Raspberry remontant polka planting and care in the open field

Who doesn't love to feast on juicy ripe raspberries? There are probably not many of them. There are more than 120 varieties of this aromatic and healthy berry. One of the most popular today is the polka variety., she is a shelf, with a description and reviews of gardeners of which can be found below.

Description of the variety raspberry polka

The polka raspberry variety is a remontant medium-sized variety was bred in 1993 by Polish researchers and gardeners from Brzezn. Hence the unusual name of the variety: Poland - polka. The selection result exceeded all expectations. The polka quickly became popular in Europe and beyond.... The large-scale distribution of polka to different parts of the world took place after the international agricultural exhibition in 2003 "FruitFocus".

The curiosity of this variety is that the berries ripen even at temperatures of 0 ° –2 °.

Polka bears fruit from the end of July until the first frost (annual shoots). The yield of this variety is extremely high.but. According to the results of tests of experimental stations, on average, it is about 4 kg per 1.

Raspberry variety polka

You can harvest twice a year - in addition to harvesting the main harvest, last year's shoots give a harvest in early summer. If you grow raspberries for your own needs, you can leave part of the shoots for the next year, then, due to the double harvest, you can feast on raspberries from the beginning of summer to the end of autumn. On an industrial scale, in order to avoid damage to the crop (twice a year - a large load on the plant), it is advisable to cut off the shoots annually and collect only the main crop. Then the ripening period of the polka will be commercially profitable, the main part of the varieties have already borne fruit, and the polka is coming to the trading rows.

Strengths and weaknesses of the variety

There are such the main advantages of the polka:

• perfect berries (considered the best dessert variety in Europe);
• high yield (there are cases of yields of 12 tons per hectare)
• long fruiting period (subject to good feeding, it is realistic to harvest twice a year without an unbearable load on the plant);
• firmness of sprouts and berries (the berries do not flow, do not rot and are well preserved on the bushes);
• keeping quality, transposable and dry Iago detachmentd (even after freezing, the berries look like fresh);
• good at conservation (suitable for both classic raspberry jam and juices, fruit drinks and jellies);

Raspberry jam

• absence large expressed thorns (when harvesting, you do not need to worry about the safety of the skin);
• immunity to the most common diseases of this type (fungal, viral);
• lack of "serious competitors" during the fruiting period (rightfully considered one of the most profitable varieties).

Now about the cons:

• not frost resistant... Needs shelter and cutting for the winter at the root;
• does not tolerate high temperatures (above + 35 °). It is necessary to shade berries and bushes, even with drip irrigation;

Polka does not tolerate direct sunlight

• predisposed to diseases of the root system (rot, root cancer, etc.);
• forcing shoots substitution;
• needs to abundant nourishment (with a lack of potassium, nitrogen, organic matter, the formation of shoots decreases).

As you can see from the lists, the disadvantages of the polka pale before the merits. It can be summed up that polka is good for both commercial cultivation and for itself.

Characteristics of berries and bushes, productivity

The height of the polka shoot can reach 1.5 meters. This variety has a very high shoot resistance. The root system is also quite powerful, one root of an adult plant is able to form many shoots with weakly expressed thorns.

Raspberry bush root

Raspberry polka is beyond praise. The shape of the berries is correct, conical. They are large enough (2.5-3 cm), shiny, have an elongated shape, deep red color, small drupe, strongly pronounced taste and pleasant delicate aroma. The correct balance of sweetness and acidity, as well as density and wateriness will impress connoisseurs of this healthy berry. Each brush gives an average of 8 berries weighing 3-5 grams each, which you will agree, is pretty good.

Planting, reproduction and care rules

Seedlings of remontant raspberry

Polka seedlings are planted before or at the end of the growing season. Usually either late autumn or early spring. Proper planting and pruning of planted plants is of fundamental importance. It is advisable to choose an area with good lighting, since the shoots are too stretched in the shade. Landing can be of a pit or trench type, it occurs in a belt way. It is necessary to clear the plantation from weeds in advance. It is necessary to plant seedlings so that the distance between plants in a row is 0.5 / 1 m, row spacing is 1.5 / 2 m... Over the course of a year, the rows will be adjacent, the distance between the seedlings will be about 35 cm. It is advisable to leave no more than 7 shoots in the bush, otherwise the plant will need very abundant nutrition. It is optimal if the soil is moderately drained, podzolic or slightly acidic (pH not higher than 7). A suitable nutrient mixture is laid in a trench or hole 40/45 cm deep (potash, phosphorus and dobriva plus compost or manure are traditionally used).

Nitrogen fertilizers are used only for feeding, as they are harmful for rooting.

About eating polka: the growth of seedlings is quite active, the plant needs the first bait already in Aprile. Here, nitrogen fertilizers are added to organic potash and phosphorus fertilizers. You can use complex feeding. The second feeding is carried out in the middle of summer and the third in September.... Don't forget about regular watering. By the way, plants assimilate fertilizing more actively, if it occurs after watering, then it is advisable to loosen the soil. Do not overdo it with fertilizers, an overdose is harmful in the way that a plant can be bothered.

