In a cultivated form, wild berry blackberries can be increasingly seen in gardening in European countries, although this berry is not as popular as its closest relative, raspberries. In our climatic conditions, either blackberry bluish is also grown, also known as “burn”, as well as “kumanika” - a bushy species. This berry is most popular in America, where it is cultivated on an industrial scale and then exported around the world.

Blackberry Care Features

First of all, it should be said that all varieties of blackberries are traditionally divided into such groups:

1. Usual - the bushes have spikes, pubescence is observed on the leaves, the berries are most similar to forest blackberries.
   

2. Bearless - varieties in which, as a result of cultivation, there are no thorns on the branches. Such plants bear fruit well.
   

3. Repairing - varieties that can produce crops twice a year, depending on the climatic conditions of cultivation. Some of them have good frost resistance and can be grown in regions with a significant decrease in temperatures in the winter.
   

Drupe will grow well and bring a good harvest if:

• plant it in a sunny area, where it will receive enough lighting and solar heat;
• the soil will be fertile and moist.

Read also what gets along with and what the blackberry on the plot is incompatible with.

Plain

The cultivation and care of blackberries is very similar to raspberries, but the black berry bushes grow more intensively and can ruin the planting of raspberry plantations, so it is not recommended to plant them nearby.

Garden varieties of berries require watering, fertilizing, weed removal, soil care, loosening and mulching.

As the plant develops rapidly, it needs to provide sufficient nutrition that it receives from the soil. Young bushes should be abundantly watered in the spring, and fruiting ones should be fed with urea.

You might also be interested in finding information about a variety of Repairless BlackBerry Prime Arc Freedom.

Remontant

Varieties of this type may have slight differences in the timing of the harvest, the shape of the fruit and their taste. To obtain it, the bushes require a pincing procedure, which will be described in more detail later in the article. Such a blackberry tolerates wintering well, thanks to the peculiarities of caring for the bushes in the winter.

It is important to know that in the first year after planting, repair bushes do not bring crops.

So, last year's shoots, overwintering in shelter, can bear fruit in June, and the shoots of this year will begin to produce crops in August. Repairing varieties do not grow to the sides, the bushes have a compact upright appearance, reaching a height of up to 2 m. Such a blackberry is very demanding on watering and does not like drought, the soil under the bush should maintain constant moisture.

Care for a repair blackberry

The vast majority of repairing varieties are self-fertile - this means that they do not need pollinating neighbors to obtain high yields, but their presence can affect the taste of the fruit. That's why gardeners recommend planting several different bushes nearby. Planting is carried out, as a rule, according to the 2 × 2 m scheme, if these are separately growing plants, or with a strip with an interval of 0.5 m and a distance between rows of 2 m for the convenience of harvesting.

Learn more about planting blackberries in the spring.

Summer watering and top dressing taking into account maintenance

Repairing varieties prefer organic top dressing, so before planting, the soil dug from the planting pit is mixed with the following nutrients:

• humus or rotted manure: 25–40 l;
• wood ash: 1 l.

After preparation of the nutrient substrate, it is returned back to the pit, previously covered with a waterproof material. For mature bushes, it is recommended to fertilize the earth in the garden every spring, after the soil has warmed up a bit.

In this case, it is correct to loosen the soil, after which under each bush make:

• humus: 10-15 l;
• rotted manure: 10-15 l;
• dry nitrogen fertilizers: 15–20 g.

After flowering is completed, it is necessary to add potassium to the soil in a dry form at the rate of 30–35 g per plant, you can also prepare liquid top dressing by diluting the indicated amount of the substance in a bucket of water. It contributes to the appearance of ovary on the bushes.

Important! Potassium chloride can not be used, since blackberries do not tolerate its effect.

Proper irrigation consists in observing the principle of the "golden mean": the crop loves water and moist soil, which contribute to its vegetation, however, in case of excess moisture and waterlogging of the site, the rhizome of the shrub can rot and the plant will die. In order to increase the duration of moisture conservation in the soil, it is mulched after each irrigation. The mulch layer should be about 5–7 cm. Watering should be plentiful so that the earth absorbs moisture at a depth of 50–60 cm. It is produced once a week.

For garden irrigation you can use:

• sprinkling method reminiscent of natural rainfall;
• drip irrigation, which helps maintain moisture and reduces water costs.

In summer, watering the place of growth of bushes should be more often, every 2-3 days, since hot weather reduces soil moisture. When the berries begin to ripen, they also require enhanced watering, for which it is not recommended to use cold water. For irrigation in the country, a barrel is installed, in which rainwater is collected or plumbing is defended for 1-2 days. Such a container is best placed in the sun, which will warm the water before watering.

