Proper pruning of blackberries in the fall. How to prune blackberry bushes correctly

Blackberries are a fastidious shrub that requires careful care throughout the growing season. It is customary to remove branches from a bush in early spring before the first leaves appear, as well as after harvesting the last harvest before the onset of night frosts. To prevent pruning blackberries in the spring for beginners or in the fall from becoming problematic, you need to arm yourself with the simplest agrotechnical knowledge.

Autumn work in the garden

Blackberries belong to the fruit-bearing shrubs of the Rosaceae family. Its crown consists of young annual and lignified biennial shoots. In erect and creeping species berry ovaries are formed on overwintered branches, and in remontant varieties - on all.

The maximum fruiting period of the stem is 1 season. Old branches that are more than 2 years old must be pruned.

Otherwise, the tangled crown will make harvesting difficult, and the old growth will be pulled back when it dies. maximum amount nutrients, significantly slowing down the process of fruit formation. Some farmers doubt whether blackberries should be pruned in the spring. It is worth assuring them that shoots are removed twice a season: before buds open and in the fall. Spring pruning allows you to increase the yield and vegetation of the plant.

Is it possible to prune blackberries in May or early June?

Gardeners often ask this question, because the bush begins to bloom in June, and fruit ovaries form only in mid-summer. It is preferable to form early ripening blackberry bushes in early April, pruning late ripening varieties acceptable at the end of spring. Shoots damaged by frost and deformed by the wind are cut off from the bushes. If after this there are more than 8 branches left on the bush, gardeners choose the strongest and strongest of them.

Ideally, the crown should consist of 6-7 overwintered shoots and young growth.

Fruiting will occur on last year's shoots, and the young shoots that will form in the current season will bear fruit next summer.

Video with a story about spring pruning.

Autumn pruning after fruiting

In the fall, all last year's branches and those damaged by insects are cut off at the root. There should be no stumps left at the site of the layering. They, like dead shoots, will draw forces onto themselves and slow down the development of the bush. From the new growth in the fall after fruiting, the strongest stems are selected, no more than 8-10 pieces. For upright varieties, they must be shortened by 1/4 of the total length.

For upright varieties the best option– 4-5 young shoots, for creeping shoots – 8-10. You can add 1-2 branches to the indicated quantity for insurance. After winter shelter some may get damaged.

The dates for autumn haircuts are September or October. Work is carried out after harvesting. Both spring and autumn pruning. It is not recommended to skip one of these procedures, since an untidy crown can cause the death of the entire fruit-bearing perennial.

Sprout Removal Tools

The bark of most cultivated species of blackberries and wild plants is studded with large thorns and prickly bristles. It complicates gardening work and requires special equipment. The shoot removal kit includes the following tools:

  • pruner;
  • lopper (for neglected bushes with telescopic handles);
  • rarely - a garden saw.

The gardener will need protective gloves, sleeves and a rubberized apron. The cut areas are treated with garden varnish.

Pruning different types of blackberries

To know how to properly prune blackberries, you need to have information about the structure and type of its crown. Modern botany knows more than 200 varieties of blackberries. Classifying plants by crown type, farmers distinguish the following plant varieties:

  • erect;
  • creeping;
  • remontant.

Each of these species prefers a specific pruning pattern.

Scheme for erect species

The formation of a blackberry bush is carried out using a trellis. A trellis is a lattice structure onto which branches are attached in strictly in the prescribed manner. Garden twine, plumbing clamps, and special elastic bands can be used as fasteners.

Spring plant:

  • inspect for the presence of deformed branches;
  • if frozen, broken or infected stems are detected, remove them with pruning shears;
  • the remaining overwintered shoots are collected in a bunch and fixed on a trellis vertically, at a short distance from each other;
  • young layers are bent to the lower slats and fixed in this position with the help of a twine.

In autumn by the bush:

  • remove two-year-old shoots located in the center of the crown;
  • Among the young cuttings, 7-10 of the strongest are selected, the rest are cut off at the root;
  • the selected stems are cut by ¼ and the cut areas are treated with garden varnish.

Scheme for creeping species

For creeping shrubs, string trellises are used, which gardeners can make themselves from slats and wire. To properly prune a creeping blackberry bush, you need to know which branches are overwintered. For this, during spring work necessary:

  • fasten all overwintered branches to the trellis in one direction (one shoot for each string);
  • Young shoots, as they grow and develop, are secured in the opposite direction according to the same principle;
  • thin out the growth under the bush.

How to act in the first years of growth is demonstrated in the figure.

Agricultural technology in the early years

In summer, creeping blackberries are thinned out and pruned as the young shoots grow. Otherwise, the thick, tangled crown will stop bearing fruit and begin to die.

Autumn pruning scheme:


After this, the plant is prepared for wintering, taking into account its varietal characteristics. For shrubs with thorns, dig a shallow trench and place tied bunches in it. Thornless varieties are spread along the bottom of the hole and insulated with agrofibre.

Scheme for renovation type

The achievement of modern selection is the remontant blackberry - a type of shrub whose shoots bear fruit in the year of their appearance. Autumn pruning for remontant blackberries consists of several stages:

  1. Removing the entire crown at the root.
  2. Filling the hole with insulation. Sawdust, green manure, and straw can be used as mulch.
  3. Covering the hole with agrofibre or spruce branches.

In spring, the hole is dug out and moistened with water. Strong new growth that will appear is secured to the trellis using plumbing clamps. The tops of long blackberry shoots are pinched.

Video about the rules of autumn haircuts.

The correct position of the shoots ensures proper aeration of the crown and free access to the crop. In this regard, the gardener must ensure that:

  • branches on the trellis were located at a distance of 30 cm from each other;
  • there were no more than 5-8 fruiting shoots;
  • the length of the shoot did not exceed 1.5-2 m;
  • the bush was on sunny side plot.

If there is not enough space in the local area and the fruit perennial grows in the shade, its stems stretch up to 4 m. This has a bad effect on the harvest and poses a risk of freezing in winter period. To avoid these consequences, gardeners cut the shoots to 1.5-2 m. As an additional light source, reflective aluminum shields are placed on the sunny side of the site, the light from which will be directed towards the blackberries. If you follow these rules, you can collect 1.5-2 buckets of healthy berries from a bush per season.

Two years ago I picked a couple of blackberry seedlings and, joyfully, planted them on my plot. In the first year there were no fruits at all, but in the second year I harvested 1 small sour berry. I was very upset then and decided to figure out what I was doing wrong.

I registered on several sites where gardeners share their growing experiences. garden crops, as well as blackberries. To be honest, I was surprised: it turns out that blackberries need to be pruned annually, starting from the 1st year of cultivation.

I had to look detailed information about how this pruning is done so as not to harm the plant. Now the blackberry harvest is regular. I will describe in detail what I found.

Blackberries are an undemanding crop, since at first this crop was growing wild. In its natural environment, it prefers to grow in damp areas, and thanks to its powerful roots that go very deep into the soil, it does not suffer from lack of moisture all summer.

But in artificially created conditions, in order to enjoy fragrant fruits every summer, blackberries will have to be given maximum attention. This applies not only to the soil and its systematic moistening. It is important to prune it annually for winter. The procedure gives strength to the roots, thereby strengthening the shoots.

When starting to prune blackberries in the fall, you need to study in detail the nuances and rules so as not to harm them. You will also need dexterity so as not to accidentally cut off healthy fruit-bearing shoots and, if caught, not to get hurt on its thorns. It's good that you can find the information you need on the Internet. step by step instructions how best to do this.

Timing of pruning

It is impossible to say exactly when old shoots should be cut off, but best time for this it is the end of the harvest season. For example, if the berries are gone at the end of August, pruning of the bushes should be done in the same month.

Don’t forget about the climate zone in which the crop grows, and 3-4 weeks before the first big frost ( experienced gardeners It is advised, for example, to prune remontant blackberries only after the first light frost).

Why is pruning important in the fall?

Blackberries are fruit-bearing plants with a two-year fruiting cycle. It turns out that the first summer you need to grow the crop and cover it for the winter in the fall. It blooms in the spring of the second year, and finally bears a harvest in the summer.

The shoots that bear fruit will no longer bear fruit. For this reason, systematic removal of two-year-old shoots is so important. Otherwise, the woody shoots will interfere with the development of young shoots. The fruits will be sour and small.

Pruning blackberries is a labor-intensive process that is still carried out regularly. It is advisable to prune or trim unnecessary blackberry branches with a clean and sharp tool.

Blackberries are usually divided into varieties: upright - bramble, and creeping - dewberry. Cumanica shoots grow up to 3 m. Therefore, its bush forms many additional branches. Dewberry cannot boast of root power, and its long branches look like whips with a huge number of fruit branches.

  • Admission minerals is important for young shoots, but they are distributed ineffectively - minerals go only to old shoots;
  • Those rosettes in which there is a large accumulation of old shoots prevent young branches from receiving required heat from the sun, which helps to survive frosts;
  • It is impossible to properly prepare overgrown blackberries for wintering;
  • If you trim the young shoots in time, the flower stalks will be activated for the coming summer;
  • Removing excess branches improves the quality of the crop, speeds up its ripening, and gives strength to the bush.

Proper pruning of blackberries in autumn

  • Immediately after harvesting the last harvest, it is time to begin the first stage of pruning - remove all two-year-old branches at the root, trying not to leave even a centimeter of the branch;
  • You should also trim those young shoots that have not had time to ripen: thin and underdeveloped;
  • Branches and areas affected by insects and diseases are removed. For example, affected by aphids or spider mite shoots, as they will not survive the winter;
  • It is advisable to shorten mature one-year-old lashes by 1/4. This will guarantee that healthy flower stalks will form next summer;
  • Next, cut off the weak shoots, leaving the strong ones, which will provide high-quality yield V next year. They are pinched or trimmed to 1.7–2 m. Creeping decorative varieties cut, leaving shoots up to 3 m;
  • Now you need to assess the condition of the root system. This determines how much load the root can withstand. The average plant can feed 6-8 healthy vines ready for fruiting. At most, they send 8-10 shoots into the winter. This is with a reserve: since, unfortunately, not all branches will survive the winter;
  • The tops of one-year-old shoots are removed above the upper bud. Stumps cannot be left, otherwise they may become the center of the rotting process, waking up from their winter sleep.

In the spring, they open the bushes and evaluate which shoots have survived and which have not. A healthy plant, having warmed up in the sun, will remain elastic, smooth, Brown. Those parts of the plant that are frozen are black, rough, and brittle. They are removed.

If 6-4 branches survived during the frosty winter, this is good; if less than 4, then you can’t expect a high harvest, but the berries will be very large.

Don’t be afraid to get rid of excess greenery - the hardy blackberry crop can cope with this, as it has high restorative abilities. Thickening is more harmful to blackberries, as a result of poor removal of excess wood.

Conclusion

The crop should be freed from old branches at least once every six months: in spring and autumn (possibly in summer).

The procedure will have a positive effect on appearance plant (it will look neat), on its health (air flow, sun rays entering the center of the bush, which prevents dampness), and on the quality of the fruit (large, sweet berries).

The blackberry bush grows unusually quickly: the green growth of the shoot is about 10 cm within 24 hours. Without pruning, blackberries will quickly turn into impenetrable thickets. The quality, of course, is useful if blackberries are planted along the boundaries of the site as a hedge. Only it will not be possible to collect a lot of berries from such a bush - all the growth force will be spent on the formation of green mass.

Why prune blackberries in the fall?

In order not to lose control of the situation, growth garden plants regulate by pruning. Plants with a 2-year development cycle (blackberries, raspberries, grapes, etc.) need timely removal of fruit-bearing branches because:

  1. Old branches take away nutrients from young shoots, shade the bush and worsen the conditions for ripening of wood;
  2. The winter hardiness of the plant deteriorates;
  3. A thickened blackberry bush is difficult to cover for the winter;
  4. Pruning “for fruiting” normalizes the harvest load among all branches, promotes proper development and regular fruit production.

The blackberry bush is formed throughout the growing season. Autumn pruning does not just end the season - the wintering of the bush and its yield next year depend on it.

