Which berry is best suited for growing for sale? Raspberry growing business What equipment to choose

Agriculture is a large area in which there are many opportunities for entrepreneurs. The heroine of our next story knows this firsthand. interesting material Svetlana. Previously, she had already shared with us her experience of growing strawberries, which turned out to be quite successful, and now she told us about another of her business - the raspberry business.

One can envy Svetlana’s perseverance and learn from her entrepreneurial spirit, because on her plot of land in a small Ukrainian town, where there is practically no work, she does incredible things at first glance: she grows berries, sells them and gets a good income.

Reconomica presents to your attention the story of “raspberry commerce” from a true expert in the berry business.

Hello, allow me to introduce myself, my name is Svetlana Gorodnicheva. I told a story about a small berry business - I’ll tell you a sequel. Growing raspberries: the agricultural market through the eyes of a beginning farmer, personal opinion, the intricacies of small-scale production, the nuances of agricultural technology.

The reader may wish to skip the lengthy preface. Not worth it. If I had read something like this before planting the raspberries, I would not have made any mistakes.

The strawberry season is good, but short. The continuation of the berry conveyor belt will be raspberries - that’s what I decided. At the end of June, the strawberries disappeared, the townspeople will switch to raspberries. There is not much land, but enough for a small berry garden. To begin with, 15 acres were allotted, then the planting was expanded to 20 acres.

I decided to grow raspberries too.

Error one

Raspberries are a crop of large areas. It is profitable to carry from 500 kg for wholesale, optimally - up to 1 ton. This is the only way transportation will pay off, and wholesalers are not interested in small quantities. The local market is often overflowing with goods from farmers and summer residents.

No, you can plant little by little, but this is a waste of effort and resources. The revenue is small, but time is lost, which would be better spent on the main crop.

And not only time, but also money spent both on the raspberry garden itself and on paying hired labor.

A large areas- high costs: planting material, agrochemicals, harvesting, transportation costs. On large plantations there is no way without equipment: it is needed both for cultivating the land and for transportation. No way without refrigerators: without refrigeration, the berries are not worth it. On the second day the species is no longer marketable. Yes, and harvesting: manual - slow and expensive, for machine harvesting you need specially broken ridges with a maintained distance. And the equipment itself, even rented one, needs to be found somewhere and paid for.

I didn’t know the obvious things. After looking at pictures on the Internet, reading articles with cost calculations and profitability of 144%, I saw myself among rows of raspberries as tall as me. I saw rows of containers with shining berries. And my hands felt the rustling of money.

As it turned out, I was in a hurry by at least a year. And she was five years late.

Error two

Why did I hurry? Summer varieties of the so-called one-time fruiting bear fruit only in the second year. After autumn planting A full harvest can be expected only in the third year. Remontant varieties that produce two harvests bear fruit in the first year.

The first harvest is small: the investment will pay off - you can consider yourself a good farmer.

Total - quick payback questionable, and the risks are great: attacks (seedlings that did not survive the winter, diseased ones), losses as a result of poor knowledge of agricultural technology.

Error three

Why I was late: it was 2015, the year of the beginning of the war, called the ATO, and the decline, called the path to Europe.

I made a lot of mistakes in the beginning.

Abundance that does not please

There are two sales options: local market and wholesale. The first is dominated by local farmers and grandmothers, the second is a huge decline. More precisely, it is overflowing with raspberries that previously went to Russia and the Donbass. According to some estimates, this was more than half the volume of grown berries.

And since 2015, as I already said in the story about the strawberry business, vans with raspberries went through the cities and towns of Ukraine: the owners were looking for sales. Even a chilled berry cannot wander for a long time: raspberries are more delicate than strawberries, they are stored for up to 5-6 days at best, but they still darken and leak.

Scenes from life

Year 2015, 2016, 2017. Raspberries are sold three times cheaper than the market price. A young guy, the owner of 3 hectares of raspberries, with a black face from fatigue and frustration, giving up to 100 liters a day for next to nothing. The line is tearing containers with shining raspberries from their hands. Of course, 1 liter for the price of 2 rolls of toilet paper.

The guy interrupted all my trade, but evoked respect and sympathy.

Kharkov wholesale: a gray-haired man chewing belyash, laughing, shares his “successes”: he handed over, bought diesel fuel and a pie. And there are a lot of such scenes. A sea of ​​berries spilled over the fields of once prosperous farms. Like strawberries, raspberries were often not picked: they fell, littering the ground red.

Farmers tried to survive by selling only seedlings. I think this was the reason for the popularization of berry farming: the second source of income for berry farms is seedlings. For many it is the main one.

The central and western regions saved collection points for processing (freezing, drying, sublimation). The requirements are high: density, color, sugar content. Checked and chemical composition, but the products were well paid. So, on average, 1 kg was taken for 40 UAH ($1.2). And raspberries were sold at the market for about the same price or cheaper. The eastern regions had a bad time: it is difficult to sell wholesale, because there are almost no collection points, and it is cheap and difficult to sell at retail.

Raspberries were plentiful, but sold for next to nothing.

Drying saved the day

There are few requirements: at least bring compote. The price is low, up to 25 UAH per 1 liter (up to $0.8), but it will do for a dying product. Dried ( sublimated) raspberries were sent to Europe to the displeasure of local farmers: their market was falling.

