Raspberry "Hercules" is a multi-purpose remontant variety. A distinctive feature is a rich yield. Leaves, rhizomes and berries have a healing effect.
In this article, we will consider a description of the Hercules raspberry variety, the features of planting and caring for it.
Description of the remontant variety
Raspberry remontant "Hercules" bred on the territory of the Bryansk region. Received by the Russian breeder I.V. Kazakov at the Kokino Institute. "Hercules" - the result of crossing seedling No. 14-205-4 and mid-season Ottom Bliz.
Suitable for hatching in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus... The culture loves light, sandy loam or loamy soil with an upper fertile layer. In the northern regions, gardeners have small harvests, the berry does not have a bright taste. The Hercules variety is used for home cultivation as well as for industrial purposes.
Gardeners consider the "Hercules" raspberry varieties to be distinctive:
- Sprawling bush, 1.5-2 meters high. Powerful shoots bring abundant lateral branching.
- The thorns are rigid, bent downward, medium in size, located over the entire surface of the stem.
- Young shoots of a greenish hue, annual ones - deep purple in color by the end of the summer season, are covered with a waxy bloom. Strong branches do not sag under an abundance of crops.
- The fruiting area takes up half the height of the bush.
- Winter hardiness, drought resistance. In snowless winters, it requires shelter. It's important not to overdo it. The roots of the shrub are overcooked, which leads to the death of the shrub.
- The inflorescences are small, the stamen runs at the level of the pistil.
- Ruby-colored fruits have a pronounced cone shape. The average weight of the berries is 6 grams. The fruits are located under the leaves, which hides them from birds.
- Fruits have a pleasant sweet and sour taste with a characteristic aroma. The tasting score is 4 points out of 5 possible. The taste is influenced by the composition of the soil and the climatic conditions of growth.
- The bright green leaves are medium in size, with curved edges and wrinkles.
- Variety "Hercules" is resistant to decay, shrubs are not afraid of prolonged rainy weather.
The first harvest of raspberries, the daughter of "Hercules", is harvested in the last days of June, the second - in mid-August and before the onset of frost.
Advantages and disadvantages of the "Hercules" variety
There are no universal raspberry varieties that are suitable for all people involved in the cultivation of berry bushes. Each plant has advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages of the "Hercules" variety include:
- Berries with a pronounced sourness. This variety produces aromatic compote, jam, rich jam, wine. The sour taste is offset by the sugar. People don't always like berries raw. Raspberries "Hercules" are frozen with preservation of all taste.
- Prolonged fruiting period. In some regions, the grown crop does not have time to ripen before the onset of frost.
- Spine shoots. When picking fruits, there is a high probability of injuring your hands.
- Weak shoots. During the season, you will be able to get 3 replacement shoots.
- Unpretentiousness.
You may be interested in the following varieties of raspberries:
Gardeners rank among the advantages of the Hercules variety:
- Abundant fruiting. On average, one fruit weighs 6 grams. With proper care, gardeners receive up to 3 kilograms of berries per season from one bush.
- Resistance to diseases and common pests, to gray mold.
- Good transportability.
Landing
Planting raspberries "Hercules" does not differ from other varieties of remontant shrubs. When choosing seedlings, close attention is paid to the roots. They should be developed, without obvious signs of putrefactive diseases, dry areas, and mold. Buy seedlings in early spring during the planting.
Step-by-step planting process:
- Site preparation. A lighted place, without drafts, is suitable for the Hercules variety. Raspberries tolerate darkening in the morning hours. It is advisable to plant young shrubs along the walls of houses, fences. The southern part of the site is suitable for shrubs.
- Trenches are dug on a selected piece of land... The depth and width of the recesses is 50 cm. The length of the trench directly depends on the selected number of shrubs to be planted. The distance between plantings is at least 1 meter, and in the row spacing - 2 meters.
- Fertilizer... 2 tablespoons of superphosphate mixed with a small amount of soil and ash are added to the prepared well. Before planting, the roots are dipped into a clay mash.
- Landing... In seedlings, the roots are gently straightened with their hands, and then the shoot is immersed in a horizontal position into the trench. The deepening is covered with a fertile layer. The soil at the shoot is compacted, thoroughly watered with 5 liters of water.
Evaluate the planting results after 2 weeks. A fence is made along the edge of the territory with raspberries. The boards are dug 20 centimeters into the ground. The design will prevent unwanted spread of roots over the site.
Raspberry variety "Hercules" is not hygrophilous, but this does not exclude regular watering. People who are engaged in the cultivation of berry crops recommend to saturate the soil with water on average 40 cm. Drying out of the soil leads to a partial loss of yield.
Raspberry bushes care
Caring for raspberries of the "Hercules" variety - moderate watering, surface loosening of the soil, combating numerous weeds and feeding. At the beginning of summer, nitrogen compounds are introduced, and then complex ones, which include nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus.
Shrub thickening is a common problem. Gardeners recommend cutting out growths that are thinner in size than a pencil. Otherwise, the raspberry fruits become smaller, the yield decreases.
Gardeners offer 4 ways to trim Hercules raspberries:
- Standard. Produced in autumn. As a result, processes of 30 centimeters remain on the surface. In spring they release one-year lateral shoots. At the beginning of summer, a person receives 30% of the harvest, at the end of 70%.
- At the root. Bushes are cut flush with the ground 2 weeks before the first frost. Fruiting will come later than with standard pruning, but will be more abundant.
- Double cropping. The first time the gardener cuts the shrubs together with the ovaries before flowering. The procedure takes place in mid-May. The second harvest will exceed the expected volumes by several times.
- Cutting off the tops. In the autumn season, the shoots are shortened by 40 centimeters. In this case, the first harvest will be 60% of the total.
Pruning raspberries is done with a sharp garden pruner. Deleted branches are collected and burned. Spring pruning removes dry areas. It is carried out before bud break. Reproduction of remontant raspberries occurs with the help of young root suckers.
The yield of the bushes
Improving the quality and quantitative indicator of the yield will allow the use of proven agricultural techniques:
- Installation of drip irrigation of the site. Makes watering efficient, reducing human labor costs.
- Pruning bushes provokes active growth.
- Regular feeding with organic fertilizers.
- Loosening of adjacent soil, which aims to improve the structure of the soil, especially after rains.
- Control over humidity, exclusion of waterlogging of areas.
Raspberries are a perennial shrub, but being in one place reduces the quality of the berries. Gardeners recommend moving it to a new, lighted area every 8-10 years.
Raspberry diseases
Variety "Hercules" is recognized as resistant to numerous pests and diseases.
Fear of gardeners are caused by the following symptoms:
- The appearance of gray spots on the shoots of raspberry bush and leaves, which indicates anthracnose. As a preventive measure, regular drainage of the surface layer of the earth, full solar lighting is required.
- Damage to fruits with common raspberry. Perhaps with joint plantings "Hercules" and with other varieties of raspberries.
- Growth of purple spots on the leaves, leading to the complete death of the plant. Removing weeds and root growth will prevent purple spotting.
- Damage to the bark indicates a stem gall midge. The affected areas are trimmed and burned at the stake.
Stop chemical treatment 4 weeks before harvest... Raspberry "Hercules" does not cause serious difficulties during planting and subsequent care.
Finally, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with a short video about the Hercules raspberry variety: