Raspberry Josephine

New varieties of raspberries are gaining more and more popularity among gardeners. This includes the young Josephine raspberry variety. In this article, we will consider the description of the variety, the positive aspects, yield, cultivation features, as well as breeding methods.

This culture appeared on the territory of Russia quite recently, about 3 years ago. Raspberry Josephine was bred in America.

Raspberry belongs to remontant varieties and bears fruit 2 times per season. The bush of the culture is tall, strong and powerful, the vine reaches a length of 1.6-1.8 m.The lateral shoots of the bushes are on average 70 cm each.It is noteworthy that the branches can break under the weight of the berries, therefore it is necessary to think over a system of holders or trellises ...

The vines are straight, spread slightly. Thorns along the entire length, abundantly accumulate at the base of the branch and rhizome. The leaves are large and large, spreading to hide berries behind them.

The berries can be stored for up to one week in the refrigerator, without losing their shape and firmness after harvest.

Since the branches grow vertically upward and do not tilt, in more southern regions it is necessary to additionally cover and shade the bushes, because the berries can "burn" in the sun. This is one of the disadvantages that gardeners note.

As mentioned earlier, the remontant raspberry variety, and the ripening period is average. The first wave of berries occurs in late June - early July, and the second - in late August or the first week of September.

The yield of Josephine's raspberries is high, up to 7 kg of berries can be removed from one bush.

Fruits of a dark red hue, there is a slight gloss and bloom, their shape is round, conical. By weight, an average of 5-7 g, larger berries weigh up to 10 g. The pulp is juicy, elastic, the bones are small. The berry is removed from the stalk well, does not burst or wrinkle in the hands.

The variety belongs to dessert, therefore the taste of the berries is very rich, sweet. There is a slight acidity, but this does not affect the taste in any way. The fruits have a characteristic raspberry scent.

The harvest always depends on several factors, and the first of them is the correct planting, choice of location, as well as agronomic rules.

Raspberries are very fond of light, they need good lighting in order to bear fruit well, but at the same time Josephine can be "burned" by the direct rays of the sun. Therefore, it is necessary to create an artificial shadow if there are no buildings nearby that cast a shadow at least a little. Buildings can also protect you from strong winds and drafts. This is especially true for the southern regions.

In the northern parts of the country, planting raspberries is on the southern side of the site.

The soil should be loose and rich in minerals. Water should not stagnate on the site.

You should also not plant raspberries close to another raspberry, this raspberry can easily get pollinated.

Site preparation takes some time.Before planting seedlings, the allotted area is dug up with fertilizers in the form of humus, as well as with minerals in which nitrogen is present. The earth is left to rest for a week or two. The hole is dug into the depth by 0.5-0.8 m, the diameter is 0.8 m. The seedlings are carefully lowered into the hole, sprinkling with earth. The soil around the branch is compacted so that the seedling does not tilt. Then each seedling is spilled abundantly with water.

The distance between the seedlings is 1-1.5 m, and between the rows is 1.5-2 m. Before planting the seedlings, it is also worth considering the trellis systems so that when the vine grows up, immediately tie up the branch. Usually, the wire on the trellis is distributed in height: the lower one - 1 m, the second - 1.5 m.

It is worth cutting off the shoots that tighten the bush, while not bearing fruit. In the fall, the vine is shortened by ½ or ¼ of the length. Pruning is carried out with a sharp, disinfected pruner, the cut site is treated with soda water so that pests do not get there. The cut branches must be taken to the other end of the site and burned there.

In the spring, broken branches and those that did not survive the winter are removed.

Watering this variety of raspberries is necessary no more than 1-2 times a week, since a large amount of water can lead to rotting of the roots. And also it is worth looking at the weather conditions - if it rains a little, and the earth dries out quickly, then it is worth watering more abundantly.

For more moisture retention, you can lay mulch around the vines. The mulch can be grass cuttings or sawdust. Sawdust retains moisture much longer.

Since the variety bears fruit several times per season, it is necessary to properly feed the bushes. You can periodically feed with a solution of wood ash. Or fluoride-rich minerals.

In the spring, you do not need to feed the bushes with chlorine-containing minerals, which is why planting in the spring is more favorable, since melting snow reduces the amount of chlorine in the soil.

Raspberry Josephine, although it gives shoots, most often gardeners propagate this culture with rhizomes and cuttings.