According to eyewitnesses who visit Poland along the usual route to buy seedlings, life literally drove the Poles onto the high road. They lined up along the highways, giving away raspberries for 4-5 zlotys. For once prosperous Poland, this is an unprecedented thing and the price is ridiculous to the point of tears.

If anyone was happy, it was Russian farmers.

If earlier they joked that during the invasion of Ukrainian “importers” it is more profitable to plant potatoes, because they collapse all prices, then after the closure of the borders the market was empty. There are no dumping competitors, plant and sell.

Why did I decide to take up raspberries? Firstly, she naively believed in luck. Secondly, there was no way out: I was looking for my income and, albeit with risks and losses, I had to find it.

Sales, calculation: reconciling debit and credit

I won’t bore you with a lengthy backstory; I’d rather talk about the implementation.

Mini-costing

To be done: seedlings were purchased, the plot was planted. The planting pattern was as follows: 0.8-1 m with row spacing up to 2.5 m. In the first year, 10 acres were planted, another 5 and a half acres were planted the next year. On average, this is 15 rows 50 m long. There are about 60 bushes in a row, a total of 950-1000 pieces.

Before you can achieve a harvest from raspberries, you need to invest in them.

Of the remontant varieties, Polana and Polka were planted, and of late summer varieties: Tulamin, Tadmor; early: Gusar, Atlant; mid-early: Glen Ample, Glen Fine. On the one hand, there is variety due to the long raspberry season. On the other hand, different collection times do not produce a large volume.

Late summer varieties were chosen deliberately: at this time there are fewer berries on the market.

The numbers are rounded, because raspberries were sold for 30-35 UAH (up to $1.5) and 20 UAH (up to $0.8).

Cost calculation

• Seedlings at a price of $0.4-$0.5 - $450-$500;
• means of protection (treatment against pests) - $20;
• fertilizers (organic, mineral) - on average $50-55;
• mulch - $20;
• organization of supports - $30;
• payment for work when planting, pruning, installing trellises - up to $100;
• containers (boxes, plastic containers) - up to $20.

Collection costs are not included: 4 people daily 100 UAH ($3.5) each, transportation 80-90 UAH (up to $3). With a deduction from turnover, with 3-4 collections per week, you can deduct another $150 from your income.

Total net earnings amounted to $1600-$1620 for 3 months of training: July, August, September. On average, 1 kg of raspberries costs up to $0.3. When selling at $1, the net proceeds are $0.7, resulting in the same $1,600.

Not enough, but for the first year on a small area the result is not bad.

And given the standard of living and prices in the region at wages a nurse or a salesperson at $70-$100 (this is before the artificial increase in salary, which led to an avalanche-like inflation), then a raspberry business can be considered as an option for temporary part-time work.

Who is this business suitable for?

Why as an option? It would seem that having your own planting material, you can already increase your turnover and really start making money. As I said above, large areas mean large costs. In the absence of funds and physical assistance(free) the maximum that shines is sale on the local market. Large volumes with my initial data (payment for all work, transportation) are utopia. Small ones are a dispersion of forces, headache and vanity, not earnings.

The salary is suitable for those who work with families. It is easier for them to achieve large turnover when free money appears for hired labor and equipment, not counting direct expenses. Or those who can invest not such ridiculously small amounts as I do.

For me, raspberries were expensive: where you don’t step, you’ll pay. Land preparation - pay, trellis installation, planting, pruning - pay. And collection, and transportation, and sale.

And about implementation...

The drying method also helped me out: I sold some of the raspberries in bulk. Cheap, 20 UAH per 1 liter, but in relatively large quantities and without requirements. My boxes loaded into boxes traveled to Kharkov by car and were transferred by train.

The raspberries arrived crushed and soft, but even that was suitable for drying.

My companion, who had been taking raspberries for two years, was also a beginner. He organized the so-called collection of berries from the population and the drying itself, then handed them over to large companies that sold them to Europe. This is how we worked for two years.

Some of the raspberries were sold at the local market. If I had decided to bring it to the market without refrigeration, the attempt would have failed: I would have brought raspberry porridge. I sold it myself and rented it out to resellers. If in the case of strawberries they often did not believe that the berries were mine (I don’t look like a farmer), then with raspberries they believed willingly. I was covered in scratches: arms, legs, face. The reason for this is that some of the varieties were studded and the plantings were dense.

This is another pitfall: either you work, collect, transport, or sell. Moreover, you sell either quickly and cheaply, or slowly but more expensively. If there is only one, then there are not enough hands to do everything.

Many varieties of raspberries imply the presence of thorns.

Subtleties of raspberry business

Every newbie stumbles over the choice of variety. The seedlings market is unique. Every year new products appear, advertised as varieties of incredible productivity and taste. Their prices are high and they are promoted so convincingly that it’s hard to resist. After a year or two, new ones arrive: from new to new, there lives a world of seedling sellers. And it is difficult for a beginner to choose a suitable commercial variety among the “dummies”.

And most sellers in Ukraine, alas, are resellers. Farms selling their own seedlings good quality, you can count it on your fingers.

