Garden blackberry - planting and caring for the plant. Planting blackberries in spring How to plant garden blackberries correctly

This wonderful berry is increasingly being chosen by gardeners to grow on their plots.

Where and how to plant blackberries

Almost all cultivated varieties of blackberries grow favorably and bear fruit in well-protected areas, in areas with a cool, cool climate. If you do not know where and how to plant blackberries, then it is important to ensure that they are located in irrigated areas, since this plant is very demanding of soil moisture. The ideal place for planting would be leveled areas and southern slopes. Avoid uneven terrain, lowlands and depressions.

This crop tolerates cold and dry winds very painfully. Therefore, set aside for it a place well protected from drafts, planted with shrubs or ornamental trees. But at the same time, protective plants should not interfere with the flow of fresh air; this crop really needs fresh air flow. Give it fertile alluvial lands.

Favorable predecessors of blackberries are cereals and legumes, and most vegetables (except nightshades).
It also takes root well on black earth soils, the carbonate layer of which should be at least 1-1.5 meters deep. The subsoil must be permeable. Very heavy and clayey compositions are extremely unfavorable and unsuitable; a neutral or slightly acidic composition is recommended. If the acidity is too high, it is recommended to carry out liming (adding slaked lime or dolomite flour) once every three years.
This is a very light-loving culture. Like any light-loving species, when there is a lack of light, the shoots begin to stretch out excessively, the plant produces less yield, and is less resistant to pests and various diseases. Preparations for winter are sluggish. Therefore, before planting a plantation, you should think carefully about where to do it.

How to plant blackberries. Tillage

It is important to know how to plant blackberries. Planting is carried out at 1-1.2 meters between rows and approximately 60 centimeters between bushes in a row. On poorer and scarcer soils, the distances are reduced. From early spring until the end of August, the soil between the rows must be kept loose and constantly cleared of weeds.

how to plant blackberries

The most important treatment is autumn plowing, which must be carried out in October:

to a depth of approximately 20 cm.
in the middle between the rows
and 10-12 cm near the plants themselves.

Starting from spring and until the first berries ripen, loosening is carried out:

in the middle between the rows
10 cm deep.
near the plants themselves to a depth of 6-7 cm.

If, after the crop is harvested, the soil is very compacted, it is necessary to plow it and then cultivate it.
In the fall (from September) processing is stopped. This is done in order to improve the ripening of annual shoots. The rows are plowed to a depth of 5 centimeters.

Watering

Blackberries are a drought-resistant garden crop. It needs frequent watering only in the first year, when the root system is formed. When transplanting to a permanent place, it needs to be watered evenly 3 times a month, and then once every 2-3 weeks for about two months. From the second year of life, watering is required only in drought conditions.
If the annual precipitation rate was minimal, then additional watering is recommended. If there is a prolonged drought and minimal rainfall, the berries will become small, and some will fall off before they have time to ripen. This crop must be watered along the furrows.

In each row, furrows are made on both sides. On light soils, it is necessary to make a third furrow, approximately in the center of the row spacing, the furrows should be about 50 centimeters, 10 centimeters deep, if the composition is heavy, 60-80 centimeters and 10-15 deep.
From the beginning of the growing season until the very end of harvesting, 2-3 waterings are done, and then after harvesting, if persistent drought continues, another one.

Only two waterings per season are important. the first when fruit set occurs and the second, water-charging, in the fall.
Important! Blackberries are afraid of the cold. Therefore, watering with ice water is highly discouraged.

Blackberries are a subgenus of the Rosaceae family of the genus Rubus. Most often in gardens you can find bushy blackberries and blue blackberries. In America, the berry is considered one of the most popular crops, but in Europe it is not grown. Mexico is recognized as the world leader in blackberry cultivation, but the entire harvest goes to European countries and the USA. In our country, the popularity of blackberries, a close relative of raspberries, is only growing due to its valuable properties. For beginning gardeners, we will tell you more about blackberries, planting and caring for them.

