How to care for blackberries

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

What does productivity depend on?

The quantity and quality of the blackberry crop 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 damp longer, fertilizers get better to the roots.
2. Large berries grow from abundant feeding with humus.
3. Pruning is performed so that there is no thickening and excessive load of the bush.
4. Proper shelter of bushes for the winter saves fertile buds from predilection and shoots from freezing.

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

How to plant blackberries

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

Beginning gardeners may have another important question, why does garden blackberry 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, branches. Due to the late removal of the shelter, the kidneys fail.
• Incorrect pruning. If the gardener accidentally removes fruit branches, there will be no harvest for the next year.
• Wrong watering. The plant strongly needs water only during the pouring of berries.
• Ignoring the bush garter to the support. If the whips are launched on the ground, the berries will be affected by gray rot. Yields will decrease, and next season there may be no berries at all.

Planting and caring for blackberries are reminiscent of raspberry farming. Bushes are planted in sunny areas with light shading.

preliminaries

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 up on a spade bayonet. Contribute to 1 m² 50 g potassium, 10 kg compost, 100 g superphosphate. Sand and peat are mixed into heavy soil.

Before planting seedlings, prepare supports. For blackberries, it is better to make a trellis. On both sides of the bush, pillars 1,5 m high are driven in. Every 50 cm, a wire is pulled between them. You get three rows. For tall varieties, poles up to 2 m high are dug in and four wire stretches are made.

When is the best time to plant garden blackberries: in spring or autumn

Each landing period has its advantages and disadvantages. First of all, the climate of the region is taken into account. In the south, a seedling is best planted 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. Planting blackberries here is best done in the spring. The seedling will get stronger over the summer, form a bush, and next season will bring a crop.

Planting dates for garden blackberries

In the southern regions, October – early November is considered the optimal time for planting blackberries. 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. In the country, the line along the fence is considered the best place, but 1 m recede from the fence. For blackberries on the site, it is better to choose the south or south-west side.

The culture grows well on loamy soil with a fertile layer at least 25 cm thick. The roots go deep into the ground, so groundwater occurrence above 1,5 m is detrimental to the plant. Shrubs grow poorly on salt marshes, swampy areas, stones and sand. Depleted soil requires a good top dressing with organic matter before planting seedlings.

What crops can and cannot be planted next to blackberries

Blackberries enrich the soil with nitrogen. The apple tree is considered the best neighbor. In addition, cultures provide each other with mutual protection against diseases.

It is impossible to plant blackberries near a bed with strawberries. Neighborhood will lead to the reproduction of the malicious pest of both crops – the weevil.

A controversial issue is the close proximity to raspberries. Cultures tolerate each other, but they share 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 the 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 a nursery.

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

How to plant a blackberry

When preparing a garden bed, you need to know what distance between the bushes and rows when planting blackberries is maintained for comfortable plant growth. For upright varieties, a gap of 1 m is maintained. A minimum of 1,5 m of passage is left between 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 well. 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 deepened 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 recess of about 2 cm for watering. The near-stem plot of land is mulched with peat or rotted dry manure. A young seedling is regularly watered for 50 days after planting.

Blackberry care in spring: advice from experienced gardeners

Blackberries have long roots going deep into the ground. The plant copes with drought, and it is necessary to save from frost by sheltering bushes. Caring for a culture is simple, but requires compliance with the rules.

The basis for obtaining a good harvest is the correct pruning of the bush. The plant can throw out 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 off, leaving a stem 30 cm high. By autumn, fruit-bearing 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 off at the root. Of the shoots, 7–8 strong replacement shoots are left. They will bear fruit next year. The next cutting cycle is repeated. In 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:

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

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

From top dressing 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 added under the plant. Simultaneously with top dressing, gardeners are advised to spray blackberry bushes with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture.

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

Watering is usually combined with fertilization. After water has been absorbed, 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 to -1^оC. The best material is spruce branches. The needles do not allow rodents to breed under cover. A non-woven material paired with a film is well suited. From plants, corn stalks are suitable for shelter. 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. So that the seedlings do not freeze, it is better to plant them in the spring.

Blackberry 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 blackberry to the maximum from cold winds. The tape method of landing is allowed. To protect against winds, the rows on the north side are covered with agrofibre.

Blackberry in Siberia: planting and care

Planting and caring for blackberries in Siberia follows the same rules as in the Urals. Preference is given to upright varieties due to better frost resistance. Well adapted: 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, focus on nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Under the bush bring 7 kg of humus, up to 40 g of ammonium nitrate. Good results are obtained by mullein, a solution of bird droppings.

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

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

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

The initial application of humus and mineral complexes during planting of a seedling is enough for the plant for three years. For the development of the bush and getting a good harvest, organic matter and mineral fertilizers are applied.

For active growth

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

For a bountiful harvest

Fertilizing with 20 g of saltpeter and 10 g of urea allows you to increase productivity. With the onset of fruiting, the leaves are sprayed with a solution of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Under each bush pour 6 liters of water with potassium sulfate. 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 affected by diseases and pests, but the threat exists. Diseases usually occur when agricultural practices are 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.