How to care for blackberries in the fall to ensure a good harvest

Blackberries surpass raspberries in yield, and the taste is also considered more intense by discerning gourmets, but the bush has only begun to gain popularity in the last 3-5 years. Previously, the plant was predominantly sold in southern varieties, which bore fruit well only in warmer climates. The bushes were characterized by uncontrollable growth and numerous thorns. Modern catalogs are filled with winter-hardy, thornless, and large-fruited varieties of this berry, many of which have already been tested and show good results. Garden blackberries: planting and care, 5 golden rules for pruning, how to cover for the winter.

Features of autumn planting of garden blackberries

The bush can be planted in the spring, but autumn planting is preferable, as this season is often accompanied by warm, rainy weather. Before the first frost, the seedlings have time to take root and develop immunity. Over the winter, the bushes will harden off, acclimate to the growing conditions, and begin to grow vigorously in the spring. Advantages of autumn planting:

• It is recommended to plant the crop in well-warmed soil; in spring, the soil can warm up for a long time, until the onset of heat that is destructive for weakened plants;
• Only bushes planted in spring are susceptible to the negative effects of sunlight. Leaves and bark will become sunburned, shoot growth will slow, and this can lead to the death of the plant;
• a bush planted in early autumn takes root faster than when planted in spring;
• autumn seedlings are stronger the following year and can easily withstand weather changes;
• Nurseries and gardening stores display most of their seedlings in the fall; by spring, the selection is much smaller, and most of the remaining stock is surplus.

To ensure everything goes smoothly, it's important to time the planting correctly, as it depends on the climate. In the south and central regions, a plant planted in the fall will develop roots until the onset of sustained frosts of -4°C (-4°F). In these conditions, the best time for planting is early October. In cities with cooler weather, the procedure is postponed until early October. When calculating the timing, use a long-term weather forecast as a guide, and set the date 30-40 days before the first frost.

How to choose seedlings for autumn planting

The survival and development of a bush depends on the quality of the planting material. Underdeveloped, diseased plants, or poorly selected varieties will grow very slowly, and if the bush survives, you'll have to wait a long time for the first harvest. Remember a few helpful tips to help you avoid mistakes when choosing garden blackberry seedlings:

• look for zoned varieties;
• take into account the ripening time of the berries;
• Buy seedlings from trusted sources where the seller can provide a certificate confirming the variety;
• It is better to plant bare-root seedlings in spring; in autumn, choose bushes in containers;
• carefully inspect the seedling; there should be no dry areas, spots, cracks or signs of disease on the bark;
• Consult with the seller, find out all the characteristics of the variety in order to adhere to the correct timing and planting patterns;
• Give preference to thornless varieties, they are much easier to plant and care for;
• Forming berries on one-year-old shoots of everbearing blackberry varieties requires painstaking care, but plants that produce several waves of flowering and hybrids have increased immunity to diseases.

If you purchase a seedling without a container, inspect the root system; it should be well-developed with numerous thin branches. The bush may have several shoots at least 50 mm thick. When purchasing a seedling, consider the plant's ability to produce shoots. If you plan to plant several bushes in a row, the plant should produce as few root suckers as possible.

Selecting a location and preparing the soil

Blackberries require a sunny, sheltered location protected from the wind on all sides; berries in the shade will be small and sour. The bush does not thrive in dry areas, but standing water is also detrimental, causing roots to quickly rot and the bush to wither. In low-lying areas, constant moisture accumulation will slow down shoot maturation, and the bushes will die in winter, even with good care. Groundwater should be at least 1.6 meters deep. Areas along fences on the south or southwest side of the garden are ideal for planting blackberries.

It's best to leave the chosen site vacant for 3-5 years. Blackberries shouldn't be planted after vegetables. Nightshades and berries are considered the worst predecessors, while strawberries and wild strawberries make poor neighbors. Berry bushes thrive in fertile, moisture-retentive loams. Heavy, clay-rich, carbonate soils rich in calcium and magnesium salts, as well as sandy or rocky soils, are unsuitable for berry bushes. Prepare the planting site in advance:

• the soil is dug deeply (45–50 cm);
• mix 5 kg of compost or rotted manure, 50 grams of potassium sulfate, 150 grams of superphosphate;
• Fertilizers are evenly distributed over the selected area and dug up again.