The garden blackberry shrub has flexible stem shoots with sharp thorns and a perennial rhizome. The shoots can rise up to two meters in height if supported. The leaves of this culture are five to seven-parted or trifoliate, jagged, pubescent on both sides, light green in color. Blackberries are honey plants; they bloom with white flowers about 3 cm in diameter. Flowering begins in July; black berries with juicy pulp ripen in August.

Blackberry varieties

There are so many varieties of blackberries that it is difficult to adhere to a strict classification. We present the best varieties of berries:

Karaka Black is an early ripening variety with excellent taste; the berries are juicy and high in sugar content. This is the most drought-resistant period and rarely gets sick. Disadvantage - does not tolerate frost well.
Polar is a winter-hardy variety bred by Polish breeders. The bushes are compact, but give a good harvest. The taste of the berries is sweet and sour.
Agawam. Mid-season, winter-hardy American variety. The stems and roots of the bushes can withstand temperatures down to -40 degrees. Up to 4 kg can be harvested from a bush in a good year, berries weighing up to 3 g. The variety tolerates viruses well.
Loch Tay. An unpretentious English variety with medium-sized but tasty berries.

Remontant varieties of blackberries

Breeders have recently developed remontant varieties; they have not yet been fully studied. They can bear fruit until frost. You can cut off all the shoots in late autumn, but in June you can harvest the first harvest, and in August - the second. There are varieties of remontant blackberries that bear fruit without interruption. The disadvantage of this variety is its sharp thorns. American hybrids of the Prime series have proven themselves excellent among amateur gardeners:

Prime Jim. It has very large, elongated, sweet and sour berries. The flowering bush looks absolutely stunning, decorating the garden with its large soft pink and white flowers.
Prime Ark 45. Large bushes up to two meters high. Strong shoots with thorns, berries are dense, sweet, elongated. Fruits until frost.
Prime Yang. The shoots are erect, spiny. The berries are sweet, with an apple aroma. It is considered the earliest of the remontant varieties.

When to plant blackberries

When talking about blackberries, when to plant them, we can only talk about standard dates. This is spring and autumn. How are these two periods different? Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The timing of planting blackberries depends on the area in which planting is planned, as well as the personal preferences of the gardener.

In the southern climate, autumn planting of blackberries is practiced, since the winters there are quite warm, the seedlings will not be able to freeze in winter. In more northern regions, the central regions of the country, in the Urals, it is better not to risk planting blackberries in the fall. It is better to do this in the spring, at the end of April, or at the beginning of May, when the soil has already warmed up sufficiently.

How to plant blackberries correctly

Growing blackberries is not easy. You must first find a suitable place for planting blackberries; it must be sunny and protected from the wind. It is best to choose a western or southern slope. Blackberries grow well on nutritious, well-drained loams; planting on sandy soils is allowed. In the fall, you need to prepare the soil, freeing the area from weeds. When digging furrows or planting holes, a layer of soil is mixed with mineral and organic fertilizers. The best option is that per square meter of garden land you will need 15 g of superphosphate, 10 kg of organic matter, 25 g of potassium sulfate. When planting, the roots of the seedlings are sprinkled with this soil mixture.

How to plant blackberries in spring

Planting blackberries in the spring is not difficult if you know and follow all the planting rules. Blackberry seedlings should be purchased only from nurseries, so that the seedlings have well-developed roots, 2 stems and an already formed bud on the roots.

The width and depth of planting holes is determined by the age and quality of the seedlings. It is worth making a large distance to buildings from plantings, it should be at least a meter. The distance between bushes and rows depends on the method of cultivating blackberries and their ability to form shoots. There are two cultivation methods:

bush;
tape

With the tape method, varieties with enhanced shoot formation are suitable. Blackberry planting scheme: plant in a continuous chain in a furrow, leaving a gap of about a meter between specimens. Between rows - 2 meters.

With the bush method, 2-3 seedlings are planted in one hole. Seedlings are taken with low shoot formation. The pits are placed according to a pattern of 1.8 x 1.8 m.