General principles of blackberry pruning for beginners

Shortening shoots - final and important stage berry trimmings. It is important to carry out correct pruning the right shoots at the right distance and at the right time.

  1. After harvesting, the fruit-bearing canes are removed - cut at ground level without stumps;
  2. Necessarily cut out all pest-damaged, weak, broken shoots - they will not survive the winter;
  3. All remaining branches are shortened by 1/4 of the length, which helps to increase the next year’s yield;
  4. 8-10 shoots are left on each bush, with the expectation that the required 6-8 will survive the winter, and the remaining ones can be cut out in the spring.
  5. All cut shoots are taken outside the planting area and burned. Fallen leaves are also subject to destruction. You should not use parts of stems and leaves for mulching, because... they can be sources of diseases and contain pests prepared for winter.
  6. In the spring, the bushes are inspected. Frozen branches are black, brittle, loose. Living wood is elastic, brown, shiny. All frozen branches are removed completely, frozen ones - to the nearest living bud. If in the spring there are 6-8 shoots left - this is very good, 4-6 - you can get a slightly smaller harvest, but the berries will be larger, 3 or less - the harvest will be small, but the fruits will be large.

Hemp is a breeding ground for diseases and pests. Leaving them is contraindicated; the branches must be cut flush to the ground.

Timing of autumn pruning

The concept of “autumn pruning” includes all operations to form a bush in the second half of the growing season. It begins immediately after harvesting. Thorough thinning of the bushes before sheltering for the winter helps solve the main problem - to prepare the plant for winter and increase productivity in the next season.

Name it exactly optimal time Autumn pruning is not possible. The starting point is harvesting the last wave of berries. The specific date depends on many factors:

  • region with its climate characteristics;
  • features of planting placement. Lighting, relief and soil conditions affect the timing of ripening;
  • varieties and varieties of crops (early and late date maturation, normal and remontant);
  • features of agricultural technology (cultivation of crops manually or intensively mechanized).

Tools for pruning berry bushes

You should start pruning blackberries well prepared. Even cultivated species are strewn with large thorns and bristles that you cannot pick up with your bare hands. Pruning should begin by first preparing the following garden tools:

  • pruner;
  • lopper with long handles;
  • garden hacksaw.

You can’t do without protective equipment - thick gloves, sleeves and an apron.

It is recommended to cover fresh cuts of wood with garden varnish. A well-adjusted and sharpened pruner gives an even cut without damaging the wood fibers. It is not necessary to process such cuts - in dry weather the cut will cork within 24 hours.

Differences in pruning erect and creeping varieties

Breeders have presented gardeners with almost 300 varieties of cultivated blackberries. They differ not only in the quality of the harvest. The structure of the plant, the shape of the crown, the timing of ripening and the type of fruiting - all these characteristics require an individual approach to the formation of the bush and its pruning. Agronomists divided blackberry varieties into 3 categories:

  • upright varieties, they are also called “kumanikam”;
  • creeping - “sundews”;
  • remontant.

They all require different approach to pruning - the schemes are different.

Important

All varieties of blackberries should be grown on a trellis. It has been experimentally proven that productivity increases by at least 50%.

  1. The branches are attached to the wire in the prescribed manner.
  2. For fastening, use twine, elastic bands or plumbing clamps.

The main advantage is that it makes caring for thorny bushes much easier.

Upright varieties

Autumn pruning begins before the arrival of calendar autumn - immediately after picking the berries. It is not recommended to delay the start of the operation - this is important to prepare the plant for winter.

You should remember the sequence of actions when pruning:

  1. All 2-year-old shoots are cut out from the central part of the crown at the root (without leaving a stump);
  2. Among the young 1-year-old branches, 7-10 of the most developed ones are selected - the rest are cut off flush with the soil level;
  3. The stems left for further growth and fruiting are shortened by 1/4 from the top of the shoot. Pruning encourages the formation of more flower stalks the following year. The sections are treated with garden mastic (varnish).

Upright varieties are considered more resistant to frost, but they are quite difficult to bend down for shelter for the winter. Powerful stems have little flexibility and can simply break. It is important to give them the desired shape in the spring, which will allow bending with minimal effort.

Correct formation of an erect blackberry bush:

  • all two-year-old shoots are directed strictly vertically, directly above the roots of the plant;
  • young shoots are placed in both directions, fixing the trellis on the lower wires, periodically repeating the tying to maintain the horizontal shape of the stems;
  • in the fall, all two-year-old shoots are pruned, and young shoots that already have a horizontal shape are pruned and thinned to 7-10 pieces. from the bush and take cover;
  • in the spring these shoots will “sprout” vertically.

Creeping varieties

Sundew is convenient to grow on string trellises. On the wire, the crown of the bush is distributed in 2 directions - overwintered shoots in one direction, young shoots in the other.

  1. As the bush grows, young shoots are tied to a wire;
  2. During the growing season, root shoots are removed;
  3. After picking the berries, fully fruited 2-year-old shoots are cut off;
  4. Shoots of the 1st year are left in the amount of 6-8 pieces. 4-6 is enough, but taking into account the difficulty of wintering, 2 spare shoots are left;
  5. The remaining shoots are shortened by 1/4 of the length.

Creeping and semi-cresting varieties of blackberries require constant monitoring, since the crown thickens very quickly, which worsens the conditions for wood ripening - preparation for winter.

Creeping blackberries form shoots up to 10 m long, so it is better to ration their quantity throughout the season, leaving no more than 8-10 stems. Excess shoots will waste a large amount of nutrients that are necessary for the ripening of berries and the formation of wood of the shoots that we plan to leave.

Remontant varieties

The harvest is formed on annual shoots that grow back after the cover is removed in the spring. Unlike ordinary varieties, remontant varieties bear fruit until frost. The rules for pruning such plants are extremely simple.

  1. After the first frost, the entire bush is cut down to zero;
  2. The root zone is covered with a layer of mulch - straw, sawdust, leaves, etc.;
  3. For insulation, a 2nd layer of thermal protection is laid - agrofibre, burlap, spruce branches.

Pinching of shoots and formation of a bush is carried out in the next season.

What is the difference between pruning blackberry bushes by region?