Although the variety is medium-sized, the shoots need support. Especially in conditions of insufficient illumination, the tops of the trunks of the seedlings bend under the weight of the berries in the brush. As trellises, it is best to use V- or T-like supports made of galvanized wire, at least 4mm thick. Distance between rows of wire - 50-70 cm... The wire tension is optimally carried out using special tensioning devices. After the shoots are bred and laid on different sides, fixing on the wire with pieces of strong rope. From time to time, you need to thin out the raspberry tree, since the polka gives a lot of growth.

Raspberry plantation

For the winter, shoots are advised to cut to zero. (except for cases when for personal needs you need to "stretch" the crop) and cover (except for the southern regions). The polka is mulched with straw, tyrsa, and high-moor peat. Cover with agrofibre on top. It is strictly forbidden to water the wintering raspberries.

Reproduction of polka occurs due to the separation of root suckers. In the second half of summer, the offspring break in, separated from the maternal root with a lump of earth and planted in a permanent place in the raspberry tree. The optimal weather for such a procedure is rainy and cloudy; on a sunny day, the seedlings should be shaded. 1 liter is poured into the prepared hole. water and put suckers with leaves there. After about half a month, the seedlings start growing and reach standard sizes by wintering.

Diseases and pests

It was noted above that polka is not susceptible to common "raspberry" diseasessuch as spider mites and gray mold. It is unrealistic to meet worms and other small pests, since the bushes begin to bloom and bear fruit later than the bulk of the remontant varieties. And pests are known to prefer early fruits. But is everything so cloudless?

The weak point of Polka is the root. The most common and dangerous disease is root cancer.

To combat it, physiologically acidic phosphorus-potassium fertilizers and gypsum are introduced into the soil.

Same, with a lack of potassium or high acidity of the soil, the bush may react with redness on the foliage... The same trend is observed with malnutrition. Usually, for the health of raspberries in this case, it is enough to fertilize the plants with wood ash before watering.

Reviews of gardeners about raspberries

Gardeners usually only speak well of polka. This is not surprising, because there is an opinion that due to the high quality of berries, resistance to diseases and pests and long-term harvest, raspberries polka was awarded the title of "Favorite of gardeners".

Harvesting raspberries

Experienced raspberries write: “I have been fond of growing raspberries for many years, but I still have not decided which variety is prettier to me - tall or short. I am very grateful to Polish breeders for "Polka": remontant, high-yielding, large-fruited raspberries. This tall the variety has an incredible raspberry aroma and wonderful taste. " Gardener's Notes

A family of agronomists Mikhail and Alla Molovichko share their impressions of Polka: “We have been growing raspberry varieties for a long time, bearing fruit on second-year shoots in the middle of summer. And now in our raspberry plant there is a raspberry "Polka", which bears fruit on annual shoots from August until the end of the growing season. Late raspberries are not affected by pests, has large transportable berries that are highly valued in the market - they have no competitors in the fall. " Lovedacha

Many connoisseurs have already met and appreciated the polka at its true worth. After all, what is the most important thing for all summer residents? Of course, a high result at minimal cost. This variety is ideal for both commercial and personal cultivation.... Polka does not require super knowledge in care, it multiplies easily. The berries are tasty, aromatic and in demand in the market. This is the case when the result justifies the means.

Repaired raspberry Polka has gained wide popularity among domestic and foreign gardeners due to its ultra-high yield. In addition, this variety is famous for its excellent taste and large-fruited. On the forums, gardeners share descriptions of the Polka raspberry and its photos. They note that in order to obtain a good result, one should know certain subtleties of cultivating this variety.

Key characteristics of the remontant raspberry Polka

As the name suggests, this raspberry is of Polish origin. The culture was obtained in 1993 by hybridizing the P89141 line and the Otm Bliss variety on the Research Horticultural Platform, located in the city of Brzezn.

Polka belongs to the remontant varieties. The main difference between such raspberries is double fruiting. The berries ripen on the shoots of the last season and the current one. Polka bushes are medium-sized, consist of 8-10 straight stems 1.5-1.7 m high. The shoots are quite strong, do not bend under the weight of the fruit. In most cases, the bushes do not require a garter to the trellis; this becomes necessary only with strong gusts of wind.

Malina Polka is a fruitful variety brought from Poland

The surface of the shoots is covered with small thorns, but due to their small size, they absolutely do not interfere with caring for the plant and harvesting. On annual stems, 30 flowers are formed. On biennial shoots, their number reaches 20. Fruits are formed in clusters of 7-10 pieces. The leaves are large in size, painted in a rich green color, oval in shape, framed by notches at the edges.

Raspberries ripen in medium terms. The berries are large, elongated, grow up to 2.5 cm, gaining 5-10 grams in mass. When ripe, they acquire a purple color. The surface of the fruit is shiny, without pubescence. The pulp is juicy, dense, has a pleasant sweet taste, in which light acid is traced. On a five-point tasting scale, Polka berries are rated at 4.8 points.

