care, make sure that the bush is still young, because the raspberries also dry from old age. Its life span is 8-10 years.

Care errors

In dry weather, plants need more moisture, otherwise the leaves wither, turn yellow at the edges, and then fall off.

Improper feeding can also cause yellowness on the leaves, and then on the stems. Noticing the characteristic signs, which are described in more detail in the article "Why do raspberry leaves turn yellow", you need to apply the appropriate fertilizer.

Diseases and how to deal with them

The bush dries along with the berries due to various infections contained in the soil, water and plant debris. They are carried by insects such as aphids and ticks. To avoid fungal infections, you need to monitor the humidity, ventilation in the raspberry bush and spray the curtain with fungicides in spring and autumn. A clean tool for agricultural work, competent care that supports immunity, and spraying with insecticides that kill disease-carrying insects will protect you from viral infections.

Root cancer

Old bushes that have been growing in the same place for many years are subject to it. The soil becomes alkaline and favorable conditions are created for the development of infectious cancer. It is impossible to notice its first signs - if only the transplant time is successful. Soft growths form on the roots, which then gradually harden and squeeze the flow of nutrients.

As a result of the disease, the aerial part of the raspberry dries along with the berries and dies. At this stage, it is useless to fight root cancer - it is recommended to uproot and burn the bushes, dig up and acidify the earth, and then either plant rapeseed on the garden bed, or leave it empty for "rest".

Raspberry chlorosis

The virus enters through breaks in the bark, and the tips of the leaves curl up. The main vectors are nematodes and ticks. Chlorosis most often occurs in spring and summer. It is impossible to fight it, so carry out prevention:

• use 3% Nitrafen solution before bud break;
• before flowering, treat the leaves with "Mytilmercaptophos";
• water the bush with settled water;
• make sure that the acidity of the soil does not increase.

Cold summer and a lack of manganese, iron and boron provoke the development of the disease. In June, the infected bush changes color, the leaves turn yellow at the edges, and the shoots become thin.

Burn dried raspberries away from the garden. Never grow new seedlings in the same place.

Curl

The disease leads to the fact that the bush dries up along with the berries and dies in a few years. The branches become short, and the leaves curl around the edges.Raspberries can get sick both during ripening and after fruiting. Causes of curl:

• insufficient care;
• aphid invasion;
• dirty garden tool,
• weakened immunity.

To fight sucking insects, they need to be scared away:

1. Perform preventive insecticide spraying.
2. Plant mint, mustard, and other plants that repel pests near the beds.
3. Clean up or destroy anthills as ants breed entire aphid farms.

Rust

This is a fungal disease, the disease reduces the yield by 30%. In summer, diseased branches break and dry up along with the berries, and the leaves dry and curl up.

Preventive measures:

1. Fungal spores overwinter in fallen leaves, so remove all plant debris.
2. Do not ignore pruning, as the abundance of branches impairs air circulation and encourages fungal growth.
3. Don't forget about fungicides in the spring before fruiting and in the fall after picking.
4. If the first signs of infection appear after the berries have already set, it is recommended to use sparing fungicides, for example, a decoction of wormwood or horsetail.

Anthracnose

Another fungus, it develops at temperatures above 22 degrees and humidity over 90%. Carries even on shoe soles. In a drought, diseased raspberry branches crack, and in the rain they rot. With anthracnose, the leaves curl up, and their tips are covered with spots. If it develops during fruiting, the berries dry out.

In June, treat the bush with "Kuprozan", this will help to avoid infection.

Pests and the fight against them

The larvae gnaw flowers and leaves, in some cases even branches suffer. To protect plants, learn how to control insects.

Spider mite

It hides on the underside of the leaves and feeds on their sap. Braided by its web, the plates twist, dry and fall off. The first sign is small light specks on the underside of the leaves. Later, a white coating becomes visible - this is a cobweb.

At the first symptoms, treat raspberries with colloidal sulfur or Karbofos.

Stem gall midge

This is a malicious pest, and it is all the more dangerous because it is difficult to notice it in time. The eggs hatch in cracks in the bark, and then the larva bites into the core of the stem. The branches wither, the leaves wither and turn yellow. Infection occurs in June.

For prophylaxis in the spring, spray the branches with Bordeaux liquid.

Aphid

During the period of bud maturation, the first generation of larvae appears. With abundant infection, the branches dry out and the leaves curl up. Aphids form a sugary bloom on the leaves. You can fight it with folk methods. But only chemical agents such as "Kilzar" can destroy individuals at any stage of development.

Raspberry beetle

Its female lays up to 50 eggs per season with ease. In June, voracious offspring already spoil most of the harvest. The berries dry at the very base and fall off.

Agrotechnical techniques will help to fight the pest:

1. Dig a garden in the fall to kill the bugs that have decided to hibernate under the bush.
2. And in the summer use "Guapsin".

Proper care and prevention

In summer, during fruiting, the bush needs a sufficient amount of light and grows strongly. At the same time, the upper branches do not allow sunlight to pass through and impede the supply of nutrients.

Trimming and curtain formation

If the raspberry thickened, the branches begin to block each other's access to the sun's rays, the air stagnates in the thickets and the humidity rises. Leaves weaken and lose brightness due to the lack of ultraviolet radiation. And humid stagnant air provokes rot.

Advice
To prevent raspberries from spreading around the site like a weed, dig in slate or plywood shields around the perimeter of the area allocated to it, deepen them by 30 cm.The invasion of raspberry shoots and rows of garlic, beans or sorrel are stopped.

Remove old and diseased shoots near the ground. Young and adult - up to the length of living strong buds.Maintain a distance of 40 cm or more between the centers of the bushes - remove or plant excess root processes and shoots.

Moisturizing

Experienced gardeners recommend opting for drip irrigation. In any case, direct the stream strictly to the roots. Moisture lingers on the fuzzy plates and causes either sunburn or rotting.

In June, raspberries are watered more often so that they do not dry out, but strictly in the morning, in the evening or in the afternoon in cloudy weather.

Preparing for the cold

To prevent the bush from drying out, properly prepare it for winter:

1. Dig up the soil and mulch it with straw or sawdust.
2. Remove dead leaves and old shoots.
3. Tear off the leaves remaining on the branches.
4. Tie and bend the stems.

Advice
When purchasing seedlings, pay attention to varietal qualities. Raspberries without thorns are the most likely to suffer from drying out.

Compliance with all recommendations will protect raspberries from the invasion of caterpillars and bacteria. The effort is worth it: in return, the grower receives a bountiful harvest of large and sweet berries, full of benefits and aroma.