Blackberries are grown throughout Russia. Differences in climatic conditions leave their mark on all care operations. berry crop.

The principles of pruning depend on the species of the variety. Specific problems that can threaten the winter hardiness of a plant depend on the region. The gardener should take them into account in order to properly prepare blackberries for winter.

Krasnodar region

Peculiarities: fairly warm winters with little snow and thaws;

Implementation method: The more frost-resistant upright varieties of blackberries do not need to be bent down to the ground, but be sure to mulch the tree trunk circle. Covering sundew varieties should be placed on boards to avoid getting wet during thaws.

Moscow region

Peculiarities: cold winters are usually sufficient quantity snow;

Implementation method: All varieties need to be covered. You should take care of snow retention; if there is not enough snow, cover the bushes additionally.

Siberia

Peculiarities: cold winters and dry winds;

Implementation method: low temperatures and cold dry winds require special attention to the blackberry shelter. Bushes should be removed and prepared before the onset of frost. After the first frost, insulate the bed with mulch and cover it tightly with fabric or spruce branches.

It would not be amiss to remind you that experimenting with growing southern varieties in the cold north it is at least unreasonable. The plant will lack heat and light - it will not be possible to obtain southern harvests. Unusual winter conditions will destroy the plantings.

For your own peace of mind, you should purchase zoned varieties from special nurseries. Such plants will not cause unnecessary problems and will delight you with the harvest for many years.

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Blackberries in the garden

​FORMATION BY WEAVING METHOD

Due to their deep root system, blackberries are more drought-resistant than raspberries. It can grow on the most various types soils, but the highest yield is obtained on soils with a high humus content. Preferred as precursors are vegetable crops((with the exception of nightshades) and areas where currants and gooseberries grew.​


​:​

Care

​Deserves a special word​


​Growing blackberries​

Formation of upright bushes

​Beautiful decorative bushes They secure sandy slopes well and are part of decorative walls and hedges. Thus, blackberries (preparation for winter of this crop will be discussed in this article) will decorate your garden at any time of the year. In addition to the significance it has for landscape design, this crop can be very useful for diversifying your diet. Blackberries, the preparation for winter of which has been successful, will give a good harvest. You can make jam, compote and jelly from the berries, which will have a rich dark purple color. In addition to providing shelter during the colder months, it is very important to prune this shrub properly. Let's start with this.​


​Soil​

Raspberries are familiar to every person since childhood. What child's mother didn't treat her with raspberry jam in winter? And in the summer, many climbed into the thorny bushes to eat this berry. Over the last period, increasingly summer cottages A relative of the raspberry, the sweet blackberry, began to appear.​

​For DEWEBERRY and Semi-creeping BLACKBERRY with long stems, the weaving method is more suitable. The distance between plants is 2.5-3.5 m. In spring, blackberry stems left for fruiting are evenly distributed in only one or two opposite directions. They are brought to the top wire and wrapped around it 1-2 times, then lowered to the middle, and then raised again to the top, then again to the middle, etc. Young shoots of the 1st year of life are tied to the bottom wire. In the fall, after harvesting, old shoots from the upper trellises are cut out at the surface of the soil, and young shoots are covered for the winter; next year they will form a new bush.​


​WHEN AND HOW IS IT BETTER TO PLANT​

​With such methods of maintaining a bush, the thorns are small problem. We don’t need to tear out old branches from the hair of young shoots, pushing our way through the thorns with pruning shears. But pruning blackberries without thorns is even less labor-intensive. Thornless varieties are especially valuable for creeping forms; we don’t have to untangle the barbed wire-like lashes of black berries in the spring or before wintering.


​Pruning normalizes the load of the crop, helping to improve its ripening, quantity, and helps strengthen the bush.​


​remontant garden blackberry.​



​After harvesting, we carry out the first stage of pruning - we cut off all fruit-bearing branches completely, without leaving stumps;​

​As in the case of garden currants, it is better to prune in two steps: the first time in the spring, and the second time in the fall. The fruits of garden blackberries appear on branches that are at least two years old. Therefore, the bush should have shoots from both the previous and current year. Both need to be trimmed. In the spring, when the buds just begin to bloom, you need to remove shoots damaged by frost. Even those shrubs that have overwintered well often freeze or dry out. top part. In parallel with the development of side shoots on last year's branches, root shoots. Of these, it is worth keeping up to the five strongest. Delete the rest. You also need to get rid of young shoots throughout the growing season. This will help your plant. The fewer shoots around, the better your blackberries will do. Preparing for winter also includes pruning. Now you need to remove the shoots that have borne fruit this year.​

Planting a bush

​You can choose any soil for planting a bush, but it must be well heated by the sun, so you need to find an open place. Also, the soil should be quite loose and well-drained, since stagnant water causes blackberry roots to die due to lack of oxygen.​

The blackberry plant belongs to the Rosaceae family, which in turn belongs to the Rubus genus. It is a subshrub with erect or spreading stems that are covered with a large number of thorns. IN Lately Several thornless hybrids have been bred, which greatly simplifies harvesting, and pruning blackberries in the fall is much easier and more enjoyable.​

​VERTICAL FORMATION​

​B central region In Russia, blackberries can be planted both in spring and summer. However, early spring planting is preferable to avoid possible freezing of plants in winter. Usually blackberries are placed in one row along the border of the site, retreating 1.5 m from the fence; the distances between plants depend on the adopted formation system, which will be discussed below.​

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Blackberries: preparation for winter and necessary procedures

The remontant garden blackberry deserves a special mention. Pruning it is perhaps the simplest agricultural technique. We simply remove at the root all the wood that has grown over the summer, covering only root system. Because next spring it will again produce flowering vines.​

Aesthetic and economic significance

​We send all growing young shoots on both sides of the growth point, tying them to the lower wires. This way they grow parallel to the ground.​

How to prune blackberries for the winter

​Growing blackberries​
​Pruning it is perhaps the simplest agricultural technique. We simply remove at the roots all the wood that has grown over the summer, covering only the root system for winter. Because next spring it will again produce flowering vines.​

How to cover blackberries for the winter

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Proper pruning of blackberries in the fall to increase the yield of bushes

​Among the young lashes, those that are not mature enough, thin, or short are also removed;