A feature of the variety is the large size of the berries and their good keeping quality. After removing from the bush, the fruits retain their shape and do not let the juice in. They are also able to tolerate freezing. After this procedure, up to 90% of Polka berries retain their presentation and taste.

Video: the appearance of bushes and Polka berries

Advantages and disadvantages

The Polka variety has many advantages:

1. High yield, 3-4 kg of berries per bush.
2. Excellent taste of berries.
3. Good preservation of the crop, not only fresh, but also frozen.
4. Late fruiting, which occurs at the end of July or the first decade of August, avoids some of the diseases characteristic of raspberries.
5. Despite the plant's sensitivity to low temperatures, the berries ripen well during the first frosts down to -2 ° C.
6. Resistant to gray mold and spider mites.

Polka is famous for its excellent yield, good taste and preservation of fruits.

But culture also has its weaknesses. It is susceptible to root cancer. Also, the disadvantages of this raspberry include low frost resistance and poor heat tolerance. A temperature of + 35 ° C is dangerous for the plant. In such conditions, the berries begin to dry out even with drip irrigation. Bushes need shading.

Among the shortcomings of the Polka raspberry, it should be noted that it tends to grow intensively.

How to plant raspberries Polka correctly

For raspberries, you need to select an area that is well warmed up by the sun and protected from the cold wind. Therefore, the plant is often planted near buildings or hedges.

Raspberries are planted in spring or autumn

Raspberry bushes need sandy loam or light loamy soil with a weak level of acidity and groundwater occurrence no higher than 1 m.

Important! Saplings are planted in April or early May (before bud break). Also, raspberries are planted in the fall, during September-October.

A productive raspberry bush will grow only from healthy seedlings

To choose a healthy seedling, you need to consider a few points:

1. Take a close look at the root system to make sure there are no dried roots or growths that are signs of cancer.
2. The plant should have 2–3 developed shoots and at least 3 buds at the base of each, of which fruiting branches are formed in the future.
3. The presence of spots, cracks or dark spots on the surface of the stems is unacceptable. Such signs, as a rule, indicate a disease.
4. Seedlings can be sold with an open root system or in pots, that is, with closed roots. Gardeners recommend giving preference to the second option.

Important! To avoid purchasing a low-quality seedling, it is advisable to buy the plant from nurseries or garden stores.

For active growth of culture, the soil must first be prepared.

There are two options for preparing the soil for planting raspberries. The first way is longer:

1. The site intended for planting is dug up in the fall, while adding 40 g of potassium sulfate, 50-60 g of superphosphate and 10 kg of humus to the soil per 1 m2.
2. The next year, this place is used for growing vegetables: in the spring clover or legumes (lentils, lupines, beans, peas) are planted.
3. In July, the plants are crushed, and then the site is dug up.
4. In the fall of this year or in the spring of next year, raspberries are planted on the site.

The second option is simpler:

1. For 2-3 weeks, a hole is prepared for the bush with a depth and diameter of 50 cm.
2. The upper soil layer is mixed with 15 kg of compost mass or humus, 10 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium sulfate.
3. Then raspberry bushes are planted.

But the order of planting raspberry bushes is the same.

1. The seedling is placed in a hole and the roots are well spread, after which they are covered with a nutrient mixture. When planting several bushes, holes are dug every 1 m.
2. The level of deepening of the bush should be such that the replacement bud is 4–5 cm higher than the soil surface.
3. The soil around the seedling is compacted. Then a hole is formed and 20 liters of water are poured under the plant.
4. The soil is mulched with sawdust, shavings or dry humus, which is laid in a layer of 5 cm.
5. Finally, the seedling is shortened at a level of 40 cm from the ground.

Video: Practical tips for planting raspberries

Features of culture reproduction

For Polka raspberries, two breeding methods are suitable:

1. The first involves the use of root suckers. In early spring or autumn, a two-year or three-year-old bush is chosen, part of it is dug up to 20 cm wide and transplanted. The remaining roots will form about 20 growths throughout the season.
2. The second way is to use cuttings. In May, an annual shoot 5 cm high is chosen, pruned and removed along with the ground, then placed in nutrient soil. A month later, when the plant takes root, it is planted in open ground.

Plant care

Caring for raspberries is watering, feeding, pruning, and preparing for winter. The Polka variety also needs to tie the bushes to the trellis, otherwise a strong wind can break the stems.

Watering and garter

The Polka variety is picky about watering. Raspberries are moisturized several times a season:

• at the end of April (before flowering);
• then in the third decade of May;
• after harvesting berries.

Timely tying and watering the crop will ensure a bountiful harvest

On a bush spend 20-30 liters of water. For irrigation, furrows up to 10 cm deep are dug on both sides of the plant at a distance of 25–30 cm. This method allows the soil to be moistened by 50 cm. Two days after watering, the soil around the bush is loosened and covered with mulch.

