Raspberry 'Utrennyaya Rosa'

Raspberry Utrennyaya Rosa (Rubus idaeus Poranna Rosa) – a remontant yellow cultivar of the common raspberry from the genus Rubus. Bred at the Institute of Horticulture and Floriculture in Brzezno (Poland) by Jan Danek in 1998. The cultivar Utrennyaya Rosa had the working name Polan H clone No. 80182 and appeared in 1998 as a result of a cross between R. occidentalis and R. coreanus.

This is an upright deciduous shrub reaching up to 1.7 m in height and 80 cm in diameter. Young shoots are herbaceous, green with a slight glaucous bloom; second-year canes are covered with brown bark and have firm thorns.

Leaves are alternate, a rich green color, oval in shape and with a wrinkled surface.

Flowering occurs in June or July. White flowers open in the leaf axils and at the tips of the shoots, gathered in small inflorescences.

Berries are large, weighing 7–10 g, spherical in shape and yellow in color. The flesh is firm and juicy, with a good sweet taste and pleasant acidity, and emits a rich aroma. The sugar content of the berries can decrease with insufficient moisture for the bush. Yield is high – 12–15 t/ha.

Hardiness zone: -28°C

Location: prefers open, well-warmed sites protected from cold winds. Grows well on fertile, neutral soils (pH 5.5–6). Preferably planted on moisture-retentive but well-drained (groundwater should lie at a depth of at least 1.5 m) light loamy soils. On sandy and sandy-loam soils, annual application of organic fertilizer and regular moderate watering are necessary.

Planting: raspberries are planted in spring before bud break (with spring planting raspberries require regular watering for 2 weeks). In autumn, seedlings are planted from mid-September to mid-October. Planting scheme 2 x 0.5 m. Planting holes are dug 0.4 x 0.4 x 0.5 m. Seedlings are not planted deeply; after planting it is necessary to cut the shoots to 30 cm above the ground.

Diseases: resistant to most fungal diseases.

Pests: raspberry clearwing, stem fly, shoot gall midge, raspberry-strawberry weevil, raspberry beetle, fruit moth and bud moth, leaf and raspberry aphids, nut weevil, stem fly, spider mite. Resistant to the raspberry mite.

Care: requires regular weeding and soil mulching. Responds well to potassium and nitrogen fertilizers. In the second year after planting, apply organic fertilizer – 1 bucket of compost or humus per 1 cu. m, 25 g of double superphosphate, 20 g of potassium sulfate. In early June, if growth is weak, apply a manure infusion (5:1) or poultry manure infusion (12:1) at a rate of 1 bucket per 5 plants. In autumn it needs a moisture-charging irrigation. Support is necessary; a trellis is best used.

Pruning of raspberries is carried out in spring, when one can determine the overwintered one-year shoots. Pruning shoots by 10–15 cm stimulates the formation of new fruiting branches. Per running meter of row, leave 10–15 strong shoots 1.5 m high, growing 15–20 cm apart. Thinning is done in early spring, but if carried out in summer when stems have reached a height of only 20–25 cm, the remaining stems develop better. To accelerate ripening of a young shoot, pinch the tip in mid-August. Winter protection is necessary – bend the stems and tie them in the last days of autumn before frosts. Do not do this on frosty days, as the stems will freeze and break.

Propagation: propagated by root cuttings, rooted tip cuttings, green and lignified root suckers. Each year many shoots grow from the rootstock, which can be used for propagation the following year. For this, they are dug up while still 15–20 cm high and transplanted to a new place. Root cuttings can be propagated effectively. For this, roots at least 0.5 cm thick are cut into pieces 20 cm long and planted in specially prepared trenches.

Use: raspberry fruits are used fresh, canned and frozen; used to make jams, liqueurs, jellies, marmalade, juices, wine and tinctures. Widely used in medicine. Leaves are used as a tea substitute. Suitable as a pioneer plant, for embankments and slopes and for planting under other plants.