The rest, with all due respect to the relatively honest earnings, most often did not see their goods, because the seedlings come from Poland. There is no guarantee of variety compliance or purity of planting material. I say this as a person who bought a batch of Polish raspberries that were infected with a nematode and happily died.

Separately, there are sellers who have entered into contracts with nurseries in Poland and England for the sale of seedlings in vitro and own production, i.e. plants grown under license. In theory, they can be trusted, but in practice, in a wild market, anything can be expected.

In Russia the situation is different. No matter how much Russians scold the domestic school of selection, it is a sin to complain to them.

The varieties authored by Kazakov, Kichina, Evdokimenko, Kulagina are superior in productivity to most Polish, English, and American ones. They are adapted to the local climate, winter-hardy, heat-resistant, and do not lose the properties inherent in the variety for a long time.

There are hundreds of them, without exaggeration. They have beautiful, majestic, affectionate names: Atlant, Hussar, Diamond, Pride of Russia, Arbat, Caramel and others. By the way, after the borders were closed, Ukrainian farmers were doubly depressed: there was nowhere to transport their products, and they couldn’t bring seedlings of their favorite commercial varieties.

Signs of a good variety

• Keeping quality, transportability;
• a large percentage of class 1 fruits for the fresh market;
• medium size (very large fruits have too big hole, and the berries are crushed in containers and caked after picking);
• productivity;
• shoot fruiting zone from 50% to 80%;
• the berries do not bake; in hot weather there are no characteristic white segments on the fruits;
• correct form fruits, one-dimensionality;
• absence of thorns;
• shoot-forming ability (small if planting material is not needed, and large if needed).

But the main thing is compressed harvesting, that is, not extended fruiting, friendly. The fewer the main harvests, the less ripening in the interval, the better: this is the only way to achieve the relatively large volume necessary for both the local market and the wholesale market.

What else is very important

1. The density of the berries, the correct shape of the drupes. The raspberries should not crumble; the drupes that form the fruit should be well adhered.
2. Content of sugar, solids.
3. The amount of anthocyanins responsible for color intensity. For those focusing on wholesale market, especially for import, you need varieties with light berries, for local ones - with dark berries. Here’s a nuance: in Europe and the USA, light varieties are valued, but in our country, light berries are associated with unripe ones.
4. Frost resistance.
5. Disease resistance is an advertising gesture from sellers: all varieties are approximately the same, all resistance is inherent in agricultural technology.

Basics of agricultural technology: main stages

Afterword

They say that we buy experience. In agriculture, we pay for it in lost seasons, which add up to years of life. Three years is enough time to understand the prospects and learn from mistakes.

I decided for myself that growing raspberries is not my income. Too labor-intensive, costly, beyond my modest investments, beyond my means.

The payback of raspberries and their speed in comparison with strawberries is lower, the amount of work and investments is higher, the sales market is narrower: you need to be prepared that most of the grown berries must be processed, that is, sold in bulk.

And most importantly, we must not allow efforts, resources and time to be wasted. This is mistake. If you are destined to continue your small berry business, it will be a monoculture - strawberries. In general, raspberry commerce seems promising to me for those who have the means to invest and know how to grow it. Even if the market is full, there is always a place in the sun for good berries.

Raspberries have long been a symbol of the sweet life. Everyone knows that berries not only have a good taste, but are also rich in vitamins and medicinal properties. Growing raspberries as a business is a very profitable business. Prices for berries are high, and competition is minimal.

• electric/manual cultivator – necessary for quick processing land plot, price: 6,000-15,000 rubles;
• raspberry harvester, price: RUB 100,000;
• refrigerator, price: 40,000 rubles;
• drying chamber, price: 25,000 rub. and higher.

We are hiring staff

When expanding your business, you will need labor. Quantity employees depends on the area of ​​the site.

For 1-2 hectares of territory, hire an agronomist-technologist, a berry harvester driver, and 2-3 laborers.

Be responsible when scheduling staff work - plants require constant care.

How to harvest?

It is better to pick raspberries in dry weather. The harvest is carefully removed from the receptacle and collected in dry containers. Berries quickly deteriorate when exposed to water, so it is recommended to wash them immediately before consumption.

Do you want to extend the shelf life? Consider these factors:

• pick healthy fruits at the right stage of ripening;
• cool the berries quickly;
• use modified packaging.

How to freeze fresh berries?

Frozen raspberries are stored in plastic and paper bags. You can keep berries fresh for up to a year if you use quick freezing.

To do this, place only the collected berries from the garden in a storage chamber with a temperature of 20–35 degrees, then transfer them to a chamber with a slightly lower temperature.

How to find customers and sell products?

The harvested crop must be sold immediately. To sell goods, use the following sales points:

• production of jam, compotes, juices;
• delivery for procurement points;
• sales through retail chains;
• trading on the market;
• selling through hired sellers.

How to carry out transportation?

To maintain the quality of products during transportation, adhere to the following rules:

1. Maintain stable temperature, cool to 0-1 degree at 90% humidity;
2. At a temperature of 25 degrees, the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere should not exceed 10%.

Note!!! Under such conditions, the berries are not affected by fungal infections for up to 20 days and retain their color, taste, and quality.

Expenses

To save money, buy seedlings in bulk. Good planting material has a high price; a large harvest will pay off their cost.