In the presence of a strong wind, it is recommended to tie raspberries to a trellis. For this, posts 1.5–2 m long are installed along the row. A wire is pulled between them at a height of 35 cm, 1 m and 1.5 m. Annual stems are tied to the lower level in the fall.

Fertilizer

Raspberry Polka needs additional feeding so that the crop is stable and pleasing with quality.

Raspberry Polka is demanding on feeding

The fertilization scheme is as follows:

1. In April, the first feeding of raspberries is performed. At this time, the bush is fertilized with Nitroammophos. For each 1 m2, 60 g of this substance is introduced into the soil during loosening.
2. In the summer, raspberries are fed three times with an interval of 1 month. A mixture of 3 kg of humus, 4 g of phosphorus, 6 g of nitrogen and the same amount of potassium is scattered around the plant per 1 m2, then the soil is dug up.
3. Once every 3 years, during autumn digging, 5 kg of rotted manure are introduced into the soil per 1 m2.

Raspberry pruning

Raspberries need annual pruning. The procedure is carried out in early spring or late autumn. 5-7 most developed shoots are left in the bush.

Pruning the bushes will allow them to grow properly and give a good harvest.

The pruning method depends on the characteristics of the cultivation:

1. If you plan to get one crop next season, remove all of the above-ground stems in November. In this case, it is undesirable to leave the hemp. Cut shoots must be burned to prevent the spread of disease. In the spring, new stems will begin to form from the buds in the root system.
2. If you want to get two harvests, in the fall or spring, remove only those parts of the shoots on which the berries were formed. The first fruits will be laid on the remaining stems in the new season. And the second crop will ripen on new annual shoots.

Preparing for winter

Since Polka raspberries are sensitive to frost, before the onset of winter, you need to take care of the shelter of the bushes.

Sheltered raspberries will survive the winter comfortably

It is necessary to perform a number of actions:

1. If the shoots were completely removed in the fall, the site is covered with a layer of straw or sawdust 20 cm thick.
2. In winter, snow is shoveled onto the raspberry tree.
3. If the bushes have not been cut, the shoots are cleared of leaves. This is done with a mitten, which is carried along the stem from the bottom up. Do not move in the opposite direction, as this can damage the kidneys. If the leaves are left on the stems, they will rot under the influence of precipitation. This will negatively affect the kidneys.
4. If there are pits near the bush, they must be covered with soil in order to avoid stagnation of water near the root system.
5. Uncut bushes need to be bent to the ground.
6. Further, two bushes growing side by side are bent one to the other at a level of 50 cm from the ground and tied.
7. A layer of leaves 30 cm thick is poured on top.

Important! If an ice crust forms near the bushes, it must be pierced to provide air access to the root system.

Diseases and pests

Raspberry Polka is especially often affected by root cancer, and gray rot and spider mites do not pose a threat to it.

Table: diseases characteristic of the Polka variety

Photo gallery: how to recognize a disease

Table: Polka Pests

Photo gallery: parasites characteristic of the variety

Harvesting

The collection of Polka raspberries begins in the last decade of July or early August. Fruiting lasts until the first frost and is about three months. It is possible to get 2.5-4 kg from the bush. The collection is carried out in dry weather. Berries are recommended to be removed with stalks, this will help to extend the storage period. Raspberries are placed in baskets with a capacity of up to 3 kg. Store berries in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.

Raspberry Polka produces an excellent harvest of sweet berries

In addition to fresh consumption, Polka fruits are used to make jams, juices, confiture, and cake fillings.

These raspberries are great for freezing. The berries are first washed with cold water, then laid out in one layer on a paper towel and left for several hours until the fruits are completely dry. Next, the raspberries are transferred to a flat plate and placed in the freezer. After a day, the berries are taken out and poured into plastic containers or plastic bags. After that, they are placed back in the freezer. This method allows you to store raspberries for up to a year. When defrosting, the berries are first placed in the refrigerator for 12 hours.

Gardeners reviews

The Polka variety is one of the most popular today. It produces regular harvests, while the raspberries are large and taste great. But when growing this crop, it is necessary to take into account its lack of resistance to heat, frost, and also some diseases.

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Repaired raspberry Polka is today recognized as a reference variety in Russia and European countries. Descriptions and photos only confirm this status. It is its characteristics that are taken as a starting point when evaluating new varieties.

Description and photo of remontant raspberries of the Polka variety

The Polka raspberry variety was bred in Poland in 1993 by the breeder Jan Danek. Polka gained wide popularity in 2003 after the international exhibition Fruit Focus, where it was highly appreciated. Currently, Polka is the leading supplier of mid-early raspberries in Europe.

Polka is famous for abundant fruiting

Polka is a remontant variety, that is, it is distinguished by long-term fruiting. The berries ripen in the twenties of July in the south of Russia and in the first decade of August in the middle lane. Fruiting lasts about 3 months and ends in October with the onset of frost.

Interestingly, unripe Polka berries tolerate a short-term drop in temperature to minus 2 degrees. After the freezing stops, the berries ripen.

