Planting blackberries in the fall: when and how to properly plant seedlings in open ground

Finally, you decided to diversify your berry lands with blackberries, right? Indeed, why not have such a tasty and healthy berry on your site, because special conditions are not needed for its cultivation (as for the same blueberry).

Next, we'll talk about when and how to plant a blackberry in the fall, what you need to take into account, as well as how to care for berry bushes in order to have a rich harvest every year.

When to plant blackberries in the fall, in what month: terms

Blackberries, like most crops, need to be planted during dormancy - in early spring or in the fall.

However, blackberries are not a very winter-hardy plant, so for her more preferable early spring landing.

By the way! Typically varieties with low winter hardiness it is recommended to plant exactly in spring (especially in cool regions), but winter-hardy - you can both in autumn and spring.

If you decide to plant blackberries in the fall, then you should have stock about a month (or at least 3-4 weeks) before the first frost, that is how much time is needed for the successful rooting of a seedling in a new place.

Thus, the approximate dates for planting blackberries in autumn, depending on the climatic features of the region, may be as follows:

• In the Middle Polos (Moscow region), blackberries begin to be planted from the beginning of September to the second half of October.
• In Siberia and the Urals - from late August to late September. As in the Northwest (in the Leningrad region).
• But in the South of Russia - not earlier than October.

According to the lunar calendar for 2021

Choose a specific date for planting seedlings can help you Moon calendar.

So, favorable days for the autumn planting of blackberries in 2021, according to the lunar calendar, are:

• in September - 19-26;
• in October - 3-13, 18-21.

Important! Of course, it is not always possible to get to the dacha on favorable days, so the main thing is not to land on unfavorable dates according to the lunar calendar - days New moons and Full Moon, as well as the period when the Moon is in Aquarius, because it is a barren and dry sign - in italics.

Unfavorable days, according to the lunar calendar for 2021, for planting blackberry seedlings in autumn, the following dates are:

• in August - 8, 20-21, 22;
• in September - 7, 16-17, 21;
• in October - 6, 13-15, 20;
• In November - 5, 10-11, 19.

How to properly plant blackberry seedlings in the fall in open ground

Varieties and varieties

Before buying blackberry seedlings, of course, first you should familiarize yourself with the varieties of culture, the most popular varieties and their characteristics.

Please note! Blackberries are a two-year crop that bears fruit on last year's shoots., in other words, it costs pay attention to the frost resistance of the variety... After all, if they (shoots) overwinter badly (freeze out), then the harvest will be very mediocre (although the plant will recover in any case).

As a rule, blackberries are classified into the following 3 groups (the most popular varieties are listed in brackets, and the most-most bold ones are highlighted in bold):

• Erect or erect (Darrow, Aghavam, Erie, Comanche, Cherokee, Ruben).
• Creeping (Loganberry (raspberry-blackberry hybrid = ezhemalina), Texas, Boysen, Thornless Evergreen, Karaka Black, Helen, Silvan, Marion, Thornfree).

Thornfree is one of the oldest and most widespread varieties, which is distinguished by its high survival rate and unpretentious care, but there are much more delicious varieties.

• Semi-creeping (Smutstem, Black Satin, Kiova (with spikes), Loch Ness, Chester, Natchez, Triple Crown, Brzezina).

Note! Wherein upright varieties, usually, always have thorns (thorns), and creeping and semi-creeping (semi-erect) - almost all studless (except for Kiova).

For planting, both 1-year-old and 2-year-old seedlings are suitable.

By the way! In the future, if you want to expand your blackberry plantations, you can easily propagate blackberries in one of the vegetative ways... For example, blackberries take root very well. the tops of the shoots (apical layers), as well as root suckers.

Pollination

Almost all modern blackberry varieties are self-fertile, and you can plant seedlings of only one variety (in other words, the culture is suitable for single-variety plantings).

Advice! However, if you want increase fruit setthen not bad somehow attract to your site pollinating insects (bees, bumblebees), or even better plant different varieties for cross-pollination.

