How to care for blackberries

If you decide to plant a blackberry in the garden, there will be no difficulties with caring for the crop. The plant requires a little attention in autumn and spring, and thanks to a generous harvest in summer. According to the structure of the bush, blackberries are erect and weaving. Now many remontant varieties have appeared, and even without thorns on the stems. To help a novice gardener, step-by-step instructions for planting blackberries in the spring are offered, as well as an overview of the nuances of crop care.

What determines the yield

The quantity and quality of the blackberry harvest depends not only on the variety. Experienced gardeners have deduced 4 important rules for themselves:

1. It is better to plant blackberries in trenches. The soil stays moist longer, and fertilizers are better delivered to the roots.
2. Large berries grow from abundant feeding with humus.
3. Pruning is performed so that there is no thickening and unnecessary load on the bush.
4. The correct shelter of the bushes for the winter saves fertile buds from delight and shoots from freezing.

Following these simple rules will help you get a big harvest.

How to plant blackberries

To enjoy delicious black berries, you need to know the rules of planting and caring for the plant. The culture is considered two years old. The first year, fruit shoots grow on the bush. The next year, these stems throw out flower stalks, becoming fruit branches. Often a novice gardener is primarily interested in the question, for what year does the blackberry bear fruit after planting a seedling? Here you can give an exact answer - for the second year.

During the growing season, the bushes grow many shoots. Extra branches are removed, but the strongest ones are left. These will be replacement shoots bearing fruit for the next season. Fruiting stems of the bush in the current year in the fall are cut at the root.

Novice gardeners may have another important question, why garden blackberries do not bear fruit or there are very few berries, because a good seedling was planted on the site?

There are several explanations for this problem:

• Feature of the variety. The plant can bear large berries, but in small quantities.
• Improper preparation of the bush for wintering. Violation of technology leads to freezing of fruit buds and branches. Due to the late removal of the shelter, the kidneys are prey.
• Incorrect pruning of the bush. If the gardener accidentally removes the fruit branches, there will be no harvest for the next year.
• Improper watering. The plant badly needs water only when pouring the berries.
• Ignoring the garter bush to the support. If the whips are thrown on the ground, the berries will be affected by gray rot. The yield will decrease, and the next season there may be no berries at all.

Planting and caring for blackberries is reminiscent of raspberry farming techniques. The bushes are planted in sunny areas with light shading.

Preparatory activities

In cold regions, planting blackberries in the spring is recommended so that the seedling has time to gain strength over the summer. Preparatory activities begin in the fall.The bed is dug onto the bayonet of the shovel. Contribute at 1 m² 50 g of potassium, 10 kg of compost, 100 g of superphosphate. Sand and peat are mixed into heavy soil.

Supports are prepared in advance before planting the seedlings. For blackberries it is better to do trellis... On both sides of the bush, pillars with a height of 1.5 m are driven in. Every 50 cm, a wire is pulled between them. There will be three rows. For tall varieties, pillars up to 2 m high are dug in and four stretches of wire are made.

When is it better to plant a garden blackberry: spring or autumn

Each planting period has its own advantages and disadvantages. First of all, the climate of the region is taken into account. In the south, it is better to plant a seedling in the fall. The plant will take root and get stronger before winter.

In the northern regions, autumn seedlings do not have time to gain strength and freeze out. It is better to plant blackberries here in the spring. The seedling will get stronger over the summer, form a bush, and the next season will harvest.

Planting dates for garden blackberries

In the southern regions, the optimal time for planting blackberries is October - early November. In the Leningrad region, Siberia and the Urals, seedlings are planted from mid-May, when the soil warms up well.

Where to plant blackberries on the site

A site for blackberries is chosen well-lit by the sun. At the dacha, the best place is the line along the fence, but 1 m retreat from the fence. For blackberries on the site, it is better to choose the south or southwest side.

The culture grows well on loamy soil with a fertile layer at least 25 cm thick. The roots go deep into the ground, therefore, the occurrence of groundwater above 1.5 m is detrimental to the plant. Shrub grows poorly on salt marshes, marshlands, stones and sand. Depleted soil requires good organic feeding before planting seedlings.

What crops can and cannot be planted next to blackberries

Blackberries enrich the soil with nitrogen. An apple tree is considered the best neighbor. Additionally, crops provide each other with mutual protection against diseases.

You cannot plant blackberries near the strawberry beds. The neighborhood will lead to the reproduction of a malicious pest of both crops - the weevil.

A controversial issue is the close proximity to raspberries. Crops tolerate each other, but they have common pests and diseases. You can plant blackberries next to raspberries in the country if there is a problem of lack of free space.

Selection and preparation of seedlings

When planting blackberries in spring with seedlings, it is important to choose the right viable planting material. In order not to doubt the variety, it is better to make a purchase by visiting the nursery.

A strong seedling is recognized by the presence of 3–4 developed roots more than 10 cm long. A basal bud must be present. The aerial part is considered good if there are two stems with lush green foliage. The seedling is inspected for mechanical and bacterial damage.

How to plant a blackberry correctly

When preparing a garden bed, you need to know what distance between bushes and rows when planting blackberries withstand for the comfortable growth of the plant. For erect varieties, a gap of 1 m is maintained. A minimum of 1.5 m of passage is left between the weaving bushes. Row spacing from 2 to 3 m.

Holes are dug 15 days before planting. The depth and width of the pits is at least 40 cm. 5 kg of humus, 40 g of potassium, 120 g of superphosphate are added to each hole. On loamy and heavy soils, the root collar of the seedling is deepened to 2 cm.If there is sandstone on the site, the seedling is planted with the root collar deepening up to 3 cm.