The plant is medium-sized - from 150 to 180 cm tall, with bright green leaves and small thorns, which do not cause inconvenience when leaving and harvesting. Forms up to 10 shoots and a little root growth. From each bush, it is possible to collect at least 2-4.5 kg of high-quality berries per season.

This raspberry is recommended to be grown in an annual crop: in the fall, at the end of the growing season, cut off all the stems at the root. In this case, the question of winter hardiness automatically disappears. Plants tolerate heat well, but berries are sometimes baked in direct sunlight.

Polka berries have a tasting rating of 5, the best possible

The fruits are thimble-shaped. The declared weight is up to 5.5 g, according to reviews, it reaches 8 g. The color is bright, dark red. The taste and smell of the berries are excellent, the tasting score is 5. Polka fruits are considered a sample of taste. They have a pleasant consistency: dense, juicy, fleshy. Sugar content 11.7%. Drupes are small. The variety is positioned as a dessert variety.

Fruits during transportation do not wrinkle, do not deform, they perfectly tolerate freezing. The variety is recommended for both industrial cultivation and individual gardens.

The Polka variety is widely used in the industrial cultivation of raspberries.

Advantages and disadvantages of the variety - table

Mass harvesting of the Polka variety begins in the first decade of August and does not stop until severe frosts

Video: the beginning of fruiting Polka raspberries

Features of planting remontant raspberries

Planting any raspberry, especially remontant, is a responsible operation, on which the well-being of plants and the future harvest largely depend.

How you plant Polka - you will get such a crop

Boarding time

The best time to plant raspberries is autumn. If planted in late September or early October, then before the cold weather it will have time to take root well, and with the first warmth it will grow. You can plant seedlings in the spring, but then it is better to do this before the leaves bloom. Planting material rooted in pots or packed in sealed containers can be planted even in summer.

Site selection and soil preparation

For planting Polka raspberries, choose a sunny place. Groundwater should be located no higher than 1 meter from the surface. Raspberry is a moisture-loving culture, but does not tolerate stagnant moisture. Polka has no special requirements for the soil, but prefers slightly acidic light and medium loams. If the land on the site is heavy, dense, 4 buckets of sand per 1 m2 should be added when planting.

The site should be prepared one and a half or two months before planting. The land is leveled, freed from perennial weeds, dug up, holes or trenches are marked.

When planning the site, a place should be provided for placing the trellises necessary for tying raspberry shoots.The gap between the bushes is maintained at least 70 cm, between the rows - 1.5 or 2 m.If raspberries are planted near a fence or wall, then the distance from them should be at least 1 m.

After that, planting trenches or holes 50x50x50 cm in size are dug and filled with fertilizers, for which the removed soil is mixed with humus (20 kg), superphosphate (70 g), and potassium sulfate (50 g) per 1 m2.

Selection of seedlings

Seedlings intended for planting should be examined and discarded having:

• the root system is shorter than 20 cm;
• ligneous growths on the roots (this may be a root cancer);
• stems are thinner than 5 mm;
• less than 2 buds per stem.

We shorten the long roots to 20 cm, cut the rotten ones to healthy tissue.

Seedling suitable for planting

Before planting, you should hold the seedlings in a soil mash. It is made from clay or just earth, mixed with water until thick sour cream. It is good to add mullein, diluted chicken droppings, root growth stimulant, microbiological preparation Baikal EM1. In such a solution, seedlings can be kept from 1 hour to a day.

Planting: a step-by-step process

1. Place the seedling in the hole.

   The seedling in the hole is placed with straightened roots

2. Spread the roots horizontally without twisting or bending.
3. Place the root collar flush with the ground.
4. Fill the hole carefully, slightly compact the soil.

   The roots are carefully covered with earth, which is then slightly compacted.

5. Arrange a trunk circle and carefully pour a bucket of water into it.

   After landing, a bucket of water is poured into the trunk circle

6. When the water is absorbed, cover the tree trunk with straw, grass, compost or just loose soil.

   Mulching helps to retain moisture in the soil, prevents weeds from germinating

7. After planting, cut the stem above the second or third bud.

   Immediately after planting, the stem of the seedling is shortened to the second or third bud

Reproduction

There are several ways to breed raspberries:

1. Offspring - they dig up young woody annual shoots of root shoots, which can be immediately planted in a permanent place, or can be grown in a special nursery. When planting, the seedling should be shortened, leaving 2-3 buds above the root collar and 1-2 leaves.

   Lignified annual shoots can be immediately planted in a permanent place

2. Green offspring - such reproduction also gives good results. They must be grown in the nursery by planting them in a hole with a soil mash.

   A root offspring transplanted in spring will form a full-fledged bush by autumn

3. Root cuttings. Raspberry bushes give adventitious roots from which many offspring sprout. The adventitious roots with a thickness of more than 2 mm are cut into cuttings. Each stalk should have 2-3 buds. It is very important to keep the small roots. Such offspring are also raised in the nursery. The soil for the nursery is prepared from compost and sand. Small seedlings are watered every day in the first days after planting and until they are fully rooted. They also need to be shaded from the sun.