Trimming and bush formation

The planting of blackberries should be ennobled in accordance with agricultural technology. So, to get an earlier harvest, it is recommended to remove all side shoots, leaving only the main and strongest. With this type of normalization, 6-8 pieces are left. The stem of the repair bush is shortened in the fall at the level of 1.6–1.8 m.

In spring, it is necessary to trim stems and tops damaged after wintering.

Garter

The use of a vertical support for a blackberry garter allows not only to cultivate planting, but also to improve the conditions for growing berries. The bush receives more solar heat, respectively, the berries ripen faster and improve their taste.

The trellis is set in advance, before planting the plants in the row-spacing, so the distance in the row between the bushes should be 0.7–0.8 m, and between the rows - twice as much.

In the future, when the shoots reach a certain level, they must be fixed to the support.

On the driven supports they wind the wire in 3 rows at the level of:

• 40 cm from the ground;
• 80 cm;
• 120 cm

Did you know? In the landscape design of garden plots, the repairing varieties of blackberries can successfully fulfill the role of a beautiful and fragrant decor, since their flowering period lasts from mid-spring to late autumn. The culture pleases with large white flowers measuring 7–8 cm.

Pest and Disease Control

Repairing varieties due to the fact that they are grown most often on a trellis, do not come in contact with the ground and are well blown by the wind, and have a low tendency to diseases. In rare cases, the plant may be susceptible to anthracnose and rust.

Wintering

Repairing varieties do not require complex preparation of the bush for wintering, since it consists in the maximum pruning of plant stems as close to the soil as possible. The near-stem circle is cleaned of weeds, fallen leaves, after which it is abundantly mulched, creating a layer of 10-12 cm. This method is called a one-year cycle. You can leave the bush to winter without pruning, then the existing shoots are removed from the trellis and, tying them into bunches of several pieces, they are laid on the ground.

Video: Shelter of a blackberry for the winter

When choosing this method of wintering, it is necessary to carefully examine all the stems in order to exclude possible damage by insects. If symptoms of pest activity were detected, then this stem must be cut to the point of growth, after which the damaged processes are removed and burned. The remaining wintering stems are tightly covered with breathable material. When choosing this method of wintering for a bush, there is a risk of freezing of the aerial parts in the case of a harsh winter.

Caring for an ordinary blackberry

Grow blackberry garden (ordinary) should be subject to the following conditions:

• timely fertilizer application;
• watering;
• necessary bush formation, sanitary pruning;
• preparation for wintering.

Summer watering, top dressing

The roots of the plant are at great depths, so watering should be done in such a volume that the plant receives enough moisture. It is worth noting that non-repairing varieties can be called drought tolerant, but the absence of watering should not last long, since it can significantly affect crop growth and bush development. It is also worth considering the fact that excessive watering is not recommended, since finding the roots in very wet soil for a long time can cause them to rot.

Important! The first 2-3 years after planting a seedling on a garden plot, the blackberry bush is not fertilized, because the young plant has enough stock of nutrients introduced into the soil during planting, and an excess of fertilizer can harm it.

Fertilizing work should be carried out in early spring, while the trunk circle is abundantly mulched with rotted manure, compost, urea, or ammonium nitrate is applied, creating a layer of 5-7 cm. The application of nitrogen fertilizers will accelerate the growth of annual shoots. To do this, dig a depression of 10-15 cm deep and add 45-50 g of ammonium nitrate per 1 plant. Further feeding is carried out with an interval of 3-4 years at the end of the harvest.

In the soil make on 1 m²:

• humus or compost: 10 kg;
• superphosphate: 100 g;
• potassium sulfate: 30 g.

Frequency of summer watering

During the period when the summer heat is, moisture from the surface of the leaves and from the soil evaporates much faster, so the plant requires more attention and watering should be done often. It is optimal to produce it not once a week, but every 2-3 days. During rainy summers, watering is less common. To preserve moisture, it is necessary to mulch the surface of the earth in the near-stem circle.

Learn more about how to effectively care for blackberries in spring.

Feature of feeding in the summer

During fruiting, the bush also needs nutrients. The introduction of complex preparations will positively affect the growth of the mass of berries.

To do this, you can use solution irrigation:

• potassium;
• phosphorus;
• nitrogen.

It is recommended to fertilize already watered soil, which will allow useful substances to penetrate the soil as much as possible.

Potassium solution can increase the yield and bring a tasty crop, for the preparation of which it is necessary to take:

• potassium sulfate: 2 tbsp. l .;
• water: 10 l.

