The classic taste of raspberries should balance between sweetness and light acidity. A shift in the balance of taste to the "sour" side of raspberries may be due to the characteristics of the variety, growing conditions, climate in the region and care.
It all depends on the variety of berries
When choosing a raspberry variety for planting, they are guided by the taste of the berries, their aroma and yield. Those who are attracted by the sweet and sour taste of berries should choose the appropriate varieties. But if they do not create the necessary conditions for growth, the taste can become overly acidic.
"Sour" varieties of early ripening
From 15 to 30 June, the following varieties are harvested:
Name | Weight of berries, g | Berry shape | Aroma intensity | Harvest per bush, kg |
Vega | 3-4 | stupidly | + | 3-3,5 |
Giant ruby | 7-11 | truncated-conical | + | 4-9 |
Cascade | 3-3,5 | stupidly | ++ | 3 |
Novokitaevskaya | 2,5-3 | round-conical | +++ | 2-2,5 |
Early surprise | 2,6-3,4 | elongated conical | + | 1,5 |
Raspberry Vega
Ruby giant
Cascade
Raspberry Novokitaevskaya
Early surprise
"Sour" varieties of medium ripening
From June 20 to July 11 varieties bear fruit:
Name | Berry weight, g | Berry shape | The severity of the aroma | Harvest from the bush, kg |
Aboriginal | 4-8 | conical | ++ | 4-7 |
Freemen | 3,5-4 | conical | — | 4 |
Kaliningrad | 2,2-3,2 | round | ++ | 3 |
Cleopatra | 4-5,2 | hemispherical | + | 3,3-4 |
Reward | 2,6-3 | oval-conical | +++ | 2,5-3 |
Shy | 2,5-2,9 | round-conical | — | 2,2 |
Raspberry Aboriginal
Raspberry Volnitsa
Kaliningrad
Cleopatra
Reward
Raspberry Shy
"Sour" varieties of late ripening
From July 20 to September 15, the following varieties are harvested:
Name | Berry weight, g | Berry shape | Aroma intensity | Harvest per bush, kg |
Mirage | 4-6 | elongated | ++ | 3-3,5 |
Samara | 2,6-3,3 | conical | ++ | 2,5-3 |
"Sour" varieties of remontant type of fruiting
During the season, these varieties bring crops twice: in mid-July and early October.
Name | Berry weight, g | Berry shape | The severity of the aroma | Harvest from the bush, kg |
Atlant | 5-5,5 | elongated conical | ++ | 2-2,5 |
Indian summer | 2-4 | round-conical | + | 1-1,5 |
Indian Summer 2 | 3-3,5 | round conical | + | 2-2,5 |
Brilliant | 4-4,5 | conical | + | 2,5-3 |
Bryansk miracle | 5-6 | elongated conical | + | 2,5-3 |
Hercules | 5-6 | truncated-conical | + | 2-2,5 |
Eurasia | 3,7-4,5 | conical | + | 2,2-2,6 |
Firebird | 4,2-6 | conical | ++ | 2,2-2,5 |
Mulatto | 3-3,7 | rounded | + | 1,5-2 |
Orange miracle | 6-7 | elongated obtuse | +++ | 2-2,5 |
Ruby necklace | 4,5-5,5 | elongated cylindrical | ++ | 2,3-2,8 |
Raspberry Atlant
Indian summer
Indian Summer 2
Raspberry Diamond
Bryansk miracle
Hercules
Raspberry Eurasia
Raspberry Firebird
Mulatto
Orange wonder
Ruby necklace
Lack of nutrients
Constant observation of the plant will help to notice the deficiency of nutrients in raspberries. Slowed growth, a change in color and shape of the leaves will show which components need to be replenished.
Prepare an infusion of ashes of herbaceous plants and foliage, add it under the raspberries during the ripening period - this will increase the sugar content of the berries.
Ash infusion recipe:
- Fill the bucket 1/3 with ash.
- Top up to full with hot water.
- Insist 2 days.
The strained infusion is ready for use and can be used for root dressing and spraying.