​You can do this in the second half of September. At this time, fruiting is definitely completed in all climatic zones. It is better to cut the shoot at the root - in this case, pests will not nest in the remaining stump. You also need to track and remove excess branches that have grown since the beginning of spring. And those that you want to leave for fruiting next year, it is better to prune them a little for more powerful development of the lateral shoots. Allow creeping blackberry varieties to grow maximum length. Of course, it also depends on the subtleties of decorating your site, but usually it is at least two meters.​

​Water​

​In the wild, blackberries can be found in forests, near swampy places and rivers, where there are damp and wet lands. You can find such bushes on the territories of many continents: America, Europe and Asia. Of course, pruning blackberries in the fall is carried out only in dachas and gardens. In nature, the branches are braided into dense growth and form large thickets. While walking through the forest, you can enjoy the wild berries of this plant.​

  • ​For more intensive use of land area when cultivating DEWEBERRY, vertical formation of fruiting stems is used. In this case, the distance between plants in a row is maintained at 1.5 m, which allows doubling the number of plants per unit area. In each bush, 6-8 fruiting stems are left, which are placed in a fan-shape on a trellis, almost vertically and quite close to one another. In early spring the stems are cut at a height of 1.5-1.7 m. New shoots of the current year that appear are also temporarily placed on a trellis on both sides of the fruiting stems. Next proceed in the same way as with the previous method.​
  • ​2-3 weeks before planting, 5-6 kg of rotted manure or compost, 100-150 g of superphosphate, 50 g of potassium sulfate, 200-300 g of ash are added to the planting hole (size 40x40x40 cm), and if the soil is acidic, then it is necessary add lime. The applied fertilizers are mixed with the fertile layer of soil so that the hole is filled to 2/3 of the volume, watered and left until planting so that the hole settles.
  • ​source​
  • ​In the fall it will be easy to cut out everything that is not needed without accidentally removing the necessary shoots. We cut off everything in the center to the root. We do not touch the creeping side lashes.
  • ​After harvesting, we carry out the first stage of pruning - we cut off all fruit-bearing branches completely, without leaving stumps;​

​Proper pruning of blackberries in the fall to increase the yield of bushes

  1. ​We remove those branches or parts thereof that have been damaged by pests, for example, aphids or spider mites - they are unlikely to survive the winter;​
  2. ​Creeping varieties are covered if frosts down to minus 17 degrees Celsius are expected. Frost-resistant - only if the temperature drops below minus 20 degrees. Corn leaves are used as a covering material - they are used to cover the shoots after they lie in the trench. Thick polyethylene is placed on top. The problem is covering upright shoots. To prevent them from breaking, they should be gradually bent to the ground in advance, from the end of August, using a weight attached to the top.​
  3. ​Despite the fact that the blackberry bush is moisture-resistant, it should be watered during the period of shoot growth and fruit ripening. Especially if the summer is hot and dry. But it is worth making sure that moisture does not linger for long under the bush. Garden blackberries, pruned correctly, create thick shade with their branches and leaves, which retains moisture for a longer time.​
  4. ​Blackberry belongs to perennial shrubs, its height can reach 4 meters. It has a powerful root that grows deep into the ground, making blackberries drought-resistant. The large leaf of this plant consists of 5-7 small ones, connected by a common petiole. On top they are painted green color, and the underside is light. The leaves are pubescent and have small spines. Blackberries bloom white at the end of June big flowers, which are collected in panicles. The fruits begin to ripen by August. Since flowering lasts until the end of autumn, berry picking takes a long time. When ripe, blackberries first become green, then pink, brown, and the ready-to-eat berry is black.​
  5. ​FORMATION BY BUSH METHOD​

​When planting, the seedlings are covered with the remaining fertile soil without fertilizers and care is taken that the conditional root collar (the place where the above-ground part transitions to the root part) is 2-3 cm deeper than the soil level, and the root buds do not end up on the surface. Then the plants are watered at the rate of 4-5 liters of water per bush and mulched with peat, compost or sawdust in a 5 cm layer. The stems of the seedlings are cut at a height of 20-30 cm from the soil surface.​

The size and quality of the blackberry harvest largely depends on the level of agricultural technology. By providing the plants with proper care, as well as selecting varieties according to their ripening time, you can have tasty and healthy berries from the end of July to the end of September.​

Forming a bush wisely

Over the summer, our weakly flexible young shoots have taken on an almost horizontal shape. We choose the 8-10 strongest among them. We delete everything else.​

​Among the young lashes, those that are not mature enough, thin, or short are also removed;​Proper pruning of blackberries in the fall to increase the yield of bushes

  1. All mature young lashes are also shortened by about a quarter. This will stimulate the formation of flower stalks next summer;
  2. ​Reproduction​
  3. ​From large quantity A popular variety is Garden Blackberry. Care (pruning, watering, fertilizing, etc.) for this variety does not differ from care for other types of this plant.​
  4. ​CUMANIKA can be formed using a bush method, in which the distance between plants is 1.5-2 m, and a wooden peg 2 m high is driven in next to the bush as a support. In the spring, stems bent for the winter are raised, 4-6 are selected from them strong shoots replacement and root shoots within a radius of 30 cm from the bush. Selected shoots are tied to a support at a height of 50 and 150 cm, and the stems are tied in a figure eight, because otherwise, strong gusts of wind may cause the stems to break. The top of the stem left for fruiting can rise above the garter site by no more than 30 cm, otherwise it will also break under the weight of the harvest.​

​3. APPLY FERTILIZER REGULARLY

​1. CONSIDER THE FEATURES OF VARIETIES OF DIFFERENT GROUPS​

  1. ​We shorten our wintering vines, press them even more to the ground, and cover them for the winter.​
  2. ​We remove those branches or parts thereof that have been damaged by pests, for example, aphids or spider mites - they are unlikely to survive the winter;
  3. ​Pruning blackberries in the fall requires knowledge and skill so as not to inadvertently cut out too much or get caught in the tenacious hooks of its thorns. Let's take a step-by-step look at how best to do this
  4. ​We form creeping varieties differently. They are less winter hardy. But they are more flexible, but coping with ten-meter lashes is also not an easy task. In addition, there is more fuss due to the spikes. Sometimes it is recommended to leave 8-10 young shoots immediately in the spring, without waiting for them to grow into multi-meter rods. This method has its advantages - this way you save the nutrients needed for the ripening of the crop and the wood of the roots and other branches. But in the summer you will constantly have to fight with ever new climbing shoots.​