Also calculate the budget for the irrigation system, fertilizers and chemical treatment raspberries

Costs for growing 20 acres of raspberries:

Keep in mind that purchasing equipment for caring for raspberries is not necessary if you are ready to do everything manually. For self made It is enough to buy equipment for 2,500 rubles.

Not all start-up entrepreneurs have start-up capital, so to start a business, take . From the first profit you need to pay off the loan, then the business will flourish.

Raspberries, a business plan for growing the crop will provide income from the 2nd year of fruiting. It is worth noting that it is more profitable to grow berries on large plantations.

Business profitability

Growing and caring for raspberries is a rather labor-intensive business that requires investment, time and labor. Growing raspberries will disappoint a person who plans to make money in the first season, but the profitability of raspberries of 35–40% is quite good indicator for the farmer.

Raspberry as a business fully pays for itself within 3 years. During this time, you will understand the growing system, expand the site, build a clientele, establish contact with sales representatives, .

Let's give an example of area that increases business profitability:

• land plot – 20 acres;
• row spacing 2.5 m x 0.5 m per row, 8 rows of 200 m each; bushes in one row - 300; on a plot of 20 acres it is necessary to plant 2,400 bushes;
• yield - 2.5 kg per seedling. Total - 6,000 kg;
• average wholesale price - 200 rubles/kg;
• the average retail price is about 300 rubles/kg.

Approximate earnings are 1,200,000–1,800,000 rubles.

Other business options in the village:

1. - a very good business option for residents rural areas. If you have a garden, don't miss the opportunity to earn money for your family. Drying is a quick, easy and profitable choice for storing and selling fruit.

2. . Strawberries are one of our favorite summer berries. Many people love it for its pleasant taste and ease of care. It is possible to build a fairly profitable business by selling this product.

3. - the new kind earnings of the summer season. The interesting shape of the product increases interest in it and its value. Do you want to earn money? Read how to do it.

