Where, when and how to plant blackberries

Blackberry is a high-yielding and unpretentious plant, so it can increasingly be found in summer cottages. It has a two-year development cycle, that is, in the first year the buds are laid, and in the second they bear fruit.

Content:

• Fit and shaping
• Preparing for winter
• Reproduction by layering

Fit and shaping

When determining for yourself how to plant blackberries, you must take into account that this plant loves places protected from cold winds and well warmed by the sun.

Planting blackberries in spring and autumn. In the spring, this should be done as early as possible, before the buds begin to grow. And in the fall, the best option would be the end of September - the beginning of October, before frost sets in. Otherwise, blackberries are not fussy and can live on almost any soil.

It is also necessary to remember that the fertility of the berries is influenced not only by how to plant blackberries, but also by how correctly the fruiting and growing branches are separated. The simplest method is separate placement, that is, fruiting shoots are directed in one direction, and growing ones in the other.

• Fan formation

When choosing the fan method, the fruiting branches are fanned out to the right or left, and new ones grow in the center.

• Forming with ropes

If you decide to use the rope formation method, the fruiting shoots are located along the wire, and new ones, in the same way as in the previous way, remain in the center.

• Shaped by waves

There is also an option to form the shoots in waves: shoots with berries are directed in waves along the lower rows, and young ones - along the upper ones.

Preparing for winter

In our conditions, blackberries are still a covering crop. Preparation for winter is carried out depending on the bushes belonging to the group brambles or dewdrops, since they can withstand different temperature ranges, and also because the strength of shoot development is different. Powerful, large-diameter trunks of brambles can crack if bending is done excessively.

Reproduction by layering

Although dewberry bushes are easily propagated by the ends of shoots, our gardeners more often propagate blackberry bushes by division. But in this case, the root system of the mother blackberry bush is disturbed, which negatively affects the harvest. Therefore, it is better not to disturb them and grow new bushes by layering.

To do this, prepare the soil around the mother plant. It should be taken into account that the following conditions contribute to root formation:

• lack of light at the regeneration site;
• provision of oxygen;
• constant humidity;
• sufficient amount of heat.

Whitening the shoot, that is, stopping the supply of light to the blackberry stem, is an important condition for the beginning of root formation. The sooner and more tightly the shoot is covered, the more powerful the plant’s reaction will be. Therefore, to stimulate root growth, it is necessary to earth up the stem as quickly and thoroughly as possible. Also, on the lower part of the shoot, which is turned towards the soil, you can cut the bark, pin it with a staple, and then water it with root formation stimulants (Kornevin, heteroauxin).

Soil during propagation layering should be loose, retain moisture well, and provide good air circulation. If the garden soil does not meet these requirements, then a small area can be prepared for rooting (naturally, away from the maternal roots).

To do this, sand and peat are added to the garden soil.And for the top powder you can use mature compost, which retains moisture well and is quite breathable.

Warmth also promotes root formation, so the chosen site should not be heavily shaded. But we must remember that heat will be useful if moisture is maintained. Therefore, you can insert a plastic bottle with the bottom cut off in the rooting zone. Using a heated nail, we make holes in the area of ​​the lid, close it with the lid, and deepen this structure by 15 cm in the form of a funnel upside down, close to the layering. Now you can pour water into the resulting stationary socket without worrying about washing away the young roots.

The cuttings must be separated from the mother blackberry bush in the fall so that the resulting bush can adapt to independent existence. After three weeks, to stimulate root development, the top of the layer is cut off, then transplanted to a new location. But if there is a concern that by this period the root system has not developed enough, feel free to postpone the replanting until spring.

It is best to use a pitchfork to remove newly rooted cuttings. To prevent young roots from dying, do not let them dry out. Therefore, prepare the seats in advance according to the scheme described Here.

So, many methods of forming bushes have been tested for blackberries. And if you are passionate about this wonderful berry, then try propagating it yourself. One should not think that propagating blackberries by layering is too labor-intensive a method and is only accessible to agronomists. Nature itself uses such propagation, because when branches bend down during the growing season, phytohormones and nutrients rush there. Therefore, propagation by layering is carried out not in greenhouses, but directly in the garden, under natural conditions.