A liquid of 6–7 l is poured under each plant.

We advise you to learn more about how best to transplant blackberries in spring.

Pest and Disease Control

Blackberry shrubs are immune to many diseases characteristic of berry bushes . For the prevention of many diseases, irrigation with 1% Bordeaux liquid is used. An excellent preventive measure is also the removal of fallen sheets and weeding of the trunk circle.

The fruitful life of a bush can be overshadowed by:

• chlorosis - with a lack of magnesium and iron in the soil;
  

• rust - which affects the stems and foliage of the bush with a lack of moisture in the soil;
  

• Anthracnose - a fungal disease characteristic exclusively for raspberries and blackberries;
  

• purple spotting - which may appear in the case of severe thickening of bushes and high humidity;
  

• Septoria or white spotting - which occurs as a result of increased air humidity.
  

Sometimes on home bushes of a blackberry you may notice :

• raspberry beetles, if raspberry bushes grow nearby;
• shoot aphid ;
• weevils .

To remove insect pests, the plants are treated during the growing season with the help of special preparations.

Trimming and bush formation

Pruning berry plantations should be carried out:

• in the spring;
• summer;
• in the fall.

Spring is the time for sanitary pruning and bush formation, when damaged, withered shoots and shoots after wintering are cut off, underdeveloped are removed, and too long processes are shortened. Frozen stems must be cut to the level with green cambium on the cut. On average, 4–6 main stems should be on the blackberry bush.

In late spring and early summer for blackberries, it is recommended to carry out the pincing procedure, which involves the systematic trimming of the tops of shoots when they reach 8-10 cm. Such an agricultural method stimulates branch growth and productivity.

If the length of the lateral processes exceeds 50 cm, pinch the tops on them. Weakened branches are also removed.

In the first summer month, it is necessary to prune annual plants and annual growths on old bushes to stimulate the appearance of fruit buds on the lateral branches from which the bulk of the crop is harvested.

The fruiting of garden blackberries occurs on two-year-old shoots, which, after harvesting, must be cut to the root with a garden tool and burned. This procedure is part of the fall pruning. In addition, during the preparation of the plant for wintering, damaged and weak branches are removed, and annual stems are shortened to a length of 1.4–1.5 m to stimulate their growth in the next season. The formation of the crown of blackberries allows you to optimally exploit the garden, as well as turn the blackberry bush into an element of landscape design.

For those who like to decorate the garden, it is important to know that the formation can be:

• single - sided fan - the method is optimal for plants with a slow growing season;
• double-sided fan - optimal for shrubs.

We offer you to get acquainted with the main diseases and pests of blackberries.

Garter

The garter of the plant is necessary so that the bush develops correctly in an upright position. It is worth noting that the propagation of blackberry bushes occurs by rooting the tops of the shoots, and in the absence of garter branches of the bush to the trellis, long processes can touch to root independently when the ground touches, and then the garden plot can turn into impenetrable prickly thickets.

As a support, trellises are most often used - vertical guides between which threads or wire are stretched at different levels. Strong vertical posts should have a height of 1.8–2 m, horizontal guides for growing blackberries are set at a height of 0.5 m, 1 m and 1.7 m. Garter branches to horizontal supports occur as the stems grow.

Trellis cultivation has these advantages:

• all berries receive more light and ripen successfully;
• the bush is well blown by the wind, which prevents the appearance of many pests and diseases;
• the convenience of harvesting from a thorny bush, since all the berries are better visible and you do not need to climb inside the bush, where there is a risk of being injured on thorns in order to get the fruits.

To place the bush on a trellis, you can use various methods:

• fan;
• weaving;
• vertical formation;
• bush formation.

Read also when to remove winter shelter from a blackberry.

Wintering

Many varieties of berries have low frost resistance, so they need to be prepared qualitatively for the onset of cold weather. First of all, it is necessary to make autumn pruning, which has already been talked about. Next, the stems of the bush should be removed from the trellis and connected into a bunch, and if the branches are long, then they are wound into a ring. Then the branches are carefully laid on the ground, so as to prevent their deformation and breaks. From above, the stems can be covered with a board or fixed to the ground using clamps.

To shelter a bush, you can use:

• hay or dry leaves;
• vegetable tops;
• sawdust;
• roofing material;
• humus or peat;
• spandbond;
• burlap or rags.

The warming procedure must be carried out before the onset of frost.

Common Mistakes in Blackberry Care

To grow these healthy berries, you must follow the basic rules of care, as well as the correct choice of site for planting. Failure to comply with certain norms can lead to impaired growth and fruiting of the bush.