My plot allocated for raspberries is small, only 1.5 acres. But we get a pretty decent harvest - 30 or more buckets of selected large, clean berries.
We took two varieties from the market - Mirage and Stolichnaya. But Stolichnaya “didn’t behave very correctly” in our conditions. It started to hurt, the berries melted from the heat and rotted due to excess moisture. Therefore, it was abandoned over time. Since then we have been growing Mirage, selling both berries and seedlings.
The berries of this variety are large, up to 4 cm long, dense, dark red, fragrant. They do not fall off from the wind; on the contrary, they have to be removed with effort from the thick white fruit stalk, similar to the root of a tooth. In compote, the berries are not destroyed, and when cooked, the jam gels perfectly. It is also important that they do not need to be washed to free them from raspberry beetle larvae - they simply are not there. It seems that the dense berry “prevents” the worms from getting inside. Mirage bears fruit for a whole month - from early July to early August. In a day or two, an excellent harvest “comes in stream”.
But I want to make a reservation right away: with insufficient care, Mirage’s berries become smaller and may not set at all. Therefore, having collected all my experience in growing large-fruited raspberries, I will be happy to share it with everyone.
The first thing I want to pay attention to is the soil in the raspberry field. It should be loose, nutritious and light. To do this, it is necessary to fill the area well with humus before planting and be sure to add sand if the soil is loamy. There are no restrictions - the more, the better. In the future, do not enter the raspberry field with a shovel. Annual digging of the soil leads to the fact that the dormant buds on the cut roots wake up and “drive” the shoots. And the raspberries gradually “leave” from your site to the neighbors. Mirage has a genetically weak formation of shoots. But if you dig up the soil, this valuable quality will disappear. Earthworms will take on the work of loosening the soil, and sand will make it easier. Raspberry roots are superficial and very branched. They very quickly “eat” the humus introduced and “drink” all the moisture in the soil. Therefore, to replenish organic reserves, it is necessary to constantly mulch the entire raspberry field with a thick layer of humus or freshly cut grass. Can also be scattered fresh manure. Within a year, on a mature raspberry tree, all this “good” burns out.”
If mulched, the soil can retain some moisture for a long time, but it must be constantly replenished. If there is not a cloud in the sky for a long time and there is no rain, the raspberries need to be watered. Without mulch, the soil dries out very quickly and requires constant watering.
With a sufficient amount of nutrition, Mirage ties very a large number of berries on a branch. All buds on the shoot from bottom to top are fruit buds. From each grows a branched fruit branch 0.5 m long, i.e. one fruitful shoot looks like a whole bush. For fruiting, you need to leave 3-6 such shoots on the bush. One day we calculated how many berries form one shoot. It turned out that 250! Such a branch bends to the ground under the weight of ripening berries. Therefore, large-fruited raspberries need support. You can, of course, put up pegs to tie up the bushes, but the best option- this is a trellis. At the ends and in the middle of the rows we drove stakes from thick reinforcement (height above the ground 1.5 m). They were connected with steel wire at a height of 1.45 m. The result was a durable trellis. The rows are located in the direction from north to south at a distance of 2 m from each other. In a row, the distance between the bushes is 1 m. With this arrangement, the shoots on the bushes, left for fruiting, are freely fanned out on a trellis, to which they must be tied in the spring before the buds open.
At the same time, I treat the raspberries from diseases and pests. It may be Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate in a ratio of 100 g per 10 liters of water. Good result gives treatment in early spring with a solution of "DNOC", before flowering - with a solution of foundationol. But the scourge of raspberries - didimella (purple spotting), anthracnose and gray rot will still appear if your raspberries are thickened. Have you ever noticed how bright green and clean the raspberry bushes are along the edges of a raspberry tree? This is how you need to “guide” the raspberries so that the bush is “on the edge” on all sides, even in the middle of the raspberry tree. The more sun penetrates into the planting, the cleaner the bushes will be.
It is good to carry out another spraying of raspberries against diseases immediately after collecting the last berries and harvesting fruit-bearing branches, which must be removed from the site immediately, without postponing this matter until the fall.
The flowering and fruiting of this large-fruited variety is a fabulous sight. Mirage's flowers are large, fragrant, with huge sepals. Their number is amazing. Bees circle above this cloud from early morning until late evening. The buzz is so loud that it can be heard several meters away. And the real miracle begins at the time of harvest. I pick berries early in the morning after the dew has disappeared or in the evening before sunset. It is impossible to do this during the day, since in an hour and a half of work you can be “cooked” alive, because the air in the raspberry field is like in a sauna. In the morning I will collect everything that is ripe, and in the evening of the same day the bushes will be red again. Mirage and nothing more!
I try to sell the main harvest; I keep only the last 2-3 buckets of berries for myself, when all orders have already been completed.
But now the last berries have been collected and we need to take care of the new harvest. I remove all fruit-bearing branches and remove them from the site. Do not delay this work, even if the branches are still green. Raspberry is a biennial shrub and by the end of the second year, i.e. At the time of fruiting, the bushes accumulate a large number of diseases and pests, which need to be gotten rid of as quickly as possible. After all, a young shoot of renewal is already growing nearby, which will bloom and bear fruit next year, be strong and healthy.
In the fall, at ground level, it is necessary to cut out broken, weak and extra shoots, leaving 6-8 shoots in the bush, taking into account that 1-2 shoots may “fall out” during the winter. In our conditions, there is no need to bend and cover the raspberries. Winters are mild, and she winters well without shelter. If so-called “black frosts” occur, when at the border of autumn and winter the temperature drops to -18...20 ° C, and there is no trace of snow, then mulching saves the raspberries. A thick layer of mulch makes the roots, and therefore the entire plant, strong. In the winter, I simply braid the branches around each other and the trellis so that they do not break from wind, snow and stray dogs.
In the spring, I straighten the raspberry branches, attach them to a wire, 5-6 in a bush, and cut out the rest. In the spring, I cut the tops of the stems to a height of 1.6 m. In the fall, there is no need to do this, since moisture gets into the cut, it cracks and can freeze.
On ordinary raspberry varieties, so-called double pruning is carried out to enhance fruiting. On Mirage, double pruning is unnecessary, since it is genetically determined to form a large number of lateral fruit branches throughout the stem, and not just at the top. But what will significantly increase the yield and reduce the number of pests to a minimum is the creation of a double raspberry plot. One half of it bears fruit, and on the other only young shoots grow. The next year the “halves” change places. The harvest with such a system is much higher, since the mother bush spends its energy only on berries. There are almost no pests and diseases, especially if the plots are not located nearby. But when growing young shoots in a non-fruit-bearing area, it is necessary to regulate their number in the bush, leaving the strongest ones and removing the thin and weak ones. This should be done not at the end of the season, but throughout the growing season, since thickening leads to the development of diseases and pests.
Another interesting point is planting, or rather, pruning when planting young seedlings. If you want to prevent diseases and pests from creeping into your raspberry garden from the very beginning, then you need to plant young shoots that have just emerged from the ground with a small earthen lump in a new place. If there are none, and only ordinary planting material is available - lignified shoots, then you can improve their health in the following way. Before planting, they should be pruned to a height of 15-20 cm. After the seedling takes root and the young replacement shoot “drives” in the spring, last year’s branch should be cut off with sharp pruning shears at soil level and removed. Then the young shoot will grow clean and healthy.
When purchasing and planting seedlings, be careful about the roots. They should be fresh, not overdried, and white when cut. In addition, they should not have “balls” of root cancer. This disease accompanies many crops, including raspberries. It develops more often on dry soils or where roots are often injured. Such a plant develops weakly and then dies. If root cancer is found on the roots, then it is necessary to cut it off. sharp knife a piece of the affected root, and disinfect the cut in a solution of ferrous sulfate.

These are the recommendations I can give to everyone who grows raspberries and not only large-fruited ones. Everything I recommend has been tested by me in my own area. I’ll tell you how to deal with pests on raspberries in the next publication.
I wish all summer residents to gain strength and energy for spring work and every success. I will answer your questions provided you receive the envelope with the o/a.

Marina Vladimirovna PROTASOVA ,
307200, Kursk region, Oktyabrsky district,
p. Pryamitsyno, st. Polevaya, 1, apt. 1
04/08/2005 http://www.cofe.ru/garden/article.asp?heading=47&article=9351

Without a doubt, everyone recognizes the aroma, juiciness and healthfulness of raspberries (the berries and leaves contain many vitamins and even microelements). It is difficult to deny yourself a cup of tea with homemade raspberry jam or jam on a frosty winter evening, and even more so during the period of colds. Today, perhaps, every second owner of personal garden plot grows raspberries. And everyone dreams of harvesting more, realizing at the same time that they will have to spend a lot of effort on this. You should understand the issues of raspberry yield and choosing suitable varieties.