You need to lower the seedling into the hole and straighten the roots. The bud should be a couple of centimeters underground; it is covered with soil so that there remains a recess a few centimeters below the level of the site. This is done to save water; melt or rainwater will accumulate in the excavation. The soil is compacted, each bush is watered with water (3-6 liters). Then mulch the soil with manure or peat. It is necessary to cut the seedlings at a height of 20 cm, and completely remove the fruit shoots.

How to plant blackberries in the fall

The easiest way to plant in open ground is to use seed in pots. The plant is removed from the pot, then they are placed in the hole. Its depth should be 10 cm greater than the root system. You should pour a 10 cm layer of humus into the hole.

All voids between the edge of the hole and the roots are filled with soil and humus. The plant is watered, then mulched with peat. It is advisable to dilute potassium fertilizers in water; in the absence of rain, you need to water once a week until frost.

When planting a plant with bare roots, you need to make a mound of humus at the bottom of the hole. Place the seedling on it, carefully sprinkle it with earth on all sides.

Blackberry care

Having figured out when and how to plant blackberries, you also need to think about how to care for them so that they produce a good harvest. Growing garden blackberries, planting and caring for them require certain skills. Caring for blackberries includes regular watering, weeding, loosening the soil, fertilizing, pruning, preventive and therapeutic measures to combat pests and diseases.

Watering, loosening, mulching blackberries

Blackberries require regular watering in the first month and a half. In dry weather, the plant also needs to be watered; during the period of berry ripening and intensive growth, more abundantly. It is not recommended to use water that is too cold; it is better to collect rainwater or use settled water from a barrel.

Weeds need to be removed regularly. Row spacing is loosened up to six times per season. The soil around the bushes is loosened with a pitchfork three times during the growing season. Mulching can be done with fallen leaves, sawdust or straw. If peat compost or rotted manure is used, they will not only protect against weeds, but also become a source of nutrition for blackberries.

During the ripening of the berries, shading nets are installed along the rows. This will protect the black blackberries from sunlight, which can burn the berries, reducing quality.

Fertilizing the crop

At the beginning of the growing season, nitrogen fertilizers (urea or ammonium nitrate) and organic matter are applied. Potassium fertilizers must be applied annually; care must be taken to ensure that they do not contain chlorine. When mulching the soil with manure, there is no need to apply phosphorus fertilizers. Otherwise, phosphates are applied once every three years.

Shelter for the winter

Preparing bushes for wintering is an important task. First, pruning is carried out, then the ground around the roots is mulched with peat or sawdust. It is recommended to spray the bushes with Actellik and copper sulfate. Blackberry bushes must be covered if the thermometer drops below 10 degrees. You can remove the branches from the supports, bend them to the ground and cover them with corn leaves. Lay plastic film on top. When insulating the plant, you can use hay or humus. Sawdust will do. But it is better not to use foliage from fruit trees, as they may contain harmful microorganisms.

Blackberry pruning

Pruning blackberries, as well as planting and caring for them, is a troublesome task, because there are many thorns on the shoots. But it needs to be carried out regularly: in autumn, spring, summer. In the spring, dry stems and frozen tops of young shoots are trimmed to the top bud.

On bushes of the first year, the tops of the branches are pruned in May, and a month later the side shoots are pruned. In mature bushes, all weak shoots are removed, leaving only strong shoots, no more than 10. Emerging root shoots are removed in summer. In autumn, spring side shoots are pruned. All shoots of the second year are cut out after fruiting.

Disease and pest control

To prevent blackberries from being affected by anthracnose, you need to promptly remove the affected shoots and weeds and carefully inspect the planting material when purchasing. Use peat manure compost as fertilizer. If blackberries turn yellow, this indicates that they lack trace elements, or, on the contrary, they are in excess. It is necessary to reconsider the amount of fertilizer applied.

Damage to blackberries can be caused by: raspberry bud moth, hair and spider mites, gall moths, weevils, aphids, and moth caterpillars. The following products performed well: Karbofos, Actellik, Akarin, Fitoverm. In spring and autumn, it is necessary to carry out preventive treatment with these drugs, then unpleasant surprises during the season can be avoided.