Nitrogen deficiency
Nitrogen is globally important for the proper development of plants. Without it, the root system will not be able to develop quickly, metabolism slows down and the plant loses its ability to synthesize nucleic acids.
Attention! High doses of nitrogen can reduce plant resistance to disease and adversely affect the taste of berries.
As nitrogen deficiency is expressed:
To prevent a shortage of an important element, 5-7 g of nitrogen is added to the soil in several approaches per 1 m² of the planting area every season. The feeding schedule is built as follows:
- In the first year after planting, raspberries adhere to three stages of nitrogen application - when the shoots reach 10 cm in height, and the second and third - after 3 and 6 weeks, respectively.
- From the second year the same dose is divided into two parts. The first is applied when the shoots have reached a height of about 10 cm, the second - after four weeks.
The prevention of nitrogen deficiency is the autumn pruning of raspberries, which creates a supply of this element, and the plant uses it next spring.
Phosphorus deficiency
Phosphorus affects the development of the root system, increases the yield and winter hardiness of plants. Deficiency of the element can be determined by changing the color of the leaves to a darker green, and then burgundy-violet. With such a deficiency, berries become soft and unevenly colored.
What phosphorus deficiency looks like:
It is important to determine the acidity of the soil, because in acidic soils with a pH lower than 5.5, raspberry cannot be absorbed.
To fill the deficit, dilute 60 g of superphosphate in 10 l of water and pour at the rate of 5 l per m².
Potassium deficiency
Potassium promotes the movement of sugars in plant tissues. Increases resistance to low temperatures, drought and disease.
It appears on old leaves. Even a slight decrease in the element leads to a sharp slowdown in shoot growth, with a stronger lack of potassium, the tissues between the veins become brown in color, and subsequently the edge of the leaf blade dies.
As expressed:
The addition of wood ash helps to restore the potassium rate. You can make this component dry or dilute it with water. Put a 0.5 liter jar of dry ash in the soil or dilute 1 glass of ash in 10 liters of water and pour 1/2 bucket under each bush.
Magnesium deficiency
Magnesium provides photosynthesis. Often the cause of the deficiency of this element is the excessive application of potash fertilizers.
Changes in the color of the leaves serve as signs - only the central areas of the leaf blade remain bright. The rest of the leaf loses its color, a burgundy border appears along the edge, the edges of the leaf turn and dry out.
What it looks like:
Helps spraying the sheet with a solution of magnesium sulfate heptahydrate with a concentration of 1%. It is necessary to apply at the first signs of a lack of a trace element.
Irrigation regime violation
The soil should remain slightly damp. Excessive watering is harmful, as nutrients then come to the plant in a very dilute form and raspberries from this starve. Inadequate watering stops the flow of nutrients from the soil.
Watering is carried out at the rate of 2 buckets of water per 1 m²: the first watering is carried out in the spring - during the period of active growth of the buds, and then once a month in the same volume. In August, watering is no longer necessary (an exception is drought - when there is no rain for the whole month).
To retain moisture in the soil, the surface is mulched. When planting, you can place coconut fiber in the planting pit for a more even water distribution during irrigation.
Increased acidity of the soil
Soil acidity of 6.0-6.8 is ideal for raspberries. If the pH of the soil is lower, it actively affects the increase in the sour taste of the berries. Such soil is periodically deoxidized with wood ash: 100-150 g of ash per 1 m² in the spring and in June are embedded in the soil.
The plant will not absorb nutrients from acidic soil. Therefore, fertilization is useless. The lack of beneficial bacteria in acidic soil reduces the fertility of raspberries.
Lack of light
Raspberries ripen sweet in "full sun" conditions, when the plant gets 6-8 hours of sunlight per day. In shady places, the berries will be more acidic.
With a lack of sunlight, fertilizers are poorly absorbed. Therefore, it is necessary to thin out the bushes by removing excess growth so that the fruiting shoots receive enough light.
If you choose the right variety and follow the basic rules for the care of raspberries, the taste of its berries will harmoniously combine sour and sweet shades. In one place, raspberries bear fruit abundantly for 15-20 years. This time is enough to create conditions for the plant in which it will manifest itself in full force.