   When raspberries are propagated by horse cuttings, the survival rate is 60-80%

4. Dividing the bush - this method is used in order to transfer the plant to a new place or for reproduction in conditions of a small amount of planting material. In early spring or autumn, the bush is dug up and divided into parts. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that in each division there are 2 or 3 strong young shoots and developed healthy roots. The stems should be shortened to 30 cm.

   By dividing the bush, you can propagate adult plants with a developed root system.

Care

Caring for remontant raspberries Polka includes weeding, watering, fertilizing, garter.

Weeding

This is an important agricultural technique. Timely weed removal deprives the habitat of fungal spores, pathogens and parasitic insects. It is better to do this with a flat cutter or a hoe when the weeds are still small.Then it will turn out to simultaneously carry out loosening, which is called the second watering. It improves soil aeration, retains moisture, or, conversely, removes excess moisture. It is ideal to loosen after each watering, when the water is absorbed and the soil dries slightly.

Watering

Raspberries should be watered regularly from spring until the end of fruiting. Especially the moisture of the soil should be monitored during flowering and ripening of fruits. The Polka variety bears fruit for 3 months, and all this time the plant needs optimal watering.

After watering, the plants are more active in assimilating the fertilizing.

On hot summer days, when there is no rain, you need to water the raspberries once a week, 1 bucket of water per bush. The best way to determine if your plants need water is to make a small hole in the tree circle. The soil in it should be moist, but not wet. In the fall, before the end of the growing season, abundant pre-winter or water-charging irrigation is carried out. In this case, 2 or 3 buckets are poured under the bush in order to wet the ground to a depth of 30 cm.

Deep drying out of the soil, even for a short time, leads to a partial loss of yield and a weakening of the growth of shoots of the next year's harvest.

The best way to water raspberries is drip

Fertilizer

The fertility of the soil directly determines the yield of raspberries, therefore fertilization and feeding are carried out several times per season.

1. In early spring, even on the remains of snow, scatter urea over the area at the rate of 30 g per 1 m2.

   In early spring, urea is scattered in raspberry plantings at the rate of 30 g per square meter

2. Before blooming buds, 1.5 kg of humus and a mixture of 3 g of potassium salt, 3 g of nitrogen fertilizer and 2 g of phosphoric fertilizer are applied per 1 m2 of plantings of raspberries. Potash salt can be replaced with wood ash.
3. In the spring, before flowering and during the filling of berries, raspberries are watered with a mullein (1 part to 5 parts of water), an infusion of chicken manure (1 part to 10 parts of water), an infusion of herbs, humic preparations. Repaired raspberries spend a lot of nutrients on long-term fruiting, so it is advisable to carry out such dressings every month during the entire period of berry picking.
4. In the fall, after pruning, manure or humus is applied in a bucket per m2, as well as potash and phosphorus fertilizers according to the instructions on the package.

   In the fall, for every square meter of raspberry plantation, a bucket of manure or humus is applied

Garter

Raspberries need to be tied up, because abundant fruiting, strong winds, rainy weather bend the shoots to the ground and break them, while the berries get lost and get dirty. The garter solves all these problems, in addition, there are no shaded places on the fixed bushes, it is easier to harvest from them. It is best to tie the raspberries to a wire trellis.

One of the ways of attaching raspberries to the support is called fan-shaped. It needs a thick mesh of wire, to which the branches are attached at an angle of about 15 degrees, so that none of them block the sun for a neighbor. This garter really looks like a fan. She has only one drawback - a lot of time.

Raspberries need a trellis garter

Pruning and wintering

How it will bear fruit depends on the method of pruning remontant raspberries. This can be a single long and abundant fruiting from early August to October when grown in an annual crop. You can get two periods of ripening of the crop. The first one is in July, the next one is in the second half of August. This will be a two-year culture.

When pruning, use only a sharp pruner and carefully monitor the quality of the cut. It should be as even as possible so that the wound on the plant is minimal.

In the first case, at the end of the harvest, all raspberry stems are cut at the root. In the spring, new shoots will go from the root and will bear fruit abundantly.

In the second method, pruning is carried out differently. In the autumn of the first year of fruiting, only the top is cut off from shoots that have already yielded a crop. The cut is made over a viable kidney.The remaining part of the twig will give lateral shoots in spring, on which the harvest will ripen in July. Root shoots, as in the first case, will re-harvest over the summer, but already half a month later, closer to September.

Video: autumn pruning of raspberries Polka

It should be noted that double fruiting dramatically depletes the plant, and the August harvest is less plentiful. This is especially true for Polka. The berries of the second fruiting are small and dry. The Polka variety is distinguished by its weak resistance to frost, and therefore the autumn pruning at the root is the most successful way: under the snow, the roots of the plant perfectly tolerate the winter without any shelter.

After pruning, all stems are taken out of the raspberry tree and burned.

If the stems are not cut, wanting to get an early harvest, then they must be insulated for the winter. At the same time, the usual bending and tying of neighboring bushes in the form of an arc does not save the situation. The shoots of the Polka are bent down, laid on the ground together with trellises and covered with two layers of agrofibre.