​Autumn pruning of blackberries​

Blackberries can be propagated by root suckers or by rooting green tops. These methods are easy and do not require special skills or equipment. When propagating using root suckers, it is necessary to spring period dig up a small piece of lateral root and transfer it to permanent place growth. It is planted in prepared soil, where it must be positioned horizontally. Blackberries are an unpretentious plant, this is due to the fact that they were cultivated from wild plant. In nature it grows in damp places and thanks to its deep roots, it receives moisture from the ground almost all summer.​ ​5. DO FORMATIVE PRUNING​

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CORRECT PRUNING OF BLACKBERRY.

​The annual death of at least half of the above-ground part of the blackberry leads to a significant removal of nutrients from the soil, so it is important to systematically apply fertilizers to this crop.​

​Currently, more than 300 modern varieties of blackberries are known, often being very complex interspecific hybrids. All varieties are divided into large groups.​

In the spring, we carefully lift them vertically, waiting for the lashes to warm up and become less brittle

Why is autumn pruning of blackberries necessary?

All mature young lashes are also shortened by about a quarter. This will stimulate the formation of flower stalks next summer;

​Autumn pruning of blackberries​

​Formation of a creeping shape​

How to properly prune blackberries in the fall

​CUMANIKA, OR STRAIGHT BLACKBERRY, is very close in biological characteristics to raspberries. It often has powerful, strongly spiny shoots, 3-4 m high, often with arched tops; the average berry weight is 2.5-4 g, characterized by high winter and frost resistance. It produces a sufficient number of root shoots, which it uses to reproduce.​
  1. ​We form creeping varieties differently. They are less winter hardy. But they are more flexible, but coping with ten-meter lashes is also not an easy task. In addition, there is more fuss due to the spikes. Sometimes it is recommended to leave 8-10 young shoots immediately in the spring, without waiting for them to grow into multi-meter rods. This method has its advantages - this way you save the nutrients needed for the ripening of the crop and the wood of the roots and other branches. But in the summer you will constantly have to fight with ever new climbing shoots.​
  2. ​Based on the strength of root growth, we calculate the future load of the bush. An average plant can well provide nutrients to 6-8 fruiting vines. This means we leave 8-10 shoots for the winter. This reserve is required in case not all branches survive the winter;
  3. ​As you know, blackberries are shrubs with a two-year fruiting cycle. Thus, during the first summer we grow the green whip, groom and cherish it, wait for it to ripen and become woody, and provide it with all wintering conditions. And in the next spring and summer it becomes covered with inflorescences and bears a harvest. It no longer bears fruit, except perhaps in the most extreme cases. So we no longer need his services. This is why constant removal of two-year-old fruit-bearing wood is required. Otherwise, it will thicken the bush, preventing young shoots from ripening, shading the berries, making them less sweet.​
  4. ​After wintering, we open the bushes and see what is well preserved and what is not so well preserved. The healthy part of the blackberry, after heating in the sun, is elastic to the touch and has a shiny brown color. The frozen part of the wood looks black. It is either loose or fragile to the touch. It should be removed. If 6 branches survived the cold, that’s good. If about 4 is also not bad, if less than three, then the yield will of course be lower, but the berries will grow much larger.​

​Next year by autumn you can separate the shoots from mother bush, having previously checked the presence of roots and their strength. If necessary, the process can be repeated or left to take root for another year.​

​Pruning​

Forming a bush wisely

​For CUMANIKA, they must use double pruning of the stems. In the first year of the shoot’s life, a very important measure to increase the next year’s harvest is to remove the tops of the shoots when the stems reach a height of 1 - 1.2 m; the first pruning of the tops is carried out by 10-15 cm, which helps to awaken the lateral buds, the formation of side shoots and an increase in the fruiting zone. Next year in the spring, after the buds open, a second pruning is performed, in which the tops of the lateral growths are shortened by 40-50 cm, which makes the bush compact.

​4.USE SUPPORTS OR TRELLIES FOR THE BUSHES.​​CREATING BLACKBERRY or DEWEBERRY has long, creeping shoots, abundantly covered with powerful thorns, which greatly complicates its cultivation. At the same time, it is more productive: the berries are very large, with an average weight of 6-12 g. It does not produce root cuttings and reproduces by the tips of replacement shoots.​

  1. ​Formation of a creeping shape​
  2. ​We cut the upper ends of annual shoots immediately above the bud. It is undesirable to leave stumps; they can lead to the development of purulent processes during winter sleep.​
  3. Why do you need to prune blackberries for the winter?
  4. ​Don't be afraid to cut out the excess - a healthy blackberry plant has tremendous growth potential. Rather, thickening caused by insufficient removal of excess wood is harmful to it. Proper pruning increases productivity.
  5. Nutrients for the ripening of young shoots are spent ineffectively - on maintaining old growth in condition;

​Before planting the plant, it is necessary to loosen the soil well. The hole should be up to 50 cm deep. Fill the bottom with humus or compost and fertilizing containing potassium. It is advisable to mix fertilizers with the soil. The distance between plants in a row should be at least 1 meter, and between rows - 1.5 meters. It is necessary to plant blackberries of various varieties in a row for good pollination and high yield.​

This point of caring for blackberries is one of the most important. Autumn pruning of blackberries, especially young bushes, guarantees a good wintering and subsequent strong shoots in the spring. According to the type of growth, bushes are divided into upright and creeping. Accordingly, they require different care.