Features of increasing yield

The yield of raspberries depends on several parameters: the yield of the variety, the planting area and the number of seedlings in this area, the characteristics of the gardener’s territory (in some regions, only in greenhouse conditions can the risk of crop loss due to bad weather conditions be significantly reduced) and the soils in this area. Depending on whether for personal consumption or production in industrial scale Raspberries grown can be harvested from 3–7 kg per bush to 8–20 tons per hectare.

How to achieve such results or even exceed them many times over: study the advice of experts and follow them (from choosing profitable varieties to agricultural technology), and do not neglect caring for delicate raspberries. Special attention It’s worth paying attention to the recommendations of raspberry nursery experts, adopting their “tricks” for increasing productivity.

At the dacha of two summer residents, different amounts of raspberries are placed. It will not be the same if one of them follows the recommendations of experts and is able to increase the yield per hectare.

You shouldn't plant everything. Greater results can be achieved if you choose the crop variety responsibly. To harvest a good raspberry harvest, it is necessary to strictly follow agrotechnical requirements, but taking into account the difference in planting and care techniques for regular varieties and remontant varieties. Fulfilling the requirements in combination allows you to grow bushes with high yields.

Responsible attitude towards variety selection

To choose the right variety, you should pay attention to the following recommendations:

• It is worth choosing seedlings of large-fruited varieties (berry weight is 5–12 g);
• if you plan to harvest throughout the entire season, you should select varieties with different ripening periods; taking into account the climatic conditions of the growing region, the crop can be harvested from spring to late autumn;
• In the characteristics of the variety, special attention should be paid to the safety of the berries on the bush, because the preservation of the berries on the cluster during ripening and its resistance to rot damage depend on this.

Compliance with the rules and practices of agricultural technology

Regardless of what variety of berries is chosen, you need to remember several rules: compliance with which will help to significantly increase raspberry yields, such as:

• elimination of weeds in places where raspberries grow;
• the plant prefers illuminated areas or partial shade;
• timely collection of ripe berries will prevent the spread of diseases;
• watering abundantly, but infrequently to avoid root rot;
• changing the location of the raspberry tree every 10–15 years, during this period the soil is fairly depleted, which leads to a decrease in yield;
• preparation for wintering:
  • removing all leaves from the bushes in October, after harvesting and before the first frost;
  • Some experts recommend bending green and slightly woody shoots to the soil, pressing them down with some heavy object, but not with a brick, and in no case covering them with soil;
  • the thickness of the snow layer above such shoots should be at least half a meter.

Planting and caring for regular varieties of raspberries includes the following steps:

• seedling planting scheme: 1 m of free area between the bushes of the row, the distance between the rows is 1.5–2 m;
• planting time - spring or early autumn;
• timely removal of growth. Thickening is unacceptable, raspberries like to be ventilated and do not like strong shading;
• pruning is recommended in the fall at the root, treating the cut site;
• fertilizing with fertilizers twice a season (organics - manure, nitrogen fertilizers and potassium compounds);
• the use of chemicals in pest control and for protection against diseases strictly before flowering (there must be visible reasons for treatment);
• It is advisable to choose varieties with high resistance to various diseases;
• watering as needed, special attention should be paid to watering in seasons with a long absence of precipitation;
• in order to avoid excessive loss of moisture, after watering and lightly loosening the soil (depth 5–7 cm), raspberries should be mulched with humus and dry grass, for example, hay or straw.

The fruiting period of remontant varieties occurs from summer to autumn; they can produce a harvest already in the first year. When planting and caring for raspberries, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

• seedling planting scheme: 70–75 cm between seedlings, row spacing – 1–1.5 m. These raspberry varieties have a smaller number of shoots formed near the main stem;
• planting time - in mid-autumn (from the first week of October), but before the onset of the first frost;
• cutting down the shoots in the spring only after the appearance of future replacement branches (these raspberry varieties have few additional shoots), this way the bushes will more easily endure the winter. Fruiting of young shoots in remontant varieties occurs in the second year;
• adding organic matter, for example, manure or a mixture of humus, superphosphate and potassium in the spring and at the time of flowering according to the scheme: 0.5 tons per hundred square meters, with abundant watering of the bushes;
• mulch, as for conventional varieties, will provide the necessary soil moisture and help keep the roots from freezing during the winter cold.

Correct and timely pruning of bushes

As a rule, when pruning raspberry bushes, the experienced gardener Sobolev’s method is used (double pruning method). Thanks to this method pruning, the bush is significantly rejuvenated, which entails an increase in the number of berries in the current season. Timely pruning of old and “sick” stems will also extend the life of bushes. Productivity and safety are increased by shortening replacement shoots.

It is important to use a sharp and serviceable tool when pruning.

