Raspberry Daughter of Hercules

In Russia, raspberries are considered one of the favorite berries. Raspberry jam is especially widely used in winter during colds. It is most useful to eat fresh fruits that are rich in useful microelements and vitamins. One of these are the berries of the raspberry variety Daughter of Hercules.

The daughter of Hercules is a breeding novelty that has absorbed all the best varietal qualities of the parent Hercules variety. Unlike the parent, it has good immunity to many diseases and pests, frost resistance, has larger fruits and gives high yields.

Medium late variety. Long-term fruiting, from August to October. In the southern regions, the harvest period can be extended until frost.

The yield is high. You can collect 4-5 kg ​​from one bush. Thanks to the renovation, several crops are harvested during the season. The berries lie well; during long-term transportation they do not flow and do not lose their shape. Suitable for use both fresh and processed.

The fruits are very large, with an unusual elongated blunt-conical shape. One berry can reach 8-10 g in weight, and with proper care and 20 g. The taste is sweet with a pleasant sourness, with a pronounced aroma. The pulp is tender, juicy, dense. Ripe fruits have a beautiful dark red color.

The daughter of Hercules, despite her merits, is a rather demanding culture. It is necessary to constantly monitor the moisture content of the soil, apply top dressing, carry out pruning, loosening and mulching on time.

When growing, the trellis method is necessarily used. The bushes are medium-sized, reach a height of 2 m, prone to branching. Annually, from 2 to 5 shoots are formed on one branch. They are strong, straight, covered with thorns.

For better growth and productivity, the bushes are molded, leaving 6-8 shoots. Old stems are removed, leaving only the current and last year. Pruning is carried out in the morning or in the evening, before the procedure is not specially watered. It is recommended to treat the sections with garden varnish for disinfection.

After precipitation and watering, the soil around the bushes is loosened. This manipulation improves air exchange in the roots and reduces the likelihood of moisture stagnation in the soil.

Mulching is carried out annually. This makes it possible to protect the roots from frost, reduces the growth of weeds, and acts as an additional fertilizer.

The variety must be prepared for winter. Shoots are removed from the supports and bent down, a layer of mulch is laid as high as possible and covered with agrofibre. If the winter is snowy, then you can cover it with snow.

The site is chosen as sunny as possible, protected from drafts.Access to the sun throughout the day is essential for good growth and fruiting. It should be noted that with a lack of light, the period of flowering and ripening of the crop will be greatly delayed. The best option for the Daughter of Hercules is the south side on a small hill.

The variety prefers to grow on light fertile soils with slightly acidic or neutral pH. Solanaceous crops (tomato, eggplant, potato, pepper) and cucumbers are good precursors for the plant.

However, raspberries can be planted after vegetables only after a year. For this, after removing vegetable crops, green manure plants (clover, legumes) are planted.

Before laying a new raspberry tree, the soil is dug up, weeds, roots and debris are removed. Fertilizers are applied in the form of humus, superphosphates and potassium sulfate.

The daughter of Hercules requires constant watering. The soil should be moist, but without stagnant water. Watering is carried out with warm, settled water in the morning or in the evening.

They begin to feed raspberries at the 2nd year of planting. During the flowering period, nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied; during the ripening of the fruits, they are provided with complex nutrition. In the fall, the plant will need phosphorus and potassium. They contribute to the active laying of fruit buds.

Excellent resistance to many diseases and pests. To prevent fungal infections, the bushes are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid in the spring. In the fight against caterpillars, raspberry mites and gall midges, colloidal preparations do well.

It can be effectively propagated in two ways: by cuttings and root shoots. Unfortunately, the annual growth of the growth is small, so cuttings are most often used.

For planting material, cuttings are used after shaping the bushes of the current year, their length is 15 cm, with several living buds. You can buy ready-made seedlings at a nursery or a specialized store. Plants with a closed root system, without damage or signs of disease, will be preferable.

Before proceeding with planting, seedlings or cuttings are prepared. First, the roots or shoots are soaked in potassium permanganate for half an hour, then they are left in a growth stimulant solution for a day.

They are planted in prepared soil. The fertile mixture consists of peat, humus, sand and garden soil. Deepen them so that they can stand on their own, without support. The root collar cannot be buried. The soil around the seedlings is compacted and watered.

In order for the cuttings to take root, they create a greenhouse effect to ensure high humidity. Both a plastic bottle and a film put on a branch are suitable here. They are ventilated daily and sprayed with warm water. When the ground dries up, it is watered. A clear sign of rooted cuttings will be awakened buds.

The daughter of Hercules is planted in spring or autumn. There are several ways to plant raspberries.

1. Square-bush. The site is divided into squares, the bushes are planted according to the scheme 1x1 m or 1.5x1.5 m.

2. Triangular. Raspberries are planted in the corners of the triangle, the distance between which is from 1 to 1.5 m.

3. Tape. The plant is planted in pre-prepared trenches, the distance between them is 1.5 m. The seedlings are planted 0.7-0.9 m apart from each other.

4. Curtain. Bushes are planted in groups of 3 copies at a distance of 0.6 m.