  1. ​In most varieties of DEWEBERRY and Semi-creeping blackberry, 2-year-old shoots can reach a length of 3-3.5 m, and the main fruiting zone of berries is formed in the middle part of the stem. Therefore, for the convenience of culture and increasing the fruiting zone, you can form fruit-bearing shoots in two ways.​
  2. Most varieties of blackberries require a support or trellis when cultivated. Suitable supports are pipes, wooden or reinforced concrete columns with a cross-section of 8-12 cm, a height of 2-2.5 m, which are dug into the ground or concreted at a distance of 5-15 m from each other, depending on the expected number of plants planted on the site. A wire with a cross-section of 3-4 mm is pulled at a height of 50, 100 and 150 cm.​
  3. ​SEMI-CREATING BLACKBERRY has long creeping shoots, without thorns, its berries are quite large, weighing 4-6 g. It produces a small number of root suckers, but reproduces more often by the tips of replacement shoots.​
  4. ​We wrap overwintered lashes around a trellis like a reel. We let them go, for example, to the right hand of the growth point.​
  5. ​After wintering, we open the bushes and see what is well preserved and what is not so well preserved. The healthy part of the blackberry, after heating in the sun, is elastic to the touch and has a shiny brown color. The frozen part of the wood looks black. It is either loose or fragile to the touch. It should be removed. If 6 branches survived the cold, that’s good. If about 4 is also not bad, if less than three, then the harvest will of course be lower, but the berries will grow much larger.​

Nutrients for the ripening of young shoots are spent ineffectively - on maintaining old growth in

Caring for blackberries - five “golden” rules


​Feeding​
​A wire is pulled near the young bush and supports are made so that the branches can be tied up. In the first year after planting, all shoots are fixed on one side, and in the next year - on the other. When side shoots appear, they are cut off, leaving 3-4 buds. Fruiting occurs on second-year branches. Pruning blackberries in the fall consists of removing the branches that had fruit on them. They are cut off and carefully removed from the wire so as not to damage the rest. This kind of pruning of blackberries for the winter allows you to make room for new shoots, which are braided in place of the old ones.
​In the first case, young shoots are pinched three times in the 1st year of life: the first time when they reach a length of 18 cm, the second time when they appear side shoots up to 35 cm in length, and the third time, when the branches pinched for the second time grew up to 35 cm. Thus, highly branched bushes are obtained.
​There are many ways to place blackberries on trellises, let’s look at the most common ones.​
A number of varieties are RASPBERRY-BLACKBERRY HYBRIDS that arose as a result of crossing these plants with each other. All these varieties are characterized by a creeping bush shape and thorny shoots, although there are also thornless clones. In terms of agricultural technology, they are very similar to DEWEBERRY. Varieties of the last two groups (DREWBERRY, Semi-creeping BLACKBERRY), as well as RASPBERRY-BLACKBERRY HYBRIDS, are characterized by low winter hardiness, in northern regions they need to be covered for the winter. To do this, in October, before the onset of autumn frosts, the stems are removed from the trellis, all fruit-bearing shoots and unripe tops of young stems are removed and burned. Then they are laid on the ground or tied in bunches and bent to the ground using hooks, then covered with straw, plant debris or earth.​
​We wind all the young shoots to the left.​
​Don't be afraid to cut out the excess - a healthy blackberry plant has tremendous growing power. Rather, thickening caused by insufficient removal of excess wood is harmful to it. Proper pruning increases productivity.
​in good condition;​



​After correct landing Blackberry bushes do not need to be fertilized for 2-3 years. Starting from the fourth year, it is necessary to apply under the bush every autumn after pruning. good layer rotted manure. Also, during the spring-summer period, feed with fertilizers containing nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.​
​Formation of creeping bushes​
In the second case, when premature side shoots 30-40 cm long appear on one-year-old young shoots, they are shortened in the fall, leaving 4-5 buds, and cut off again in the spring, leaving 2-3 buds. The apical ends of the stems can be simply cut off without the risk of significantly reducing the yield.​
​FAN FORMATION​
​2.PLACE THE BUSHES CORRECTLY. SELECTING A SITE
​If we don’t remove excess shoots in the summer, we do it in the fall. Before pruning blackberries for the winter, remove them from the trellis and unfold them on the ground so that the vines do not get tangled. We leave the 8 healthiest and strongest. We cut out the rest completely.​
​To facilitate the autumn operations of removing fruit-bearing wood, we form the bush using a special method. Firstly, it depends on whether your shape is erect or creeping. Despite the fact that upright blackberries are considered more frost-resistant, it would still be a good idea to put them under the snow. The trouble is that it is very brittle and doesn’t bend much.​
​Where there is abundance old wood, more shade, less sun hits the branches in the middle of the bush, which reduces its overall frost resistance;
​We roll up the lashes and place them in trenches for winter storage.​
​:​
​Pruning young vines leads to stimulation of flowering next summer;​
​Blackberries, pruned and cared for according to the rules, annually delight with abundant flowering and good harvest. Berries are collected from the bush in several stages, since flowering lasts for a long period. Blackberry fruits are very useful, and the bush does not require careful care, so keeping such a plant on your property will not cause any trouble. Pruning blackberries in the fall, timely watering in spring and summer - and there will always be blackberries on the table until the end of autumn.​
​The branches are selected according to their strength, 6-8 pieces, and tied to the supports in a fan-shape; they can also be placed close to each other. Garden blackberries, cared for (pruning and tying) in this way, can densely braid the supports. It can be planted near a fence, although this reduces the amount of yield due to poor penetration of solar heat and light. It is also recommended to remove several lower buds on each branch. As shoots develop and fruits ripen, they can be smeared on the ground or simply deteriorate from watering.​
​Magazine "The Real Owner" No. 5 2008​
​The simplest method is fan formation, in which the fruiting and growing shoots are placed separately. The distance between plants is maintained at 2-3.5 m. Used for CUMANIKA and low-growing varieties of Semi-creeping blackberry. Moreover, in the first season after planting, the emerging young shoots are tied to the trellis obliquely in only one direction. Next year they will bear fruit, and the new shoots that appear, as they grow, are tied up and directed in the other direction. In the fall, old fruit-bearing shoots are cut off, and everything is repeated all over again.
​When good care Blackberries can grow and bear fruit in one place for up to 12-15 years. It is considered a very undemanding berry crop. Like raspberries, it prefers well-protected from the wind and well-lit areas, although it can tolerate slight shading, but in low light the berries ripen 5-7 days later.​
​We also remove the entire right fruit-bearing side to the very root.​
​We solve this problem with a fan formation​
​Thickened blackberries are very difficult to remove for winter storage;​
With these methods of bush management, thorns are a minor problem. We don’t need to tear out old branches from the hair of young shoots, pushing our way through the thorns with pruning shears. But pruning blackberries without thorns is even less labor-intensive. Thornless varieties are especially valuable for creeping forms; we don’t have to untangle the barbed wire-like lashes of black berries in the spring or before wintering.
In the spring, we lift the overwintered shoots vertically onto the trellis, placing them in the middle, right above the roots of the bush.

