Raspberry, or fragrant raspberry

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Raspberry! At the mention of the name of this culture, the first thing that comes to mind is ripe berries and delicious jam. But in fact, there is such a wonderful raspberry, which is valued for beautiful flowers, and ... an unusual aroma! It is called - fragrant raspberries, or allspice raspberry, or odorous raspberry (Rubus odoratus) Unfortunately, today, it is practically impossible to meet her in our gardens, however, it deserves attention and can take its rightful place among the decorative cultures grown by our gardeners.

The morphology of fragrant raspberries

If we consider the fragrant raspberry bush, the first thing that catches your eye is the large, up to 20 cm wide, maple-shaped leaves. Three-lobed or five-lobed, they are a luxurious decoration of the bush. With the advent of autumn, their color changes to yellow and then, in a new frame, the raspberry leaf becomes a vivid note in the dying colors of the garden.

But the main advantage of the plant is still not foliage. Large, up to 5-6 cm in diameter flowers are what this raspberry is valued for. White, pink, with wavy petals and a golden middle, single or in inflorescences, they adorn raspberry bushes from June to the end of September. And after them, quite large berries with a diameter of about 2 cm appear. Their taste due to the small amount of pulp cannot be called very pleasant, however, the sweet and sour crop is quite suitable for food and good for processing. Its peculiarity, and even value can be said, lies in a special aroma, which the raspberry varieties familiar to us do not have.

The raspberry has one more very individual feature - the beetroot color of young shoots and petioles of leaves, due to the color of the hairs located on them. If you touch this colored pubescence, then your hands will exude an unusually pleasant smell, which is why raspberries are called fragrant.

In nature, the raspberry tree reaches a height of 3 m, however, in a cultivated form, its individual branches barely grow to 2 m, and due to the bending shape of the shoots, the bush itself does not exceed 1.5 m. Despite the fact that it is exotic, the plant is absolutely resistant to all common diseases, the only thing that can cause him trouble is a raspberry fly, a raspberry beetle or a stem gall midge.

Agrotechnics growing raspberry

Planting raspberries is necessary, like ordinary raspberries, on well-fertilized soils in the sunniest places. However, the culture is so unpretentious that it also tolerates partial shade.

The distance when planting between the bushes should be from 60 to 80 cm, - this shrub is an aggressor, it tends to grow rapidly, not only occupying all the free space, but also crowding out weeds and other cultivated plants on its way.

In order for fragrant raspberries to always remain “in shape”, it must be regularly trimmed: remove excess root shoots, clean old shoots, shorten last year's shoots.

Raspberry, like regular raspberries, loves watering, appreciates regular feeding. Therefore, in early spring, nitrogen fertilizers are applied under it, in the beginning of summer - a mineral complex, and in the fall (once every several years) they are fed with organic matter. The only thing that fragrant raspberries can’t tolerate is very acidic soils, so if you have them, bring ash under the bushes periodically.

A good feature of the plant is its high resistance to low temperatures. Raspberry does not need to be sheltered for the winter. Being a native of North America, he tolerates frosts well and hibernates without shelter even in the coldest regions of our country (except the Far North). However, if winters are frosty and lightly snowy, it is better to tilt long lashes to the ground and cover with lapnik.

Propagation of fragrant raspberries

Like any raspberry, raspberry propagates by the root shoot or part of the bush. If you use growth stimulants, then the roots will give young green cuttings, cut from the tops of the branches in early summer. The most difficult way is seed propagation.

How to use fragrant raspberries in garden design

Based on the fact that the raspberry grows quite tall and wide, it is better to plant it in groups near distant trees, arrange islands along winding paths, or place it as a focal element on the lawn. If the site is small, you can plant fragrant raspberries in the front garden under the windows or place in a discount along the fence. In a regular garden, raspberries are good for decorating distant flower beds.