Prepare the soil 15–20 days before the scheduled blackberry planting date. Fertilizer proportions are calculated for one planting hole; the fertilizer will last for 3 or 4 years of vegetation. When digging, remove all weed roots. The planting hole is dug to a depth of 50 cm and approximately 50 cm in diameter. Add 8 kg of compost or humus, 50 grams of superphosphate, 25 grams of potassium sulfate, and 150 grams of wood ash to the excavated soil. Fill the hole with the resulting mixture to approximately 2/3 of its total volume.

When determining a planting pattern, keep in mind that dense plantings are unacceptable for blackberries with shoots 3.5 to 7 meters long or longer. This will reduce the feeding area, some branches will be in shade, making the plant more difficult to care for, reducing berry quality, reducing yield, and increasing the risk of various diseases. The spacing between seedlings may vary depending on the variety or type of crop, the support arrangement, and agricultural practices.

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When planting blackberries along a fence or building wall, leave at least a meter between them. It's convenient to train the bush's branches along a trellis, with the plants planted in a row. It's best to use supports in two rows (with the bushes in the middle). Young shoots are trained to one side, which will be covered later, while second-year shoots are trained to the other side, which are then completely cut back in the fall.

Planting Blackberries in the Fall: Step-by-Step Instructions

Proper planting will ensure a good wintering of blackberries and their subsequent healthy development. If the seedling was purchased in a container, planting will be straightforward, especially if the pot is made of a material that decomposes in the soil. If the container is made of plastic or another inorganic material, carefully remove the plant; there's no need to shake off the soil.

For bare-root seedlings, carefully inspect the roots, trim off any dry areas, and treat them with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or soak them in a slurry of mullein, clay, and water in a 1:2:5 ratio. Before using the mixture, soak the roots in a hydrogen peroxide solution (one teaspoon per liter of water) for 5 minutes to protect them from pests and enrich them with oxygen.

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How to plant a shrub:

1. Pour half a bucket of water into the planting hole.
2. Once the water has soaked into the soil, place the seedling in the middle of the hole.
3. Holding the seedling strictly perpendicular, fill the hole with the remaining soil mixture, compacting the soil slightly as you go so that there are no voids.
4. The root collar is deepened no more than 3 cm from the previous level.

If you weren't able to prepare the hole in advance, add a 10 cm layer of compost into the dug hole (50 x 50 cm). Place the closed-root seedling on the nutrient pad, and the open-root seedling on a small, pre-prepared mound of soil. Immediately after planting, pour three buckets of water under each bush, lightly compact the soil, and cover the area around the trunk with mulch (peat or rotted manure, 10-15 cm thick).

It's best to transplant root suckers from late June to early September; they're usually planted in September. Carefully dig up the side shoot and cut the root with a knife or shovel. Immediately transplant the separated shoot to a prepared site. If you missed planting your garden blackberries in the fall, keep the seedlings in a basement (in a container) at a temperature of 0 to 2 degrees Celsius (32 to 36 degrees Fahrenheit) until spring, moistening the soil occasionally. Or bury the plant outdoors and cover it thoroughly.

Garden blackberries: pruning and preparing for winter

Autumn care for blackberry seedlings involves weeding, watering (as needed to keep the soil from drying out), loosening the soil, and mulching. It's also a good idea to protect the bushes from insects that hide in the soil before winter. To control pests, each bush is periodically watered with a solution of half a tablespoon of 3% hydrogen peroxide per liter of water before covering. The same solution can be used to treat the above-ground portions of the plant to prevent disease.

In subsequent years, the bushes are watered three times a season; the bush's roots penetrate deep into the soil, where they receive the necessary moisture. Even with infrequent and meager watering, blackberries can grow in the same spot for up to 9–11 years. The final watering is done a couple of weeks before the onset of frost, and fertilizer (chlorine-free potassium-phosphorus) is applied simultaneously. A small amount of superphosphate and compost mixture can be carefully dug under each bush.

Pruning blackberries in autumn

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Pruning the bush in the fall helps blackberries survive the winter well and form fruit buds. In addition to maintaining productivity and increasing yield, pruning ensures proper, even nutrition, provides sunlight to the fruiting branches, and produces earlier, tastier berries. Pruning thorny blackberries is especially important; once the bushes become overgrown, caring for them and harvesting the berries becomes quite difficult. Fall pruning is performed from mid-September to the end of October (immediately after the entire harvest).