Pruning shoots and forming a bush is the most important part of caring for blackberries. These events are held several times during the season. And if in the spring they are primarily of an aesthetic and sanitary nature, then the autumn pruning of blackberries has a broader meaning - it guarantees a safe wintering of the bush and abundant fruiting next year. Without having certain skills and knowledge, pruning is quite difficult, so novice gardeners often have a question: when should you prune blackberries, and how to do it correctly? The article describes in detail about autumn pruning of garden blackberries.

Garden blackberries, like most representatives of the Rubus genus, are characterized by a two-year development cycle. Thus, with a perennial rhizome, the useful life of the above-ground part (shoots) is calculated at two years: in the first year, the young shoot grows, is looked after, covered for the winter, and by the second year it becomes woody, blooms in the spring, and then bears a harvest. This is where its function ends, and immediately after harvest (in September) it must be removed. If old stems are not removed, they interfere with the growth of new shoots and thicken the bush.

It should be clarified that not only old, outdated shoots are subject to pruning, but also part of the young annual shoots. Weak, too thin or diseased stems of the first year must be removed at the base, and healthy and promising ones must be shortened by 20–40 cm. This pruning helps abundant flowering next spring.

When pruning a bush for the winter, do not spare it - feel free to cut out all that is unnecessary. Blackberries have incredible growth vigor, and the more shoots that are removed, the more new ones grow.

The tops of young stems can be shortened by a third, since the fruiting zone of blackberries is located in the center of the shoot.

In general, autumn pruning has several goals:

  • efficient consumption of nutrients - old and spent shoots also need nutrition;
  • elimination of shadow - old shoots create additional shadow, which slows down the ripening of berries;
  • increasing winter hardiness and preservation for the winter - thickened shoots with old woody shoots are much more difficult to cover than young flexible shoots;
  • increased productivity - pruning young shoots in the fall promotes abundant flowering and fruiting;
  • strengthening the bush - if the blackberry thickets are thinned out, the young stems become more powerful and strong.


Trimming technology

Autumn pruning is carried out after the end of the harvest. For most varieties, this period occurs at the beginning of September. However, there is garden blackberry with two waves of fruiting - for such varieties the pruning procedure is carried out a little later (in October).

To perform pruning correctly, you need to follow the following sequence:

  1. At the first stage, all shoots that bear fruit this year are removed - they should be cut at the root, without leaving stumps, as they can rot, and this process should be spread to healthy branches.
  2. Among young shoots, insufficiently developed ones (short, thin) are also removed at the root - they will not bear fruit, so there is no need to leave them.
  3. Further complete removal(at the root) all diseased and damaged shoots are subject to treatment - they will not survive the winter and, moreover, can infect healthy branches.
  4. Now, based on the state of the root system, we calculate the possible load on the bush. On average, a healthy plant is able to fully provide nutrients to 6–8 fruiting shoots, so we leave the 10 strongest ones in case several branches do not survive in winter, and cut out the rest at the root.
  5. We shorten the remaining shoots by about 20–30 cm; if the branches are very long, you can cut more. It is correct to prune immediately above the bud.

In this state, the bush is covered for the winter. The cover is removed in the spring, in March or April, it all depends on the temperature. Plants freed from shelter must be inspected for the integrity and viability of the shoots. Healthy branches are elastic in appearance, with shiny brownish bark; frozen branches are loose and brittle and should be removed. Wintering is considered successful if 5–6 branches are preserved; it’s also good if there are 4 left – the yield will be lower. good level. Three or fewer healthy lashes will not bring big harvest, but the berries will be larger.

Bush formation

Since garden blackberries are different types and shapes, pruning does not always occur quickly and successfully. It all depends on what kind of blackberry you are growing: creeping or erect. For example, upright bushes are more difficult to cover, since the shoots bend poorly and are very brittle, while creeping blackberries can form real thickets of long lashes, which are sometimes difficult to even divide.

To somehow simplify the pruning process, bush formation is used - the direction of the shoots in the desired direction.

As a rule, formation is carried out in the spring, but if by autumn the bush has grown greatly and pruning has become difficult, then you can arrange the plants before pruning.

For blackberries with erect shoots, it is correct and convenient to use the fan forming method, which is as follows:

  1. All shoots must be lifted vertically onto the trellis, directly above the root.
  2. Next, we divide the bush into two parts and direct the lashes on both sides, like a fan, tying them to the bottom of the trellis.
  3. Now that all the shoots are visible in the root part, we first cut out at the root all the old shoots that bore fruit this year.
  4. Then we remove weak, too thin and diseased young branches.
  5. We leave 8–10 of the strongest young shoots and shorten them by a quarter (20–40 cm).
  6. We remove the lashes from the support, press them to the ground and cover them with insulation.

The formation of creeping blackberry bushes occurs in a slightly different way. Its many-meter long weaving shoots bend beautifully, but cutting and shaping them is very difficult, so the following method is used:

  1. The shoots are divided into old ones (bearing fruit this year) and young ones, which will bear fruit next year.
  2. Then, they are wound on a trellis, like a thread on a spool - the old ones in one direction, for example, to the right, and the young ones to the left.
  3. We cut out the old growth at the root.
  4. Of the young shoots, we leave 8–10 of the strongest ones and cut out the rest.
  5. Next, we remove the blackberries from the trellis, roll them up again, place them in a prepared trench for wintering, and cover them.

Deserves special attention remontant varieties berries. Their pruning and covering is the simplest event in all agricultural technology. You just need to cut out all the shoots that formed over the summer at the root and cover them with any insulating material - in the spring new vines will grow, which will bloom and delight you with a bountiful harvest.