Pruning Polka raspberries under the root in autumn increases the yield and saves the plantings from freezing in winter

Diseases and pests

Raspberries of the Polka variety are resistant to many diseases, however, they are affected by root cancer, verticillary wilting, and anthracnose.

Table: diseases that the variety is susceptible to

Photo gallery: diseases threatening Polka

Raspberry pests

Most raspberry pests hibernate in plant stems, under fallen leaves, in the upper layers of the soil. Therefore, cutting out a remontant raspberry plantation under the root in the fall and destroying the shoots, they also carry out prophylaxis against pests at the same time. In addition to the branches, fallen leaves should be removed from the soil, the soil should be dug up and treated with copper sulfate, Bordeaux liquid, Nitrafen or Karbofos. Repeat the treatment in spring.

When these measures are carried out, damage by pests becomes unlikely, especially when it is taken into account that the biological cycles of pest development do not coincide with the development of remontant raspberries. This, unfortunately, does not apply to aphids.

Raspberry aphids cause serious damage to raspberries

This widespread pest causes serious damage by sucking juices from young raspberry stems and leaves, which then dry out.

The people know many ways to combat aphids. These are infusions of mustard, hot pepper, garlic, yarrow, ash, laundry soap and others. All of them are effective, but treatments have to be carried out repeatedly, almost weekly.

Of the chemicals, Alatar, Aktara and the relatively new drug Aktofit work well. After using Aktofit, the fruits can be eaten after 48 hours.

Prevention of the appearance of aphids on the site is the destruction of anthills. They are dug up and poured with boiling water. It helps a lot to attract ladybirds and hoverflies to the site. For this, calendula and spicy herbs are planted, which attract insects and serve as their wintering place.

Harvesting

Mass ripening of Polka berries begins in central Russia in the first decade of August and lasts until severe frosts. Berries are well suited for fresh consumption, fresh and for processing. They sell very well in the market because of their bright color, size and excellent taste.

It is recommended to pick berries in dry weather in containers with a wide bottom. Although the fruits tolerate transportation well and do not wrinkle, their layer should not exceed 10 or 15 cm. Before storing raspberries in the refrigerator, you need to sort them out, remove the stalks, trapped debris. Then place in food containers and refrigerate without lids. This is done to prevent condensation from forming inside the containers. As it cools, cover it with lids. With this preparation, raspberries are stored in the refrigerator for 7 or 10 days.

Berries should be placed in shallow containers

From raspberries of the Polka variety, excellent jam, jelly, compotes, juice, homemade wine, fruit drinks are obtained.Excellent dessert dishes and baking stuffing are made from it.

If you drink a liter or one and a half of raspberry infusion within 2-3 hours, the unpleasant sensations of a hangover will disappear.

Gardeners reviews

This berry is not scolded. The ratings range from good to very good. The variety has been tested by time and practice. And every gardener can decorate his plot with it.

Romanova Antonina Mikhailovna, I live in the city of Ufa, a lawyer by training, a pensioner. Rate the article:

(1 vote, average: 5 out of 5)

Repaired raspberry varieties attract gardeners with a long fruiting period, the ability to give two harvests per season. And if the hybrid is also distinguished by excellent taste, marketability of berries, as well as high vitality of the bush, then such a variety will always be a priority. Raspberry Polka or Polka, this name is also often found among gardeners, one of these varieties, it is great for amateur and industrial breeding.

In the European agrarian business, the plantings of Polka raspberries occupy a large part among other varieties of this crop.

Description of the variety

Raspberry Polka was obtained by crossing a variety of the group "R-89141" and the variety "OTM-Bliss" by the Polish breeder Jan Danek on the basis of the Institute of Horticulture and Floriculture in Brzezna. The variety was registered in 1993, but the mass distribution of this raspberry began in 2003, after the presentation of the hybrid at the international agricultural exhibition "Fruit Focus".

• the variety is characterized as medium-sized, large-fruited, dessert;
• the shrub has upright strong shoots 150-180 cm long. They do not bend under the load of berries, therefore they do not need a garter on supporting structures. Each internode of the shoot forms fruit branches, which give 6-8 berries. There are not many thorns, they are not rigid, without hooks. Over the summer, the bush gives 6-8 replacement shoots. Berry ovaries are formed on the shoots of the first and second year. On first-year-olds, the berries begin to sing from the middle or from the end of August, on two-year-olds - a month earlier;
• the variety is characterized by medium frost resistance;
• the root system has a fibrous structure, because of this, the bush gives a slight root growth, does not grow on the sides;
• berries are ideally shaped and have an attractive presentation. Their size is 3-3.5 cm, weight is 8-12 g. Ripe, do not crumble from the branch for a long time, do not give juice during collection and storage, do not change shape, tolerate transportation and storage well. In industrial horticulture, Polka raspberries are harvested mechanically. The yield per bush is 4-6 kg.;
• the variety does not tolerate heat, the berries are baked in the scorching sun, they become smaller.
• in the period of consumer maturity, berries are dark red or dark crimson with shine. The pulp is tender, but firm, juicy, sweet, with a little sourness. Seeds are small, rich aroma, raspberry.
• it is important to note that the autumn harvest is of the highest quality. This makes the variety commercially attractive, as summer raspberries are leaving the market, which means autumn raspberries are selling well.