The “correct” soil for raspberries

It is recommended to prepare the soil for planting in advance. Raspberries do not like highly acidic soils; they do not take root well on them and have low yields. It is advisable, when cultivating the soil for raspberries, to take into account that the acidity (ph) should not exceed 6.2 units. Another mandatory requirement to the soil - this is enrichment organic substances. Soil composition: humus - 2 buckets, superphosphate - 200 g, potassium salt - 80 g per 1 m².

Some gardeners replace potassium salt with wood ash - 0.5 kg per 1 m². To fertilize the soil in spring, it is recommended to use carbamide (urea) - 100 g per 1 m².

Proper drainage of soil is also necessary. For productivity, raspberries require soil moisture of at least 10 cm. Therefore, it is worth watering the raspberries abundantly if precipitation is rare or absent for a long time.

Selection of the “right” seedlings and preventive measures

One of the main ways to increase raspberry yield is to choose the optimal variety. It is important to purchase healthy planting material. To purchase seedlings, use trusted nurseries. But it is worth considering that a seedling grown in greenhouse conditions for the purpose of sale can be quite expensive. But experienced nursery specialists will give recommendations on growing the raspberry variety chosen for purchase. It could also be bushes from a “generous” neighbor in the area. But it’s not enough just to choose a raspberry variety that is productive and suitable for the growing area.

The yield of each bush also depends on the health of the seedlings. When choosing seedlings, you should pay attention to the root system. The stem cut should be green and approximately 1 cm in diameter. Before planting, it is worth disinfecting the seedlings in a weak solution of manganese. It is necessary to arm yourself with a directory of means to combat a number of diseases of berry crops, as well as to combat the invasion of insect pests. Using knowledge about the prevention of plant diseases leads to an increase in yield on the site.

It is advisable to select varieties with different ripening periods. This will not only allow harvesting throughout the season under favorable conditions, but also, in principle, its availability, since different varieties susceptible various diseases.

It is worth considering that ideally you should not mix plants with different ripening periods. It is best if this is done in rows. This makes processing the bushes and harvesting easier. Compliance with even such simple tips this will allow you to get more berries from each bush on the plot, which means you can not only enjoy the taste of the aromatic berries yourself, but also treat your relatives and “generous” neighbors with them if suddenly his harvest doesn’t go well.

Popular remontant varieties

Today there are several well-known remontant raspberry varieties available.

• "Apricot"- This high-yielding variety. Although the berry is not very large (3.5–4.2 g), it is very aromatic and tasty. If agricultural practices are followed, the harvest can be obtained until mid-October.
• "Brusvyana"- This is an early ripening variety. The yield is up to 8 kg per bush. The berry is large - up to 15 g. When it reaches a height of 2 m, it does not need a garter.
• "Polka"– this is not the most productive variety, since you can harvest up to 3.5 kg per bush, but its berries are of very high quality. The weight of the berry is 10 g. The variety is characterized by transportability. It has a long fruiting period. The bush is medium-sized with an abundance of side shoots.
• "Pringguin 2"- This is a high-yielding variety. At good care You can get up to 15 kg of harvest from a bush. It reaches a height of 1.3 m.
• "Shugana"- it's relatively new Swiss variety. The average yield is 9 kg. The berries are large and very tasty.
• "Yaroslavna"- This is a representative of productive varieties of yellow raspberries. In terms of properties, it has much in common with the Brusvyanoy variety.

In the next video you will find 9 secrets big harvest raspberries

Raspberries are a tender, aromatic berry containing a large amount of vitamins and microelements. There is no point in talking or arguing about its benefits. Growing useful product Every second person who has a personal plot is engaged in this activity. In our article, the question is devoted to raspberry yield. Because every gardener understands that the efforts spent on increasing the yield must be justified. Let's choose productive varieties, let's look at ways to increase raspberry yields without sacrificing quality.

Raspberry yield information

Residents of Ukraine, who prefer raspberries, when growing them, collect from 4 to 5 kilograms per bush. How do gardeners achieve such results? First of all, you need to calculate the number of seedlings per hundred square meters or hectare. It depends on personal consumption or production of the product on an industrial scale. From two to three thousand seedlings are planted on one hectare. Accordingly, the yield reaches from eight to ten tons per hectare.

Raspberry abundance is available to everyone, the main thing is to understand how to achieve it

If you take the advice of experts and select profitable varieties with high berry yield, follow all agrotechnical practices and do not neglect caring for healthy and tender raspberries, it is quite possible to achieve yields beyond the stated standards. Sometimes remontant varieties bring their owners up to twenty, or even up to thirty tons per hectare. Calculate the amount of berries collected at the end of the season on several hundred square meters of small personal plot won't be too difficult.

How do our “neighbors” act to obtain similar results? What tricks do they resort to? What methods are used to increase productivity? You will find answers to these questions from experts from famous raspberry nurseries in the following chapters of our article.

5 ways to increase raspberry yields

To harvest good berry harvests, it is necessary to follow several agricultural practices. An integrated approach will allow you to grow remontant raspberries with high yields.

Responsible approach to variety selection

If you want to get a large number of berries throughout the season, you need to select varieties of different ripening periods. This way you can provide for yourself good harvest. With suitable climatic conditions berries are collected from spring to late autumn.

