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CULTIVATION OF BLACKBERRY - CARE, SHELTERING, etc. PROFESSIONAL ADVICE

Garden blackberry began to develop our gardens only in the mid-90s. The simple technology of sheltering berry bushes allowed domestic gardeners to quickly appreciate the amazing taste, unprecedented size and fantastic yield of this plant. It seems that the formula for success is simple - this is the acquisition of a large-fruited variety ripening in an appropriate time, and sheltering the plant in the winter period. However, shaping and trimming for this crop is one of the most important agricultural techniques.

How to carry it out correctly in order to get maximum yields will be told today by the famous blackberry expert Vyacheslav Valentinovich Yakimov.

BLACKBERRY MOST WATERFUL CULTURE

Even in the retail market, it can be noted that the berry offered for purchase is non-one-dimensional in size, differs in hardness and consumer qualities. The easiest way to explain this is with different varieties of blackberry, but even in one variety the berry can differ in quality.

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Gardeners have long noticed that the largest blackberry berry and the most extensive berry clusters are obtained from the lower buds of fruit-bearing multimeter shoots. Also, the size of the berry is affected by the height of the shoot garter. That is, the size of the berries on the shoot often decreases with the height of the garter and closer to the ends of the vine.

Conventionally, the root system can be represented as a powerful pump that supplies nutrients dissolved in water into an extensive system of shoots (“pipes”), and the more their number, the longer the route, the more consumption points (buds and branches), the higher the feed height, the , respectively, higher hydraulic resistance and water flow and more head loss.

IMPORTANT! It turns out that those buds that are located below (closer to the roots) get more nutrition and water and form larger berries and berries. The berry at the ends of the shoots is smaller, but sweeter and much more transportable than at the base of the bush and in the middle part of the shoots.

This is especially noticeable with insufficient watering. Gardeners often do not fully understand how the total amount of the crop and the size of the berries depend on the amount of water consumed and the nourishment of the bush.

The blackberry consumes significantly more water than other berry crops, including such a moisture-loving crop as currants, and at the same time does not like swampy areas and flooding of the root system. All food is absorbed by the enormous energy of the plant. The peak of nutrient intake falls on berry pouring and the development of replacement shoots. The plant lays a large number of multimeter shoots of replacement at the same time as flowering and fruiting, and due to the large number of leaves, the enormous amount of water does not even go to the growth of plants and berries, but simply to evaporation.

BLACKBERRY: BAMBOO MIDDLE STRIP

In order to understand how vigorously the plant develops, slow motion is not needed. The ends of the shoots of replacement and branching are extended literally before our eyes. The progressive growth of substitution escape per day is approximately

Blooming fruit arrow on the top wire but 10, see. Considering that blackberry bush drives out not one, but several at the same time developing powerful shoots, then in sum its growth energy is about the same as that of the record holder of the southern flora of bamboo. For several days of absence of the gardener on a site the plant grows to unrecognizability.

An adult fruiting blackberry bush is a large living factory for the production of vines and berries, which consumes more than a dozen liters of water per week, and any delay in its delivery leads to shredding of the berry and a lag in the development of the plant. Only an increase in the rate of water consumption increases the weight of the berry by about 1/3, and a lack of water during this period leads to the fact that the berry not only becomes visually smaller, but also partially loses consumer qualities (taste, texture, characteristic gloss).

Therefore, the entire process of forming a bush and ripening the crop must be taken under control from the very beginning of the growing season. There are various bush formation systems (associated with shelter) and bushes planting schemes. It has long been known that all blackberry plants are divided by their structure into straight-growing (according to the western classification - erect), half-grown (semi-erect) and creeping (trailing).

Since the shelter of creeping plants does not cause problems due to their structure, the formation of bushes associated with the shelter concerns only the largest groups of varieties - straight-growing and half-ripe (90% of the entire modern assortment). The structure of the vines of these bushes is thick and thick. If nothing is done with them, then the replacement vine in one season turns into a small stiff tree up to 2,5 m tall, with a stem up to 3-4 cm in diameter. By autumn it resembles, rather, not a creeping vine, but a weeping willow with long drooping branches.

Blackberry what to do with it how to care, trim. Garden blackberry

HOW TO COVER THE EUROPEAN TREE?

To hide such a plant is simply impossible. Michurin solved the problem of sheltering a powerful blackberry bush by distributing its power and strength of growth during the laying of shoots to a larger number of smaller shoots. He pinched off the growth point of each main shoot of replacement at 15-20 cm, and subsequently this shoot gave thinner multimeter side branches, which became virtually independent vines, more pliable due to their smaller thickness. It turned out that by the autumn the bush consisted of a large number of new thin second-order branching vines.

