Why raspberries are scattered - possible causes of crop loss
When growing berries, you can face various problems, for example, why raspberries are scattered. This is by no means a rare question. Fragrant sweet raspberries are a favorite treat for children. Therefore, many housewives harvest it on a decent scale, trying to select large whole berries. This is especially important when freezing the crop in its original form, without grinding it with sugar. If it doesn't matter at all for jam whether it's a whole raspberry or not, then selected material is sent to the freezer. It is interesting that the "flowability" of the berries may not be systematic. Do not be surprised if last year you had large and whole raspberries, but this year they crumbled and crumble. But it is even necessary to analyze the situation in order to understand what the reason is and prevent its recurrence.
Why raspberries are scattered
If this happens to drupes that have not yet matured, the reason may be:
- diseases;
- lack of moisture;
- unbalanced diet.
Diseases affecting the integrity of berries
Some viral diseases, in addition to their characteristic manifestations, lead to the fact that drupe crumbles during harvesting. So, a similar phenomenon is characteristic of the defeat of the raspberry tree:
- Necrosis (the tips of the leaf plate die off).
- Mosaic (the tops of the shoots turn red and wither).
- Terry dwarfism (leaves become stained, turn yellow and crumble, shoots are deformed and dry out).
- Ring spot (directly affects the harvest, the berries are not tied evenly, do not keep their shape).
The first three viruses are carried by aphids, the last one by soil nematodes. Despite the availability of effective folk remedies and even special drugs, no one has yet been able to completely destroy viruses. The only correct solution is the destruction of old plants and the renewal of the raspberry tree with new, resistant varieties.
How moisture deficiency affects the raspberry crop
Another reason for spillage directly depends on the growing conditions, namely, the amount of moisture in the soil and air. But if the first indicator can be changed by additional watering, then the second in the open field cannot be adjusted. It is influenced only by natural precipitation, with the exception of the greenhouse. There the air humidity is several times higher than in the open area. If the raspberries did not have enough moisture, then it will just crumble. It is necessary to provide it with regular watering, and collect it only in the morning, until the dew has subsided.
Lack or excess of trace elements also affects the quality of the crop.
In order for raspberries to actively develop and bear fruit, they need a balanced mineral composition of the soil. If it lacks nutrients, or some of them are in excess, both the shrub itself and its harvest change.
Drupes become loose and crumble if the plants lacked:
- calcium;
- nitrogen;
- potassium.
But with phosphorus, the situation is the opposite - it is its increased indicators that lead to scattering.
I often noticed that raspberries are scattered. Now I will be familiarized and armed, as they say! Thank you so much for the interesting information!