Seat selection

For planting blackberries, it is advisable to choose plot on the southern or southeastern slope (elevation). In other words, a place should be lit and well warmed up (even if it will be scattered sunlight, i.e. light partial shade), while protected from the northern drying winds (for example, some kind of structure or trees, dense green spaces).

Important! Low-lying areas where moisture stagnates (precipitation is collected after the spring thaw of snow), categorically not suitable for planting, as well as shady places. For abundant fruiting, you need a sufficient amount of light and heat.

Suitable soil

Blackberries are relatively demanding on the composition, structure and fertility of the soil.

Ideally, the soil should be sufficient fertile (rich in organic matter, humus), sandy loam or else better loamy (light or medium loam), well-drained (moisture-absorbing)... And groundwater should lie no closer than 1.5 m from the soil surface.

The fact is that the blackberry root system can go to a depth of up to 1.5 meters, which is why more moisture-absorbing loams are optimal soils.

Soil acidity should be at the level pH 5.7-6.5... In other words, slightly acidic or close to neutral reaction.

Note! Blackberries are for you not blueberrywhich requires acidic soil (pH 3.5-4.5).

And blackberries are also very sensitive to soil salinity (chlorides, sulfates), and the culture also does not tolerate increased
the content of calcium carbonate in the soil (in other words, alkaline soil, i.e. pH above 7).

How to improve the fertility and structure of the soil: how to fill the planting holes

Obviously, organic and mineral fertilizers should be applied based on the degree of fertility, structure and acidity of your soil:

• So, if you have soil insufficiently nutritious and loose, then you need to bring more to the landing pits organic fertilizers (compost, humus).
• If the soil is excessive heavy and clayey — sand and peat.

Advice! If you have the opportunity (margin of time), then it would be nice to increase soil fertility and improve structure sow green manure (optimally mustard and phacelia).

• If the soil too acidicthen make more wood ash or dolomite flour. If, on the contrary, alkaline - high sour peat, sulfur.

Advice! If you do not know the acidity of your soil, then be sure to measure it in one of the ways, and then adjust (change) in the desired direction.

Concerning the sizes of planting holes for blackberries, then it is optimal to dig holes 30-40 centimeters deep and 30-40 cm wide (diameter).

If you bought a seedling with a closed root system (ZKS), then you just need to make a hole 2-3 times larger than the container.

By the way! remember, that blackberries do not like roots getting wet, which means that if you have clay soil, then you definitely need to make drainage (pour sand, expanded clay), i.e. dig a hole deeper (40-50 cm).

Accordingly, the following components should be added to the landing pit (depending on the need):

• the top layer of fertile soil (which will remain after digging a hole);
• humus (rotted manure) or compost;
• sand, peat;
• potash and phosphate fertilizers.

Mineral: superphosphate (30-40 grams) and potassium sulfate (20-30 grams). Or just 40-50 grams of diammophoska (or nitroammophoska).

Organic analogues: 100-200 grams of bone meal (phosphorus), 100-200 grams wood ash (potassium).

Mix everything thoroughly, and also additionally prepare a soil mixture of humus (compost) and garden soil, in order to subsequently fill it with a seedling.

Interesting! It is believed that it is better not to apply mineral fertilizers before planting, but to start feeding them only when the culture begins to bear fruit.

Landing scheme

The optimal planting scheme for blackberries depends on the nature of the branching and the method of forming the blackberry bushes. As a rule, the distance between blackberry seedlings in a row is 2-3 meters, and between rows - 1-1.5 m.

Important! You must understand that blackberries are very actively growing shoots, which is why the distance between plants should be sufficient so that the shoots can be conveniently placed on the trellis.

Landing rules (step-by-step guide)

Step-by-step instructions for planting blackberry seedlings in autumn:

If you have seedlings with an open root system (OCS), then before direct planting, it is recommended to dip their roots in a clay mash.

Closed root
(in a container) - be sure to water one day before disembarkation.