Before pruning, it's important to determine the optimal load for the shrub. A healthy, mature plant's rootstock can support no more than 8 fruiting shoots. About 10 branches are left for the winter, providing a small reserve in case of frost. All weakened stems are removed; sparse but healthy bushes are more productive. Let's consider the 5 golden rules. blackberry cuttings:

1. During the first year of the season, all inflorescences are picked off to stimulate root growth.
2. In the second year, in the spring before the beginning of the growing season, the stems are shortened to 1.5 or 1.7 m. The cuts are made above the bud.
3. After wintering, remove frozen sections of stems down to the living bud. In the first half of June, thin the bush by removing young shoots, leaving no more than eight of the best shoots for trailing varieties and about five for upright varieties. The tips of young stems are shortened by 6 or 8 cm (one centimeter above the bud).
4. In autumn, branches that have borne fruit are cut off at the root, as well as underdeveloped shoots or those affected by diseases and pests.
5. Everbearing blackberry bushes are cut out completely.

To help blackberries recover faster after pruning, use only sharp scissors or pruning shears with no gaps between the blades. Branches should be removed completely; even short stumps should not be left behind, as rotting wood can lead to dangerous diseases. Any plant debris should be strictly prohibited from being left near the bushes; it should be burned away from the blackberry beds.

How to cover blackberries

Planting blackberries in the fall requires providing a secure shelter. In warm regions with snowy winters, additional protection may not be necessary; a layer of mulch will suffice. Before winter, stems are shortened to 1.5–1.8 m. If your area experiences less than 30 cm of snow cover in winter, the seedlings should be bent to the ground, tied to stakes, and covered with burlap, roofing felt, or thick plastic. The soil should be covered with a layer of hay, straw, peat, spruce branches, corn or sunflower tops.

Blackberry bushes should be covered immediately before the onset of frost; if they are covered too early, there's a risk that the shoots, pressed to the ground, will take root. In the spring, the cover is removed immediately after the temperature rises above zero to prevent the branches from overheating and the fruit buds from rotting. As the vines grow, they are tied to supports. Blackberry shoots are difficult to bend, so the bushes are prepared for subsequent covering in August. Small weights are attached to the tips of one-year-old branches, which will gradually bend the stems.

Mistakes in caring for blackberries in the fall and preparing for winter

Beginning and sometimes even experienced gardeners complain that, even when following all the rules for autumn planting, blackberries grow poorly the following year and are constantly ill. The problem may stem from poor-quality planting material, but more often than not, poor growth is a sign of improper care. Here are some common mistakes gardeners make when growing blackberries:

• too dense planting;
• planting in a damp place (it is better to transplant the bush immediately);
• incorrect crown formation;
• lack of shoot regulation (overloading of the bush);
• untimely pruning.

When growing blackberries, every detail is important. Many varieties and hybrids, while easy to grow, still require extra attention. Only begin growing blackberries after thoroughly studying the theory of fall planting and care. Consider the region's climate and soil composition; only then will you be able to reap excellent harvests of berries year after year.

Differences in blackberry planting in different regions

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Planting and care in open ground are the same for all regions of Russia, but there are some nuances. Studying the experiences of gardeners from different regions reveals that the same measures can both harm and benefit the plant. For example, in the Moscow region, blackberries should be watered infrequently and sparingly, while in the Krasnodar Krai, on the contrary, they should be watered as frequently as possible. Let's highlight the most important points:

1. The Northwest region is a rather challenging area for gardeners, as most cities are located in marshy areas. It's best to plant shrubs on slopes or hills, or to add a thick layer of drainage material when preparing the planting holes.
2. The central region and the Moscow region experience predominantly frosty winters, and insufficient moisture is often observed in the summer and early fall. After planting in October or November (during rainy periods), the soil around the tree trunks is loosened after each rain or watering, and a deep layer of mulch is applied before the onset of frost to provide frost protection.
3. The Krasnodar region is characterized by a hot climate with little precipitation. Dry, hot winds blow throughout almost the entire summer and fall season, bringing prolonged drought. Under these conditions, blackberries should be planted in late fall or winter, before mid-December. Frequent watering is recommended, and mulching is essential, not only around the tree trunks but also between the rows.
4. Siberia is a risky agricultural zone, experiencing severe frosts and winds year after year. Blackberries are planted in unshaded areas, protected by building walls or fences. All blackberry work should be completed before the first autumn frosts (mulch, cover the beds, and install snow shields).

Now you know how to plant blackberries in the fall. If you follow the correct procedure and provide quality care, the bushes will easily survive winter frosts and quickly begin growing in the spring, without having to wait long for the first harvest. To avoid problems, remember the basic nuances of garden blackberry care, and confidently grow the best varieties of this vitamin-rich, still-rare berry in your own garden.