When the blackberries ripen, you know that summer has arrived. Although they grow wild in many areas of the world, the cultivated varieties produce particularly juicy and sweet dark berries, usually larger than their wild counterparts. You can grow them in almost any soil type, and in all regions with warm summers and relatively mild inventions. You can learn how to plant a specific variety, raise sprouts and care for your blackberry plants throughout the growing season and get the highest yields. Start from step 1 to find more information.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Selecting the Varieties
Step 1. Choose a variety appropriate for the climate
Wild Himalayan blackberries are an invasive hardy species found in parts of the western United States, but cultivated varieties are often juicier, larger, and more resistant than wild berries. If you want to plant blackberries, your best bet is to select one of these varieties, based on stem structure, growth style and the presence of thorns. There are hundreds of species and cultivars to choose from, and knowing the basic categories can help you make an informed decision.
- If you live in a region where the winter is very severe, it is better to choose an erect stem variety with thorns. These varieties are best resistant to the elements and provide the strongest possible foundation for your climate.
- If you live in a region with very dry and windy summers, it is best to plant bushy varieties, which will resist the elements especially in arid and desert climates.
- Almost all varieties are capable of growing in regions with at least 200-300 hours per season at temperatures below 7 ° C.
Step 2. Consider the hardiness of bushy varieties
Traditional bushy varieties grow similar to wild blackberries, giving rise to suckers and expanding everywhere, and for this they must be guided with cables and stakes to control their growth. You will need to remove the old branches that have produced fruit, but you will not have to prune the new growths. Bushy varieties often have a hard time resisting in regions with very cold winters, and do not bear fruit before the second year of life.
Evergreen, Marion, Obsidian, Chester, Hull, and Black Diamond are all common bushy blackberry varieties
Step 3. Consider the ease of planting of upright or semi-upright varieties
These blackberry varieties grow as hedges and need to be supported by pergolas or stakes of some kind. They are easier to control and contain, but require frequent pruning, as they give birth to new branches directly from the plant's canopy, instead of spreading to the ground. Many of these varieties bear fruit in the first year of planting. The barbed upright varieties are the most hardy in cold climates.
Illini, Kiowa, Shawnee, Apache, Triple Crown, and Natchez are all common erect and semi-erect blackberry species
Step 4. Evaluate the benefits of thornless blackberries
Bushy, upright and hybrid varieties are now available in thorny or thornless strains and this allows you to make harvesting much easier and finger safe. However, thornless varieties have a tendency to be more sensitive to cold climates.
Part 2 of 4: Planting the Blackberries
Step 1. Choose an installation site
Blackberries grow in almost all fertile soils, especially in slightly acidic ones (between pH 5, 5 and 7) rich in humus. Particularly sandy or clay-rich soils are less desirable. Choosing a planting location with good drainage and maximum sun exposure will ensure uniform ripening of the berries, although some thornless varieties are vulnerable to sunburn, so some shade is not a problem in particularly regions. sunny.
- Do not plant berries near the solanum, or to members of the same family, including potatoes, tomatoes and pepper. Wilt, a common disease of blackberries, can be transmitted through the soil.
- Do not plant blackberries near other bushy plants or near wild blackberries. Plant blackberries in soil devoid of other species to avoid common diseases that can be transmitted.
- In colder climates, blackberries can thrive and ripen faster in a greenhouse. While they are self-fertile, they still benefit from cross-pollination, which is why it's a good idea to grow two different varieties if you keep them indoors. They should be exposed for at least 200 hours below 7 ° C, but kept between 15, 5 ° C and 21 ° C indoors.
Step 2. Prepare the planting medium
When you have chosen the soil, you will need to dig a hole of at least 30 centimeters in the ground and hoe the soil well to aerate it. Add a 5cm layer of manure and a 5cm layer of organic soil conditioner to fertilize it.
- It is usually best to start with small plants. Since blackberries can really expand a lot in the right climate (long dry summers), it's easy to find yourself inadvertently overrun by blackberries. If you want to test blackberry compatibility with your climate, start with a single upright variety, planted in a spot where it has room to expand. Plant more rows if you don't get the yield you want after starting with just one plant.