According to the tasting scale, Polka was awarded the maximum taste rating - 5 points.

Benefits of the variety

• excellent taste, attractive appearance of berries;
• high yield of litter;
• good keeping quality, high transportability of the crop;
• the possibility of mechanized collection of berries;
• slight spine of the shoots;
• resistance to most types of pests and diseases;
• the ability of berries to ripen during thaws up to + 2-0 degrees.

Disadvantages of the variety

• weak drought resistance of the shrub;
• the need to shelter shoots for the winter.

Landing

A place on the site for Polka raspberries should be chosen with a little shading, since the quality of the berries is lost in the sun. However, for more than half a day, the raspberry tree should be well lit and warmed up by the sun's rays, because this raspberry gives a later harvest, the berries must have time to accumulate sugar and finally ripen before frost. Also, in the shade, the shoots are too stretched.

The soil is suitable loamy, slightly acidic (pH not more than 7). Groundwater should be no higher than 1.5 meters to the surface of the earth. Bad soil is pre-fertilized with humus, rotted manure, wood ash.For the roots of the Polka raspberry, it will be useful to add gypsum to the soil.

Planting holes or trenches 30-40 cm deep are prepared 3-4 weeks before planting. If melt or rainwater is often collected on the site, then gravel or any other drainage must be poured onto the bottom of the holes. Also, for quick rooting and nutrition for the first 2-3 years, a nutrient mixture is prepared from: mullein or bird droppings, wood ash or complex mineral fertilizers. All this is mixed with plain earth and poured into the holes by one third.

The planting material should be intact, without leaves, but with viable buds, roots without outgrowths. It is important to know that sometimes the root system of the Polka raspberry is affected by root cancer, so cuttings of this raspberry are best purchased with open roots.

Cuttings can be planted in early spring or autumn, 2-3 weeks before the onset of cold weather. When the vegetative growth of the stem is slowed down, it will be easier for the roots to root. During planting, they are well straightened in prepared pits, covered with earth, and carefully tamped. The root collar of the cutting should be at ground level. Plantings are watered at the rate of 1-2 buckets of water per bush, then covered with mulch for better aeration of the roots.

Growing and care

Watering

Considering the long fruiting period, as well as the fact that the Polka raspberry does not tolerate drought well, it is advisable to dig irrigation grooves in the raspberry grove along the rows or equip drip irrigation so that the soil is constantly moistened 30-40 cm deep.

Pruning

Gardeners who have bred Polka raspberries for many years, recommend growing it in an annual crop, when all the shoots are cut off at the root before winter. After trimming, they must be burned. In summer, if the bush grows strongly, then you need to cut out thin, weak stems, leave 4-6 healthy, strong shoots for fruiting.

Top dressing

High yield, long fruiting period of the Polka variety require regular top dressing of the soil in the raspberry tree. If the site and planting trenches were fertilized before planting, then you can start feeding it regularly after 3-4 years. In April, for the growth of the bush, manure or chicken droppings, humus are introduced.

Before flowering, as well as in summer, when berries begin to set and grow, compost, herbal infusions, wood ash or complex mineral fertilizers containing potassium salt and superphosphate are applied.

Nitrogen fertilizers are not applied in autumn.

Preparing for winter

If for the winter the entire ground part of the shrub is cut off, then it is enough to cover the rows with straw, sawdust or high-moor peat. If some of the shoots are left until the next season, then they are collected in bunches, bent to the ground, strengthened, covered with geotextiles or any dense material.

Reproduction

Raspberry Polka gives little root growth, so it is not weeded out, but separated from the main roots and transplanted to the right place. If there are not enough offspring, then cuttings are grown for reproduction. A part of the shoot is cut out, longitudinal notches of the bark are made in the lower part of the cuttings and placed in a solution with a root. When filamentous roots are formed at the end of the cutting, it is transplanted into a greenhouse or in the shade under a jar. The next year, the rooted and strengthened seedling is transplanted to a permanent place.

Reviews

In summer, the children ate the first berries of the Shelf with pleasure. Large, beautiful, very sweet berry. By the fall, it began to sour, crumbled. Probably, a lot of shadow falls on the bushes and the east side.

This year Polka impressed with the size of the berries. Affected by the abundance of rain during ripening. Beautiful berries look spectacular on the brush. It's a pleasure to collect these bright, large thimbles. There is only one drawback, the shoots were not very strong for the current harvest. Next year I will make trellises for this variety.

The declared qualities of the variety, Polka raspberry fully manifests under good weather conditions and when all recommendations for agricultural technology are followed.The efforts are justified by a high yield, beautiful and tasty berries, as well as a good profit.