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Garden blackberries do not have high winter hardiness, therefore, when growing these tasty and extremely healthy berries on your site, you should think in advance about how to cover the blackberries for the winter. Of course, there are varieties more or less resistant to cold, and perhaps a few blackberry bushes with erect shoots will survive the winter season. But is it worth the risk? Indeed, even in the Moscow region, the temperature in winter drops below -20 ° C, and what can we say about the northern regions, where blackberry shelter for the winter remains the only way to get a decent harvest next year.
When to start caring for blackberries for the winter?
Preparation of blackberries for winter begins immediately after the end of the harvest. This period may vary depending on the climate of the region, or the variety of the crop. If the variety is early, and fruiting ends in August, then preparatory activities can begin from mid-September. For late-ripening varieties, in which the harvest ends in September, preparation for winter should begin in October.
Preparation is not only about covering the bushes. Before covering the blackberry with insulating material, it is necessary to pay attention to a number of auxiliary activities that will facilitate the wintering of the crop:
- Infrequent, but regular watering (in the absence of rain). Do not leave the roots dry for the winter, in addition, it is easier for the plant to absorb nutrients from moist soil.
- Shrub thinning. In the fall, after harvesting, all the shoots that have been fruiting in the current season should be removed, since they will no longer produce a crop, but will only thicken the bush and consume nutrients.
- Removal of extra young branches. It is believed that 6–8 shoots are enough for a good bush yield, and since blackberries grow very quickly, extra shoots should also be cut in the fall. This procedure is carried out after the removal of fruiting branches.
- Removal from support. The shoots of the creeping blackberry can have an impressive length (4–10 m), so they are removed from the trellis before shelter, rolled up or carefully folded.
- Top dressing. Blackberries are not demanding on fertilizers, however, in order to make it easier for the plant to overwinter, it is recommended to fertilize with a potash mixture without chlorine in the fall.
Blackberries are covered with insulating material or mulch immediately before frost, or at a steady temperature of -3–5 ° C. As a rule, such a degree is set in late October – early November, but you need to look at the weather. Previously, it is not recommended to cover. First, it doesn’t make sense. Secondly, premature shelter can harm the plant, namely:
- lead to decay of roots and shoots – the vegetation continues in the warmth of the plant, and since it lacks light under cover, all its parts will decay;
- in the absence of frost, moisture accumulates under the shelter, which is also detrimental to blackberries – fungal diseases develop, and the roots lack oxygen.
Many novice gardeners who have not yet encountered blackberry freezing doubt whether it is necessary to cover the bushes for the winter or whether they can do without it. The peculiarity of blackberries is that berries are formed only on the shoots of the second year of life. Thus, we cover one-year-old young shoots that have not yet had time to stiffen, and are very sensitive to cold. If they freeze, there will be no harvest next year. That is why every gardener should definitely ask himself how to prepare blackberries for winter correctly and in a timely manner.
An important step in preparing for wintering is pruning blackberries.
Autumn pruning for blackberries is more important than spring pruning. If in the spring the event is predominantly sanitary in nature, then in the fall pruning helps to prepare the blackberry bush for winter, simplifies the process of sheltering it.
Autumn pruning consists of three stages:
- removal of old shoots;
- thinning the bush (removing part of the young branches);
- pinching (shortening) the tops of the remaining shoots.
All biennial branches that bear fruit this summer are cut at the root – you should not leave stumps, as pests can settle in them, or rot can develop, which will greatly complicate the wintering of blackberries. After only young branches remain, the bush is thinned out – the weakest young shoots are removed, leaving only 6–8 of the strongest branches – they will form a crop next year.
In conclusion, the tops of the remaining shoots are shortened by 20–25 cm, but here everything depends on the blackberry variety, or rather on the length of its shoots. For blackberries with upright shoots, cutting off a quarter of the shoot is permissible; for creeping varieties, a third of the shoot can be cut. Repair blackberries are cut off completely at the base. It is characterized by fruiting on the shoots of the first year – in the spring, in place of the cut branches, new ones will grow and produce a crop. The cut parts of the branches must be collected and burned – this measure will prevent the spread of diseases and pest larvae.
How to cover blackberries, and what material to use?
As already mentioned, it is necessary to cover blackberry bushes immediately before the onset of frost. After the excess growth is removed, the shoots are bent to the ground as low as possible, after which they are covered with insulating material. Creeping blackberries are easier to cover, because their shoots bend easily and fit on the ground. An upright blackberry needs a different approach – in the summer a small load is tied to the tops of the branches so that under its weight the branches themselves bend to the ground. When the leaves fall from the bush, the shoots bend down more strongly, fix them with hooks, and also cover them.
Ways to shelter a blackberry for the winter
For convenience, erect shoots can be tied into bundles. If you need to cover a whole landing, consisting of several bushes, then each bundle is tied with twine to the next one, or attached to one support, with which they are then covered. As for the creeping blackberry, everything is much simpler here. Branches must be removed from the trellis, wound or laid in layers. Many gardeners are interested in: is it possible to lay branches directly on the ground? On sandy soil, in which moisture does not stagnate, it is possible, but it is still safer to lay the branches on thin wooden flooring or sawdust. A bush protected in this way is guaranteed not to rot from excess moisture when snow melts.
Snow is the best cover for plants. Even if the bush is covered with insulating material, a “coat” of snow will not be superfluous. You can safely pour it on top of the shelter – a bush additionally covered with snow retains heat better and longer.
Blackberries can be covered with natural materials, as well as synthetic ones. From natural as a shelter are suitable:
- peat;
- humus;
- sawdust, chips;
- dry tops of garden crops (corn, beets);
- dry foliage of non-fruit crops – pest larvae can persist in the leaves of fruit trees;
- straw, hay;
- lapnik.
When using organics, the question may arise: are all these materials safe for blackberries? Unfortunately, in a shelter made of straw, tops or hay, rodents often start up, which really cause irreparable harm to the bushes. Therefore, for supporters of everything natural, experienced gardeners recommend covering blackberries with pine needles. Rodents bypass such a shelter, and in the spring it is very easy to remove.
Of the finished covering materials, non-woven insulation is most often used (Spunbond, Agrospan, Lutrasil). Of the less modern, but long-verified materials, roofing material and polyethylene film can be distinguished. In areas with a harsh climate, gardeners use organic and artificial shelter in tandem, since one of them is not enough at very low temperatures.
Video “Shelter of garden blackberries”
This video demonstrates how a frost-resistant horticultural crop should be covered for the winter from icing.