- If you are going to plant multiple rows of blackberries, spacer of 180-300 cm. You can plant upright varieties closer than bushy ones. You can plant guide posts before or after planting the plants. In the following section you will find instructions on how to set up guides.
Step 3. Plant blackberry shrubs in late fall or early spring
If you live in a climate with very cold winters, it is best to wait until spring before planting blackberries. In areas with milder winters, you can plant them in the fall to give the plants a chance to stabilize before the ripening season.
- You should plant the blackberries about 6 to 8 inches deep and space the plants 90-180 cm apart. You can bring upright plants closer than bushy ones, which should be no closer than 180-210 cm. After planting the sprouts, water them with water, up to 5 liters.
- Blackberry plants purchased in greenhouses they will typically have 15 - 20 cm of dormant growth sprouting from a ball of soil protecting the roots. They won't look very nice, but they will start producing hardy shrubs in the spring.
- Buy blackberry sprouts at a local greenhouse a few days before the planting date. If you buy plants by mail, try to order them a month or two before you plan to plant them, and keep the roots moist by laying them on the ground and covering them. with soil if you have to wait some time before the expected date.
Step 4. Water the blackberries with 2.5 to 5 cm of water every week and consider mulching the shoots
Blackberry plants need 2.5 to 5cm of water per week, depending on the climate. If you have a large blackberry field, it may be a good choice to install a line sprinkler system, while you can water the smaller fields by hand. In drier or windier climates, mulching can help avoid erosion.
Mulching with pine bark, pine needles, or plastic sheeting can help protect the soil in the area immediately surrounding the blackberries from weeds and erosion. For blackberries, about 5 cm of any type of mulch will suffice
Part 3 of 4: Support and Pruning
Step 1. Install a pole system for standing plants
Set up poles about 180cm high adjacent to each plant, with a cross pole about 90cm long, positioned about 90-120cm from the height of the pole. As the canes grow, you can tie the new suckers (the new growths) to the pole to help support the weight of the plant, leaves, and berries.
- Upright and semi-erect blackberry varieties will grow predominantly upward, in some cases to considerable heights. To encourage growth, it is important to use a pole system, as you would for roses or another vine. Blackberries will need to have something to climb on. Typically, you won't need stakes or guides for the first year.
- Blackberry stakes don't have to be complex. Plant along existing fences, or use old fence posts. In theory, poles should be the size of a wrist, so 5 x 5 boards will do.
Step 2. Install guide wires for bushy blackberries
When planting bushy varieties, it is important to offer the plant a horizontal surface to lean on. Plant 120-180cm high posts every 150-180cm along the row, then run two rows of fence wire one at the top of the posts, the other about 30cm above the ground.
- You can also use twine, rope or wood to connect the posts. Use the materials you have available to support blackberries.
- In theory, bushy blackberries will expand in two rows, one higher and one lower, along each cord. With proper pruning, you will be able to guide new hardy growths along the pergola and eliminate less strong suckers. By keeping the plant pruned, you will promote fruit production and overall plant health, allowing water and sun to achieve the healthiest growths.
Step 3. Weed the soil and do not touch the plants for the first season
Pull out any weeds that grow next to the blackberries and continue watering the plants every week. You should see leaves and maybe some flowers in late spring, or not, depending on the climate and variety. You should notice a lot of reeds and new growths, but probably no fruit.
- In late spring, many new rods should be born and you can practice tying them to the posts. In general, though, you shouldn't worry about pruning, as the plant won't produce any fruit, so your best bet is to let the plant generate a solid root system.
- In winterAfter the first season, you can prune the canes to about 120cm high and 60cm wide, to get the nutrients back to the roots. Depending on the type of growth you get during the flowering season, you can prepare the plant for winter accordingly. Directions for this are described in the following section.
Step 4. Prune aggressive new growths during the second season growing season
Less laden shrubs will produce more fruit than the same shrubs in a bramble cluster. Whatever the variety, it is in your best interest to prune it regularly.
- When the plant is ready to bear fruit, strive to keep the toughest shrubs healthy by pruning new growths from the base of the plant. Tie the most flower-laden shrubs to the stakes and prune new growths that would compete with the more fruit-bearing branches for water and sunlight.