More and more attention of gardeners is being attracted by an unusually tasty berry - blackberry. Its main advantage is that, despite its taste and usefulness, the culture is surprisingly unpretentious. Just a year after planting, the bush will delight you with delicious fruits. The plant looks like a vine with prickly thorns, which are practically invisible under the foliage and berries.
The varieties that are especially popular today are: Thornless, Thornfree and Agawam. Despite the characteristics of each type, their main differences are in the size of the berries and their taste.

Russian gardeners everywhere plant raspberries and strawberries, to which they have long been accustomed. Only true fans of the southern-smelling berry plant blackberries on their plots.

It is best to plant blackberries in mid-spring; the soil will finally warm up to the required depth.

The plant develops well where there is a lot of light and no drafts. Do not forget that a strong gust of wind can cause irreparable damage to the bush. This can be a major obstacle to future pollination of flower stalks.

It is best to look for a planting site on a southern slope or on the western side of the garden plot.
Blackberries take root very well and quickly, growing in generously drained and nutritious media. To make the soil crumbly, you can mix it with sand. It is important to create these conditions so that water does not stagnate in the soil and the plant does not “suffocate.”

If the soil is carbonate, when preparing the planting hole, it must be fertilized with iron and magnesium.

The best guarantee of excellent blackberry productivity will be early weed control and disinfection in the area designated for it. These measures will also protect the unadapted plant from aphid invasion or the formation of destructive mold.

It is important to pre-nourish the soil with organic (manure, compost, ground egg shells) and mineral agents: 10 kg of organic matter, 15 g of superphosphate, 25 g of potassium sulfate. This quantity is provided for processing 1 sq.m.

How to plant blackberries correctly

In order for blackberries to take root and delight you with the harvest for a long time, they need to be planted correctly. Seedlings for planting should be purchased from specialized stores or nurseries with a good reputation. The best option is seedlings with a developed rhizome and at least two stems 0.5 cm thick or more. There must be at least one formed bud on the root system.

In the process of planting crops, professional gardeners recommend following the following rules:

Correct characteristics of the seedling and knowledge of its age are necessary to determine the width and depth of the planting hole. The distance between bushes and buildings or other plants should be at least 1 m.
In determining the distance between shrubs, the main role is played by varietal characteristics and the ability to form shoots, as well as the method of cultivating the plant. For bush planting, several bushes with a low level shoot formation planted in one hole. In this case, the following scheme is suitable: 1.8x1.8 m.
If the bushes have developed shoot formation, they are recommended to be planted using a strip method. The seedlings are distributed in a row at a distance of 1 m from each other. The row spacing should be at least 2-2.5 m.

To plant blackberries in compliance with technological requirements, you need to proceed as follows:

Loosen the soil, apply fertilizer and dig a hole or make a furrow of the required depth.
Carefully place the seedling in a hole or row, straightening the rhizome. Hold the plant vertically with one hand and carefully cover the root and base with soil with the other. The bud at the bottom of the stem is covered 2-3 cm.
Leave a small depression at the landing site. This will contribute to water retention during irrigation and the penetration of melt water.
Press the soil around the seedling and water thoroughly. Use 5-6 liters of water for each.
When the liquid is completely absorbed into the ground, you need to immediately mulch. For these purposes, you need to take compost from peat and chicken or horse manure.
Using extreme caution, cut off the tips of the shoots. There should be no more than 20 cm above the ground. It is also necessary to remove fruit buds.

How to care for blackberries

In order for the shrub to please with abundant fruiting and gain strength, you should take care of it. Necessary care measures include:

regular watering and moistening of the soil to prevent cracking of the soil from drying out;
loosening the soil for root respiration;
weeding;
preventive and therapeutic feeding and treatment;
pruning shoots to give the bush the desired shape.

Trellis are the best solution for preserving especially tall shoots. It is enough only with the arrival of spring warmth to install them in the ground and attach plantings to them. Having installed supports at the beginning and end of the furrow, you need to place them every 10 meters from the middle.