Choose large-fruited seedlings. Berries weighing from five to twelve grams will be a clear advantage for your raspberry garden. An important point is such a characteristic of raspberries as the preservation of the berries on the bush. There are varieties that have the power to hold large berries on the branch until the moment of picking: raspberries do not fall off when ripe and do not rot on the brush. By following simple rules when choosing a variety, you will achieve better results than by planting whatever comes to hand.

Compliance with the rules and practices of agricultural technology

You must understand that for ordinary varieties and remontant varieties, the growing technique is different. You need to carefully understand the nuances in order to please yourself with good results.

Remember the difference in planting and caring techniques for regular and remontant raspberry varieties

Let's look at the features of planting regular and remontant raspberry varieties.

There are a number of activities that are mandatory for both types of raspberries:

• remember to eliminate weeds in areas where raspberries grow;
• place seedlings in lighted areas or in partial shade;
• do not injure the root system by trying to dig up a seedling in the middle of a raspberry tree and transplant it to another place;
• collect ripe berries on time to prevent the spread of diseases;
• Water the raspberries generously, but not often. This way you will avoid such a plant disease as root rot;
• remove bushes grown in one place for 10–15 years, changing the location of the raspberry tree. After this period, the yield decreases, and the soil is fairly depleted, despite regular fertilizing.

Proper pruning of raspberries

They use the double pruning method according to the method of experienced gardener Sobolev, rejuvenate the bush and increase the number of berries in the current season. You can read other articles on our website about how to properly prune raspberries.

Pruning raspberry bushes must be done with a sharp and serviceable tool.

Tip #1. Cut out old and diseased stems in a timely manner, this way you add life to your shrub. By shortening replacement shoots, you preserve and increase your harvest.

Application of soil of a certain composition

Keep in mind that the acidity of the soil where you are going to cultivate raspberries should not exceed 5.8 - 6.5 units . On acidified soils, the berry finds it difficult to take root and does not give the promised results. It is worth preparing the land for planting raspberry bushes in advance. Calculate that 1 sq. m. you will need two buckets of humus, two hundred grams of superphosphate and eighty grams of potassium salt, which some gardeners replace with wood ash in the amount of half a kilogram per designated space. Spring feeding is considered to be the application of carbamide (urea): 100 grams per 1 sq. m. It is imperative to water the raspberries abundantly. An indicator of proper watering is moist soil at a depth of ten centimeters from the surface. Therefore, you should not rely on short-term precipitation.

The soil under raspberry bushes should be rich in organic matter

Correct selection of seedlings and timely processing

When purchasing seedlings, use trusted sources and nurseries. The productivity of each bush largely depends on the health of young shoots. Before planting, it is worth disinfecting the seedlings in a weak solution of manganese. And regular preventive actions will help prevent a large number of diseases and the invasion of harmful insects. Using knowledge about preventing plant diseases, you will take care of increasing the yield on your site.

When choosing seedlings, pay attention to the root system

Tip #2. Buy healthy planting material and respond to raspberry diseases in time .

Productivity of raspberries of different varieties

One of the main ways to increase raspberry yield is to choose the optimal variety. Let's look at the yield indicators of some varieties in the table below.

When choosing raspberry varieties for cultivation, follow the principle different periods maturation. Then fragrant berries will be present in your diet throughout the summer and autumn.

In addition, different varieties are susceptible to different diseases. You will protect yourself from the lack of harvest or part of it during a certain period. But when placing bushes when planting, do not confuse early raspberries with late ones. Ideally, plant a row of early raspberries, a second row of mid-season raspberries, and a third row of late raspberries. Thus, when processing the site and when harvesting, you will reduce the percentage of injured plants and provide yourself with additional convenience when caring for them.

A special variety of raspberries called Polka

When choosing raspberry varieties for your own plot, it is worth noting that it is important to pay attention to the remontant raspberry variety Polka. What is its feature, you ask? The answer will be categorical - in the amount of harvest collected from one bush. Just think that one bush of this variety replaces five to six bushes of ordinary raspberries. The berry has a delicate taste and aroma. The weight of 15 grams is not inferior in parameters. With proper watering and care, you can collect up to seven kilograms from one bush.

If you managed to purchase seedlings of the Polka raspberry variety, take care of it and you will see countless berries on your table

Raspberry Polka has a fibrous root, so the number of shoots is not as large as other varieties. You can be sure that once you plant a bush, it will not spread across the area. In autumn, the entire above-ground part of the plant is pruned. In the spring, Polka will certainly bear fruit on annual shoots. And in winter there will be nothing to freeze out. This is one of fundamental differences of this variety from other remontant varieties.

An additional advantage of the variety is resistance to diseases such as:

• gray rot;
• white rot;
• spider mite;
• root rot.

These raspberries need to be watered more often than other varieties due to their shallow root system. The rest of the care is no different. Polka needs fertilizing, removing weeds, and loosening the soil. By planting seedlings of the Polka raspberry variety, you will be convinced of the advisability of keeping it on your site and will delight your family and friends delicious berry and surprise your neighbors with a bountiful harvest.

Once you are convinced that it is possible to increase your raspberry yield by using certain techniques, try to use the advice given by our experts. Stock up on healthy and quality planting material, care for the plant with love and enjoy the taste, aroma, and most importantly the amount of harvest obtained. Having gained invaluable experience in growing raspberries, you will become the owner of a delicate, velvety berry, rich in vitamins.