You may be interested in information on how to use blackberry leaves for medicinal purposes.

If the blackberry does not bear fruit

The reason for the lack of fruits can be such factors:

• poor shelter of the bush in winter and, as a result, freezing of fruiting, last year's stems or flower buds;
• lack of flower buds on the vine, which prevents the appearance of flowering on other branches;
• incorrect pruning of the bush, removal of biennial stems that bear fruit.

If the blackberry does not grow or grows poorly

Causes of poor bush growth can be:

• violation of agricultural techniques of planting and cultivation;
• improper fertilizer application;
• violation of watering.

For example, an excessive amount of moisture in the soil leads to a lack of oxygen, which must be supplied to the rhizome for its normal growth and ensure the vital functions of the bush. This can lead to stunted growth and reduced productivity.

Did you know? Ремонтантные сорта ежевики могут иметь довольно компактный вид, поэтому некоторые садоводы практикуют высаживать кусты в портативные кадки и вёдра, которые в период наступления холодов можно успешно перенести в тепличное помещение или в зимний сад, продлив период плодоношения кустов.

Не вызревают ягоды

Такая ситуация может возникнуть в результате нарушения условий выращивания:

• нехватки света, выращивания сильно загущенных насаждений;
• недостатка влаги и удобрений.

Традиционно созревание урожая длится примерно месяц, однако если растение не получает достаточного количества питательных веществ или происходит длительное отсутствие полива, то завязавшиеся ягоды могут замедлить или вовсе остановить своё развитие. Такая же ситуация может наблюдаться при условии посадки кустов ежевики в междурядьях, возле густых деревьев или очень близко к забору, где растение будет испытывать нехватку солнечного света.

Choosing a place to land

Высаживать ежевику следует на участках:

• со стороны юга или юга-запада;
• с хорошим доступом солнечного света, поскольку тень будет стимулировать рост стеблей и уменьшение размера и вкусовых качеств плодов;
• защищённых от сильных порывов ветра, где в качестве укрытия может выступать забор, от которого следует отступить не менее 1 м, чтобы не нарушить доступ солнца к растению;
• с залеганием грунтовых вод на глубине не выше 1, 5 м, чтобы не допустить заболоченности грунта и длительного пребывания корневища во влажном грунте.

Lighting and humidity

Участок для посадки чёрной ягоды должен быть хорошо освещённым, он должен прогреваться солнцем и быть в укрытии от северных, холодных порывов ветра. Если куст растёт в полутени, срок созревания плодов задерживается на неделю. Стоит также знать, что длительный период зноя, когда температура летом превышает показатель в +30°C, может негативно сказаться на плодоношении ежевики: у ремонтантных сортов вторая волна цветения может происходить менее активно, а ягоды могут стать мельче.

Ежевика любит влажный, но не переувлажнённый грунт, поэтому необходимо сохранять меру в процессе ухода за растением, а также высаживать кустарник с мощным и глубоко растущим корневищем на таких участках сада или склонах холмов, где отсутствует близкое залегание грунтовых вод.

Почва для ежевики

Земля для культивирования ягод должна обладать такими свойствами:

• быть питательной;
• с хорошим дренажем;
• обладать хорошей аэрацией;
• умеренно влажная.

Кислотность почвы должна быть со слабой или нейтральной реакцией (рН 5, 5–6, 5).

Important! Нежелательно соседство ежевики с такими ягодными культурами, как земляника, малина и клубника, поскольку они имеют схожих вредителей и заболевания.

Это может быть суглинок или супесчаная почва. Не подходят для выращивания ежевики :

• участки с камнями;
• болотистые местности;
• песчаные участки.

Лесная ежевика на участке

Дикая ягода обычно растёт в лесах, чаще всего её можно встретить в северном полушарии на открытых, хорошо освещённых полянах, на берегах ручьёв и озёр, где кустарник не испытывает недостатка влаги. Ежевика растёт не отдельно стоящими кустами, а образует заросли. Благодаря наличию колючек у дикого вида, это может служить непреодолимой преградой для человека в лесу.

Лесная ягода обладает более выраженным вкусом и имеет более насыщенный витаминный состав, чем окультуренные виды садовой ежевики. Попытки перенести дикие кусты на садовые участки могут быть успешными при условии сохранения лесного грунта с того места, где был выкопан куст в естественной среде произрастания.

Выращивание ремонтантной и садовой ежевики имеет свои особенности, а её урожайность во многом зависит от правильного выбора места посадки и соответствующего ухода за кустом. Соблюдение правильной агротехники позволит получить обильный урожай этой полезной ягоды.