• It is advisable to plant it already in moist soil, which means that the soil should be spilled abundantly with water (soaked in moisture) in advance.
• Optimal planting depth - the root collar should be at ground level or 2-3 cm lower (on light soils, 5-7cm deepening is permissible).

If the plant is too deep or planted too high, then it will develop slowly, root suckers will appear out of time, it is also possible that the roots dry out in the heat in summer and freeze in winter.

• If you have a seedling with an open root system (ACS), then you should first pour a small mound from the garden soil, and then spread the roots to the sides.

If the seedling is in a container (with ZKS), then it is planted on a flat surface, keeping an earthen lump.

• Now you need to sprinkle the seedling with fertile soil (without fertilizers) and be sure to compact the soil around the roots.
• Water to fill the voids between the roots and the ground.
• Optionally, you can mulch the trunk circle with peat, compost or sawdust a layer of 2-3 cm.

Video: how to plant blackberry seedlings in the fall with ZKS (closed root system)

 

Interesting! In some sources, you can find advice that after planting, the blackberry seedling should be pruned... However, this procedure is only necessary if the seedling is 2 years old and has long shoots (more than 20-30 cm).

Post-plant care and rules for the further cultivation of blackberries in the open field

What is good about the autumn planting is that it does not require almost any post-planting care from you (as opposed to spring), although something must be done (we are talking about shelter). Unless you will need to lightly water the seedlings a couple of times (in no case overflow!), If autumn does not please with rains, and the weather is dry and hot.

Important! Because blackberries do not have high frost resistance, then before stable frosts (not only night, but also daytime), young seedlings should shelter (for example, 2 layers of spunbond).

Basic rules for the care and cultivation of blackberries:

Worth knowing! Caring for blackberries is not much different from caring for raspberries, but there are certain nuances.

• Blackberries require a sufficient amount of moisture, in other words, watering should be regular but moderate. As you remember, blackberries cannot stand waterlogging.
• Also follows loosen the soilso that an earth crust does not form, and the roots of the plant can breathe normally and receive nutrition.
• Fight weedsby spending weeding.

Advice! If you grind their plantings (literally 2-3 cm with peat, humus or sawdust), you will not need to water and loosen so often. mulch will retain moisture well and also prevent weeds from forming.

• Feed.

In spring - nitrogen fertilizers (or complex, such as nitroammofoska), and in summer after fruiting and in autumn - phosphorus-potassium).

• Usually, blackberries are almost not affected by diseases and pests, which means that it does not require preventive (protective) treatments.
• For growing blackberries, it is necessary need support, on which the shoots will lie, more precisely, you will tie them up in the summer as you grow. Moreover, the design of the trellis should be solid.
• In this case, the blackberry bush should consist of 4-6 main fruiting shoots (maximum - up to 7-8).

The fact is that the root system of a plant cannot provide food for a large amount of shoots and fruits. Otherwise, you simply have fewer replacement shoots, which may not yet ripen before hibernation (which means, most likely, they will freeze out).

• Respectively, after harvest (autumn) and / or in spring you should be sure to prune your blackberries annually. Also, to increase the yield, pinching, pinching or chasing shoots (removal of the tops of the shoots) is used, aimed at awakening the lateral buds and better branching (the formation of lateral shoots).

Blackberries grow very strongly and aggressively, so your main task is to control their growth = timely pruning.

• As you know, the aboveground part of the blackberry is less winter-hardy than that of raspberries, therefore, in the Middle zone (Moscow region) and in other cold regions (in the Urals and Siberia) it follows be sure to cover for the winter.

By the way! The site has a separate material about how to properly prepare blackberries for winter (including how to cut them and what to cover).

• And in the spring as soon as possible take cover and spend sanitary pruning.

Well, now you know that in order to successfully grow blackberries and get stable and bountiful yields, you just need to choose the right variety, plant it correctly, and then provide good and competent care.

Video: blackberries - planting and care (pruning), all the secrets of a large harvest