I once proposed a slightly different scheme for the formation of shoots of substitution. Based on the fact that in order to get a bigger harvest next year, you need to create the maximum amount of fruit buds on the emerging vine. For this, the main escape of replacement was fixed during its initial growth in a hooked down state. I did the pinching of the shoot growth point when the escape shoot reached the length of 1,5 m. Thanks to this, by the fall on each pinned shoot the replacement of each bud formed 10-15 thin side branch shoots from 1,5 m to 2 m long. Accordingly, the number of buds on the branched escape has increased many times, but later revealed a major drawback of such a system.

Instead of one long runaway replacement, which spring climbed onto the trellis and tied up on a wire with a maximum in 1-2 locations, it was necessary to lift and tie up the side branch shoots on the 10-15 wire. If we take into account that there were several large replacement shoots initially in the bush and each one was pinched in the same way, then such a system of bush formation led to a multiple increase in the labor intensity of the shoots' garter. It also emerged that relatively short lateral branches could not be tied to the wire at small angles due to their short length. A steeper climb often led to breaking off of this side branch in the spring or during the period of operation. Most importantly, the laying of such a large number of fruit buds on the bush was completely unnecessary for obtaining a weighty and high-quality crop. On the contrary, the presence of a large number of thin shoots caused by pinching may lead to a certain decrease in the size of the berry.

IMPORTANT! It is better to give escape the replacement to develop freely, eliminating any nip. Then in the spring we will have long shoots without unnecessary branching.

I will illustrate the statement on a simple example.

In the spring of 2017, after we removed the shelter, we found that the vast majority of the kidneys of the overwintered vine were eaten by mice. The bark was intact and well colored, but the intact buds on the vine were only 1 / 15-1 / 20 part of the total number of buds. That is, almost the entire vine was blinded by the kidneys. We did not even notice it immediately. When the vine was lifted and tied up on a trellis, it turned out that the tissues of its shoots did not have their inherent elasticity during this period.

The vine was filled with juice and broke even with a slight bending load.

We thought that due to the absence of the majority of the kidneys, the harvest of the 2017 season was already irretrievably lost. This was confirmed by the fact that a little later the vine had very few opened buds. However, with a delay on the 2-3 of the week, the vine was already wildly green and blooming. Flowering was so abundant that the views of the crop were encouraging. On closer examination, it turned out that part of the buds in the damaged nodes recovered and gave floral arrows.

These laterals bloomed along with the flower arrows that grew from the buds that survived after the winter. At the same time, the flower laterals on the upper wire of the trellis were as branched and powerful as they usually are in the lower part of the bush.

This we have never watched for many years of growing berries. During the harvest period, it turned out that the berry on the vine tied up on the top of the trellis wire was almost the same as the berries ripened in the lower part of the shoots, and the aerial laterals had a very unusual thickness at the place of origin from the main vine.

The yield quality that summer turned out to be higher than usual, and quantitatively we practically lost nothing. The overall weight was about the same as usual.

This example suggests that crop quality can be controlled by normalizing the number of fruit buds. This can be done by limiting the number of shoots of substitution. Good results are obtained by shortening the vine of last year in the spring by cutting. Studies of foreign scientists Fumiomi Takeda and Donald Peterson say the same thing. They established that the very first (by the time of appearance) replacement shoots will be the most developed and fruitful (next year).

IMPORTANT! The later an escape appears, the thinner and less developed it is, which affects the quality and quantity of the future crop. Therefore, to obtain the highest quality crop with an average level of agrotechnology and a tight fit, you should not leave more than 5-6 the most developed replacement shoots (with a distance between plants in the row 1-2м).

FIXING ONLY FROM EARTH RUNNING

When rationing the number of shoots of replacement, it is important to determine which shoots should be left for subsequent fruiting. Often, the lower fruit buds emit such powerful flower laterals that at the beginning of their development they can easily be mistaken for seed shoots and hooked with hooks (for growing in the creeping form). A little later, this escape begins to push the buds.

Therefore, in order to avoid mistakes in the choice of replacement shoots left for fruiting, we try to bend down, fix with wire hooks and leave only those shoots that go directly from the ground. The likelihood that this is exactly the shoots of substitution is much higher, although the lowermost buds of the stump also sometimes lay shoots of substitution. Since there are not many of them, such an unshown escape of replacement is missed (unfolded) and goes into cutting, so as not to have problems with bending down later.

Some varieties of the conventional 2-year cycle are able to drive out of the ground remontant escape instead of escape replacement. Such a shoot with floral laterals usually has an average length and is cut after the return of the late autumn berry, along with the sprouts of the last year. Such shoots are quite rare, so the presence of this phenomenon can be neglected.

Also for the enlargement of berries practiced spring pruning overwintered last year shoots on the 1 / 3 total length. All of these measures contribute to obtaining a more even-sized and large berries.

Sometimes, with a high level of agricultural engineering and the distance between bushes in a row of up to 3, m and more, in the second year, shoots of substitution are left much more than 5-6. This is done consciously. The high load of the bush is compensated by a larger area of plant nutrition, a thick layer of mulch, an even higher irrigation rate and a set of agronomic measures.

