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How to prune and shape a blackberry bush

Blackberry pruning is an essential part of plant care. Thanks to him, you can form a beautiful bush and get a lot of delicious berries. About when and how to prune a plant, you will learn from the article.

Is it necessary, when and how to trim a blackberry

Blackberry pruning is a condition that must be observed if you want to improve the quality of the crop. Considering that only two-year-old shoots bear fruit, it is necessary to remove the old branches so that all the forces of the bush go to the growth of new ones.

It is necessary to form a plant twice a year. Thanks to this, you will not only improve the growth of shrubs, but also carry out the prevention of diseases and pests. Insects or fungi remain on the diseased shoots, which can then damage healthy shrubs.

Spring, summer, autumn pruning: advantages and disadvantages

Cutting blackberries is best in spring and autumn. Spring removal of shoots is necessary for the formation of branches that will bear fruit. To do this, cut out the parts that died during the winter, and shorten the old shoots. In the summer, you need to trim only diseased or insect-affected branches.

Important! In spring, pruning of shoots is carried out before the swelling of the buds, and in the fall - after harvesting.

The main function of the autumn pruning is to remove the shoots that have already proclaimed. It can be both young, but thin and weak, and parts of the bush that are sick and damaged by pests.

Cropping technology

Shrub pruning has a simple technology that even a beginner gardener can handle.

The timing

The formation of shrubs in the spring is carried out from May to June. This will help shape healthier and stronger shoots. In the fall, pruning is carried out after fruiting and harvesting.

Ways

In addition to completely cutting off the shoots, you can make tweezing, which contributes to the lateral branching of the bush. To do this, from those branches that have reached a length of 1 m, cut 10-15 cm, and from the side - 40-50 cm. This technique will help increase the number of branches and stimulate the appearance of new buds.

Blackberry pruning pattern

Each type of bush has its own pruning scheme. The main difference is to correctly arrange the old and young branches and leave the required number of shoots.

Did you know? In ancient times, a decoction of leaves and branches of blackberries, cut before September 29, was used for rituals to attract money.

For upright

Form an upright blackberry according to this scheme:

In the spring, the bush is installed on the trellis.
Young shoots are tied to the bottom wire, and the old ones are placed in the center.
Delete all dead branches.
When the new shoots are extended, you need to select 8-10 the strongest, cut off the rest.
Shorten the young branches by a quarter, place them on the ground in the shape of a sun

After that, the plant is sheltered for the winter.

For creeping

Climbing shrubs are less frost-resistant, so it is important to pay special attention to spring pruning. It is necessary to cut off the damaged parts of the shrub, as they will not bear fruit. To make it easier to care for the blackberry and harvest, you need to select 10 branches, and cut the rest. We recommend you read when to remove winter shelter from a blackberry. You need to do this in the spring, because during the summer they will become stiff, and it will be harder to trim. In the autumn, all old branches are removed, and among the youngest you need to choose the 10 strongest. The rest - cut to the root.

After winter, the branches are wound in a spiral on the wire to the left. Young shoots - similarly, but to the right. So the stems will weave in different directions, which facilitates harvesting and pruning.

For a refurbished look

Repairing varieties are easiest to prune. Before winter, cut off the entire surface of the blackberry and cover for the winter. In the spring, the plant will give new shoots that will bring crops in the same year.

For studless

Depending on the type of shrub, the studless bush is trimmed as described in the pattern of forming an erect or creeping plant. In addition, the non-spiny shrub is much easier to unravel after the winter. Did you know? There is an ancient belief according to which you can get rid of all diseases. To do this, on a sunny day, crawl under the branches of a blackberry from east to west and then back.

How to shorten the stems

Cut the shoots by ¼, which will help to form strong ovaries, which as a result will bring a good harvest. Cut the shoots immediately above the kidney, without leaving a hemp, so that the part that remains does not start to dry. For pruning, use a garden pruner, sharp scissors or a knife (always sanitized).

Video: blackberry cropping

How to draw a blackberry, rationing the number of shoots

When normalizing plants, you need to leave a certain number of shoots. For upright bushes, the optimal amount is 3-4, for creeping - 5-7.

Important! Bushes with a large number of shoots give a smaller yield, since all the forces go to the growth of branches, and not to bear fruit. Over time, you can thicken the bush, but then you have to improve the care of the blackberry in order to get a good harvest.

The formation of a bush of the first and second year of growth

It is best to arrange the bush when planting. To do this, they put him on a support, which will show the direction of growth. After the appearance of the kidneys, weak shoots are cut out and those on which the least flowers are tied.

A two-year-old shrub is pruned after the crop is harvested. Branches with fruit were cut. The blackberry bush should not be very large so that the shoots do not interfere with each other's growth.

Specific care after trimming

After the autumn pruning, you need to prepare the blackberry for winter. To do this, it is fertilized and covered with agrofibre. Spring pruning is characterized by the fact that after it you need to place a shrub on a trellis and take care of the plant as usual.