- Don't be afraid to prune your blackberries a lot. Overly loaded bramble systems do not have fruit densities equal to those of well-pruned and well-pruned plants. The plant will grow back as aggressively, if not more, the following year, so feel free to prune a lot. It is very difficult to make a healthy plant die by pruning a lot.
Part 4 of 4: Protecting Your Plants and Taking Care of the Harvest
Step 1. Collect berries in late summer
In the early parts of summer, beautiful white flowers should start to appear along the healthy branches, which will give rise to hard green berries, which will gradually turn red and then a dark color, tending to black and purple.
- Berries are ready to harvest when they easily detach from the branch without effort. There should be no red parts left on the berry, especially in the stem part.
- Harvest blackberries in the coldest hours of the day, usually in the morning, before the sun heats them and store them in the refrigerator to keep them cool. Blackberries will stay fresh for no more than 4 or 5 days, depending on the variety and will soften much faster if picked hot. If you can't eat all the blackberries you harvest, freezing them is a great idea.
- When the first blackberries are ripe, it is likely that you will need to harvest them at least once every 2 - 3 days, depending on the climate. They will all begin to mature together, and it is important to harvest them before they become prey to birds or over-ripen on the plant.
Step 2. Make a commitment to keep birds away from blackberries
Who can blame them? As much as you may love delicious, rich and juicy blackberries, birds probably love them even more. Since there's nothing more frustrating than picking your own blackberries and finding all the best half-eats, it's important to take quick and easy steps to eliminate the bird threat right away.
- Hang something eye-catching at the end of each row. Mylar strips or broken CDs are often used to keep birds away. You will need something that moves slightly in the breeze and reflects sunlight, as bright, moving lights will scare the birds away.
- Use a faux owl. You'll often find them in gardening stores. You can plant plastic owls at the edge of the blackberry field, and this will often be enough to scare the smaller birds.
- Try using a bird net if you have a serious problem. If the birds don't leave your berries alone, you can get some netting to cover the plants with. The plants will still enjoy sunlight and water, but the birds will not be able to deprive them of the fruit. Unfortunately, it is possible for smaller birds to become trapped in some types of netting, making this an unwelcome option for some growers.
Step 3. Pay attention to the most common diseases of blackberries
Like all cultivated plants, blackberries are susceptible to many diseases, pests, and infections that you can help control with careful inspection and learning to identify them. You will need to eliminate and isolate the affected branches and plants from other plants by pruning or removing them.
- The presence of yellow leaves it is a sign of lack of nitrogen in the soil; a problem you can quickly remedy by sprinkling coffee beans around the base of the plant that has this problem. Yellow spots on the other hand, can be a symptom of the dwarf bush virus or blackberry calico virus, and you will need to remove the affected plants.
- Mites, reed termites, aphids and Japanese beetles blackberries can affect blackberries, depending on the region you live in. Look for chewed leaves and berries and react accordingly. Soap, orange oil, and tobacco are all organic insecticides that you can make yourself.
- Many fungal infections they can be treated with fungicides such as Bordeaux mixture or sulfur-lime solution.
Step 4. Prune older branches during the winter
After the growing season, the branches and canes will begin to dry out and die. However, it is usually best to wait to prune until the branches are quite dry, in late fall or winter. This gives the plant enough time to suck nutrients from the branches to the roots, keeping them healthy for the winter.
- You can prune the upright varieties to around 120cm in height, and no more than 30-60 cm wide, then cover them for the winter, if you expect heavy snow, or alternatively leave the plants exposed. It is a good idea to prune the plants to the 3 or 4 primary branches to give the plant the best possible start for the next growing season.
- You can prune bushy plants by removing the branches that have borne fruit and leaving the main branches intact if they are not dry and no longer produce twigs with flowers. Blackberry branches typically bear fruit for 2 years before drying out, but new branches will continue to sprout from the base.
Step 5. Fertilize the soil every spring
When the plants are through the winter, help them by spreading compost or fertilizer of your choice around the blackberries before the growing season. Blackberry plants, if cared for properly and revitalized with fertilizer, can continue to bear fruit for 20 years. Invest in them and you will get a lot in return.