Between the supports you need to stretch the wire in three rows: at a height of half a meter, 1.25 m and 180 m. Bushes are tied to the highest wire in the second year of fruiting. There is no need to tie young shoots. As they grow, they themselves will cling to the necessary support. The most important thing is to control the direction of shoot growth. Otherwise, they will grow haphazardly, getting mixed up with other plants and taking on an unkempt, even abandoned appearance. This can also lead to damage to the bush.

Blackberries that grow upright will not produce a harvest the first year. To achieve a good yield next year, it is necessary to pin the main shoots with a height of 100-120 cm.

Pinching consists of the following manipulations: the tops of the bushes are cut off by 10 cm, and after the branches grow on the sides, you need to shorten them by half a meter. This guarantees the plant a well-groomed appearance without harming the yield.

Within 45 days after planting blackberries, the plant needs increased watering, especially during hot weather. Fruiting bushes require additional watering during growth, development and maturation of flower stalks. It is strictly forbidden to use unsettled tap water for these purposes. It is better to use rainwater or water that has been left in the sun for several days for irrigation.

For a good harvest of berries, planting blackberry seedlings in the spring must be carried out according to the rules. The fruiting of a bush depends on the planting material, as well as the correct choice of location on the site and soil preparation.

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Advantages of spring planting blackberry seedlings

Advantages of planting in spring:

due to the warmed soil, the garden bush grows faster and its root system is strengthened;
In spring it is easiest to determine the viability of a seedling;
It is possible to speed up the growth of the plant with care.

Timing for planting blackberry seedlings

Features of choosing the timing of planting blackberries:

In spring, plant the plant before the buds open, when the air temperature rises to +15 °C.
It is worth planting blackberries in good weather conditions with confidence that frost will not return.
There is no specific date for planting blackberry seedlings in the spring. If March turned out to be cold and there was little sun, postpone the agrotechnical procedure until warm days arrive.

When planting seedlings, take into account the variety and temperature requirements of the future bush.

In the video you can learn more about the varieties and planting of blackberries. Author - KoZa DoZa channel.

Step-by-step instructions for planting seedlings in spring

To plant blackberry seedlings in the spring you need:

Select planting material.
Find a suitable location on the site.
Fertilize the planting hole.

Selection of seedlings

You need to carefully select seedlings in the spring, since at this time sellers sell unsold autumn sprouts. It is better to use specialized stores or trusted nurseries.

Sign of a good seedling:

has several roots from 10 cm in length;
has a basal bud;
The top of the bush is double-stemmed with green leaves.

High-quality blackberry seedling

Choosing a location on the site

The nuances of choosing a location on the site:

Blackberry cuttings should be planted on a sunny, wind-protected southern or southwestern plot of land.
Blackberries do not like being near fruit plants. If there is no space on the site, plant a bush next to raspberries.
It is contraindicated to plant the plant in a place where vegetables previously grew. After them, the soil may contain a disease dangerous for garden shrubs - late blight.
It is best to plant it near a fence - there the branches will be protected from the wind and will not break.
If blackberries grow in the shade, they will have low yields. Therefore, you need to plant the cuttings a meter from the fence so that nothing blocks its sunny side. The bush will produce a good harvest in the ground without stagnant water.

Planting blackberries near the fence

Preliminary soil preparation and fertilization

You need to prepare for planting 30–40 days before the start of agrotechnical activities.

First of all, it is necessary to add the following fertilizers to the soil:

rotted manure – up to 6 kg;
potassium – up to 60 g;
phosphate – up to 150 g.

The bush will have enough nutrients in the soil for 2-3 years. Therefore, during the first three years of life, additional mineral feeding is not required.

Technology of planting seedlings

For the good growth of your plant, it is important to know how to plant blackberries correctly, otherwise the bush will not take root and will die.

Planting blackberries in the spring consistently looks like this:

Having chosen a suitable place, dig a hole, fertilize it and loosen it.
Carefully holding the seedling by the stem, cover its base, bud and root system with soil. Bury the sprout bud 1–2 cm.
Make a small ditch around the planting site to retain water when watering.
Compact the soil and water. One bush requires five to six liters of water. After 2-3 weeks, repeat the fertilizing procedure.
When the soil absorbs the liquid, start mulching. Use compost made from peat or livestock manure.
Carefully trim the shoot tip and fruit buds with pruners or scissors, leaving approximately 20 cm above the ground level.