LOVE BLACKBERRY

Today, talking about the merits of a blackberry may not be necessary anymore. The view of fruiting bushes, strewn with huge shiny berries, captivates everyone. However, not every gardener has the power to grow them so attractive and appetizing. But you just need to follow a few rules.

When choosing a seedling, take an interest in the characteristics of the variety, since the requirements of the varieties to the growing conditions can vary greatly. It is important to make sure that the seedlings of your choice have a well-developed root system. For a blackberry, sufficiently lit and well-warmed areas are selected. When growing in open areas, it is necessary to make sure that the shoots are windproof. Strong winds can damage plants. Blackberries can grow on various soils except heavy clay ones.

Optimum pH 6,0-6,5. It is very important that the soil is water- and breathable, well-drained, since excess moisture in the soil leads to the death of roots, stretching of the shoot growth period, delaying tissue maturation and the development of infections. As a result, there is a sharp decrease in productivity, frost resistance, deterioration in the taste of berries. However, the moisture content of the soil is extremely important, especially in the initial period of growth (from April to July), when shoots grow intensively and a crop is formed.

Before planting a blackberry, you need to prepare the soil: dig to a depth of 50 cm, select the roots of the weeds. Seedlings carefully inspect, check the condition of the roots, slightly shorten very long, cut damaged.

Blackberries can be planted both in spring and autumn. Varieties with poor winter hardiness are best planted in spring. Winter-hardy varieties can be planted in autumn and covered with peat or humus for the winter (layer 15 cm). Pits for planting a blackberry are dug with a size of 40x40x50 cm. 5-6 kg of humus or compost are added to each landing pit, mixing it with 30-40 g of superphosphate, 15-20 g of potassium salt or 30-xNUMX. On acidic soils, 40 g of lime is added. Fertilizers are mixed with the topsoil and poured into the pits. After that, the seedling is placed in a hole and the root neck is deepened on 100-2 cm. The roots are well spread so that they do not bend up.

After planting, a hole for irrigation is made around each bush, the soil is mulched with hay, straw, sawdust, etc. (layer 3-4 cm).

Blackberries are responsive to fertilizer.

The proportions of NPK in the fertilizer should be approximately equal. Unbalanced fertilization can lead to physiological abnormalities that affect the appearance of the plant. When using drip irrigation, fertilizer can be applied through the irrigation system. This technique is called fertigation. It assumes the most accurate and continuous fertilization system. Organic fertilizers should be applied in August to allow time for nutrients to decompose. To prevent the development of blackberry diseases, growing conditions should be observed. It is not allowed to grow blackberries in excessively humid conditions on waterlogged soils. Preventive treatments of plantings against insect pests that carry spores of fungi, bacteria or viruses are recommended.

Thus, following these simple rules and regularly caring for your blackberry bushes, you will get an excellent harvest of delicious berries.

BLACKBERRY - LANDING AND CARE: VIDEO

Blackberry. Description. Planting and care.

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Dacha with their own hands > Garden plants > Shrubs in the country > Blackberry > Growing garden blackberries - planting and care. Shelter for the winter

Comment

Nikolai GANZYUKOV, Voronezh region
10/07/2019 (06:41) #

Blackberries collect buckets

From one bush of the bushless blackberry I collect 2,5 buckets of large berries the size of a small plum. I'll tell you how I take care of plants and achieve such a result.
Landing
Blackberries should grow only in a sunny area. Planting pits (60 × 60 cm in size, at a distance of 2 m from each other) season with a mixture of overripe humus, fertile soil and coarse river sand (in equal parts). Seedlings with a closed root system (I have plants of varieties Loch Tay, Chester, Polar) can be planted at any time - from spring to autumn. I deepen the root neck by 2-4 cm, the maturing buds of substitution shoots should not be on the surface, otherwise they will dry out. After planting, water the seedlings and mulch the compost with a layer of 2-3 cm.
Food
During the season I feed three times.
At the beginning of May, under each bush I close up ammonium nitrate (10 g) to a depth of 15-50.
In early August, watering mullew infusion (1: 8) - a bucket on the plant, adding wood ash (half-liter jar of 10 l composition). Ash conifers do not fit!
In September, I repeat the second dressing.
This is one of the most important tricks on the blackberry. In the first year of growth of saplings I remove the inflorescences - to stimulate the development of the root system. In the second year in spring, before the buds bloom, departing from the ground 1,5-1,8 m, shorten the tops (above the kidney). I tie up shoots to a trellis up to 2 m in height. Then every year after winter I prune frozen stalks to a living bud.
In the summer, at the beginning of June, I thin out the bushes: I remove shoots, leaving 6-8 strong stalks for creeping varieties and 4-5 for erect. Tops of young shoots shortened on 5-8, see
In adult plants, after harvesting, I cut out the seedlings that have sprouted.
Late autumn shoots removed from the trellis. I put them on the “pillow” of spruce branches, on top I fall asleep with dry leaves. I press the boards, and on top of them are the reeds that I burn in the spring, and pour the ashes under the bushes.