Raspberry as berry culture differs in useful properties not only of fruits, but also leaves. That it pleased you with good harvest the next year, it is necessary to take care of it even in the fall.
First of all for preparation of raspberry for winter it is necessary to know that nitrogen fertilizers stimulate growth of plants. Therefore they cannot be brought under it after August. Otherwise raspberry will not be able to be at rest and will freeze slightly in the winter.
Except this grade of raspberry happen winter-hardy and slabozimostoyky. They need to be prepared for cold weather differently.
Winter-hardy raspberry will be in September-October before frosts enough to connect in dense sheaf and nearby to hammer stake if there is no lane. Then to tie up bushes in two places to this support. The bottom of stalks can be powdered with dry sawdust or leaves small layer.
Slabozimostoyky grades of raspberry bend down to the earth and bind stalks among themselves. They have to be in such horizontal position at the height no more than 20-30 cm above the ground. This process is carried out even prior to full subsidence of leaves and it is very accurate in order to avoid breakage and excess of stalks. Then, as soon as enough snow will drop out, make earthing up of these bushes. The main thing that raspberry completely was under snow cover. In winter time it is necessary to watch regularly that over the covered bushes the ice crust was not formed. It breaks air exchange and creates greenhouse effect. Therefore the ice crust needs to be destroyed. It is the best of all to do it by rake.
During winter thaw the snow is very strongly condensed and can put damages to the covered raspberry bushes. For the solution of this problem and for improvement of air permeability in snow layer do small punctures near plants. If snow begins to settle, then do adding. It is taken not closer by 2 m from the covered raspberry bushes. Dry snow is stacked directly on stalks, and damp be near, constructing thereby barrier to direct penetration of sunshine and from impact of wind.
To make raspberry ready for the winter will be to implement these main recommendations enough. But they can change depending on climatic zones and availability of various grades.