After filling the root system with earth, the blackberry seedling is watered with 6 liters of warm water. The hole should not be filled to the top with earth. Leave a depression of about 2 cm for watering.A near-trunk plot of land is mulched with peat or rotted dry manure. A young seedling is regularly watered within 50 days after planting.

Blackberry care in spring: advice from seasoned gardeners

Blackberries have long roots that extend deep into the earth. The plant copes with drought, and it must be saved from frost by sheltering the bushes. Caring for a culture is not difficult, but requires adherence to the rules.

Correct pruning of the bush is the key to getting a good harvest. The plant can discard flower stalks even in the first year of planting. All flowers are cut off so that the bush gains strength. The seedling originally planted in spring is cut, leaving a stem 30 cm high. By autumn, fruiting shoots will grow. In the spring they are shortened by 15 cm. In the summer, these branches bear fruit, and in the fall they are cut to the root. 7–8 strong replacement shoots are left from the shoots. They will bear fruit next year. The further cutting cycle is repeated. In the summer, remove excess growth that thickens the bush.

After pruning, the blackberry lashes are tied to the support. The formation of a bush on a trellis is done according to the following schemes:

• By fan. The young growth of replacement is fixed to the wire in the center, and the fruiting branches are allowed to go sideways.
• Rope. The scheme is similar to a fan, only the fruit-bearing branches going to the side are intertwined in two pieces.
• Wave. Young shoots are fixed in the center and allowed to drag sideways along the upper wire of the trellis. Fruiting branches are allowed to weave sideways along the lower wire from the ground.

Dividing the bush into fruiting branches and replacement shoots simplifies pruning and harvesting.

From dressings in the spring, nitrogen is required to stimulate the growth of the bush. Every 3 years, 10 kg of compost, 100 g of superphosphate, 30 g of potassium are introduced under the plant. Simultaneously with feeding, gardeners are advised to spray blackberry bushes with a 1% solution of Bordeaux liquid.

The plant needs watering only when pouring the berries. For a week, 20 liters of water are poured under the bush. The long root is capable of extracting moisture on its own. Before and after fruiting, the blackberries can be watered once.

Watering is usually combined with fertilization. After absorbing water, the soil is loosened to a depth of 10 cm. The near-trunk plot of land is covered with mulch.

Blackberry winter shelter is carried out until the street temperature drops -1^aboutC. Spruce branches are considered the best material. The needles do not allow rodents to breed under cover. A non-woven fabric paired with a film works well. From plants for shelter, corn stalks are suitable. Straw and fallen leaves are not the best option. Such organic matter is saturated with moisture and is the best habitat for vole mice.

The video tells in detail about the blackberry shelter for the winter:

Planting and caring for blackberries in the Leningrad region

A feature of the region's weather conditions is the absence of snow in winter. For blackberries, the absence of a snow cover is detrimental. To prevent the seedlings from freezing, it is better to plant them in the spring.

Blackberries in the Urals: planting and care

For the Urals, it is initially worth choosing frost-resistant regional varieties. Planting of seedlings is carried out in the spring, adhering to the bush method. The scheme allows you to protect the blackberries from cold winds to the maximum. A tape landing method is allowed. To protect from the winds, the rows on the north side are covered with agrofibre.

Blackberries in Siberia: planting and care

Planting and caring for blackberries in Siberia follows the same rules as in the Urals. Preference is given to erect varieties because of their better frost resistance. Adapted well: Darrow, Chester, Gazda

Top dressing and fertilizers for blackberries

To get a good harvest of large berries, blackberries are fed three times per season. In the spring, emphasis is placed on nitrogen-containing fertilizers. 7 kg of humus, up to 40 g of ammonium nitrate are introduced under the bush. Good results are obtained with mullein, a solution of bird droppings.

In the summer, blackberries are fed while the berries are being poured. The solution is prepared from 10 liters of water and 2 tbsp. l. potassium sulfate.Before feeding, the soil under the bush is sprinkled with wood ash at the rate of 1 glass per 1 m²... Potassium solution is poured into 7 liters under each plant. Additionally, the bushes are sprayed with a solution of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.

In the fall, humus is dug into the ground under each bush - 1 bucket. From mineral fertilizers add 40-50 g of potassium, 100 g of superphosphate. Before the very shelter of the bush for the winter, the stems are sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate.

When, how and how much or what to feed blackberries in early spring

The initial introduction of humus and mineral complexes during planting of the seedling lasts for three years. For the development of the bush and a good harvest, organic matter and mineral fertilizers are applied.

For active growth

Accelerates the growth of shoots with nitrogen-containing fertilizers. 15 g of urea or 25 g of ammonium nitrate are introduced under the bush in early spring. After the snow melts, the blackberries are fed with slurry or a solution of bird droppings. 1 m² bringing in 1 kg of organic matter. For further development, the plant needs phosphorus. Fertilizers are applied about 10 g.

For a bountiful harvest

Fertilizing from 20 g of saltpeter and 10 g of urea allows you to increase the yield. With the onset of fruiting, the leaves are sprayed with a solution of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. 6 liters of water with potassium sulfate are poured under each bush. The solution is prepared from 10 liters of water and 2 tbsp. l. fertilizers.

Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention

Blackberries are rarely attacked by diseases and pests, but the threat exists. Diseases usually occur when agricultural technology is violated.

Conclusion

Caring for blackberries is no more difficult than caring for raspberries. You need to get used to the shrub, feel its need, and the plant will thank you with a generous harvest.

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