The method of planting a plant depends on the state of the root system (it can be open or closed):

If the root system is open, then straighten the roots before covering the bush with soil.
If the root system is closed, do not shake off the soil or remove the plant from it. Before filling with soil, water the soil thoroughly with the roots.

Maintain the correct distance when digging planting holes:

for creeping and semi-creeping varieties - 2.5–3 m;
for upright growing plants - 1.5–2.5 m between seedlings.

The bush method involves planting at least two rhinestone bushes in one hole, if they have a low ability to form shoots.

Photo gallery

General scheme for planting blackberries Scheme for planting upright bushes Planting scheme for creeping and semi-cresting varieties

Possible mistakes when planting blackberry seedlings in spring

List of the most common mistakes:

Wrong choice of seedling. Blackberries have a huge list of viruses and fungi that can damage them, and often they can already be on the roots of cuttings in stores.
A common mistake is to place poles where the bush was planted, and not vice versa. First the support, then the seedlings.
Failure to maintain the distance between the bushes risks making it difficult to get close to the berries if they are densely planted. Otherwise, part of the area under the bushes will be empty unnecessarily, and the bushes will be sparse.
Incorrectly buried sprout bud. At great depths, it will not break through; at shallow depths, it will weather or dry out.

Video

You can see how the process happens in the video below. Its author is Sergei Gerasimchuk.

Blackberries can be classified as a garden crop, which, in principle, does not require special care and attention from the summer resident. In order to grow a full-fledged nutritious blackberry on your plot, it is enough to plant the plant correctly, in the right place!

If you want to start growing blackberries, the first thing that inexperienced summer residents begin to ask is when is the best time to plant the plant, and this is not in vain! The time of year in which a plant enters new soil is important and is directly related to the success of growth and fruiting.

When to plant blackberries?

The best time to plant blackberries is still considered to be spring, as soon as the soil layer warms up enough. This period provides an opportunity for weak seedlings not only to get stronger and take root sufficiently, but also to grow significantly and get used to the new soil composition. All this will make it easy to overwinter and please your owner with the first harvest next year!

Autumn planting is also possible, but in this case the summer resident must be prepared for the fact that the bulk of the seedlings will not survive this winter! This is especially true for those climatic zones where winter is very harsh and does not skimp on icy winds and frosts with little snow.

In what places is the plant planted?

If a blackberry is planted in an area that is bad for it, then it doesn’t matter what time of year it was planted - the plant will get sick in any case, even in the summer it will remain lethargic and lifeless, not producing the proper harvest and obviously not pleasing its owner! When choosing a place for the future growth of blackberry bushes, they give preference to areas heavily illuminated by the sun. Weak shady lighting will lead to the rapid stretching of young plants, which will not allow them to grow stronger, and in the future, if the blackberries overwinter without problems, the fruits will be covered with long branches, which will significantly reduce the yield, and the berries themselves will take a long time to ripen.

In order for blackberry bushes to be sufficiently prepared for winter, it is recommended to plant them only in well-fertilized soil. All modern mineral substances and organic matter obtained naturally in summer cottages are considered as fertilizers.

What exactly to add to the selected area is usually decided by summer residents on their own, taking into account the characteristics of the soil layer. They try to plant according to all the rules so as not to destroy the young weakened roots of the plant.

Insulation for the winter

Regardless of which variety of blackberries “prefers” your climate zone, generally the bushes are completely wrapped up for the winter, especially since even spring planting does not guarantee that the plant has become stronger and is completely ready for a harsh winter. The covering material allows you to protect the blackberry roots from freezing as much as possible, and it will also help preserve the part of the plant that is on the surface of the ground!

Cover young blackberries from above, bending the branches as far as possible towards the ground, with straw, a layer of fallen autumn leaves, boards, rags, or you can sprinkle with humus. It is important in early spring, as soon as the snow melts, to remove everything with which you covered the blackberry bushes and not allow the plant to disappear!