Blackberry pruning is done several times a season. In the summer, we already trimmed the branches of the plant so that it would send out as many lateral shoots as possible. For what? It's simple - next year a generous scattering of blue-black, large and juicy berries will appear on these new side branches. In autumn, shrubs also need pruning. Why is it carried out and which branches are removed? You will find answers to these and other questions in my new video. You will also learn how to properly prepare blackberries for winter.
How to care for blackberries in the fall and prepare them for winter?
In autumn, blackberries are pruned for several reasons:
Access to sunlight. “Two-year-old” branches create dense thickets. Such dense plantings lead to the fact that access to the sun's rays is blocked. As a result, the frost resistance of the shrub deteriorates. In addition, the berries taste worse: in the shade their sugar content decreases, they become sour or bland.
Even distribution of nutrients. Old, two-year-old branches continue to “demand” nutrition. The bush has to spend a lot of energy to “feed” all its shoots. At the same time, the young get less, since part of the “diet” goes to fruit-bearing and, in fact, useless branches.
Improved flowering. Autumn pruning stimulates the flowering of young shoots in the spring. Consequently, the harvest next season will be larger, and the berries will be tastier. Easy care. It is much easier to prune, water, feed and cover compact bushes for the winter than a thickened, “impenetrable thicket” of blackberries. And you will need less agricultural material for shelter for the winter.
Important nuance! Even if you do not remove the branches of the second year, berries will still appear on them. But the harvest will not please you with abundance, and the fruits are crushed over time. To prevent this from happening, two-year-old shoots must be cut out.
Formation and placement of lashes
There are blackberry bushes with creeping and erect stems, thornless varieties and with numerous straight or curved thorns. As the berry bushes grow and develop, young vines are tied to a support. Blackberry bushes should not grow in a free direction.
Without a garter, long young and old stems intertwine, which complicates the work when forming a bush. On creeping varieties that are located on the ground, the vines will quickly take root and the berries will rot. The use of special trellises makes pruning and harvesting easier.
There are two methods of forming a bush:
- The fan (vertical) method is used for upright species. The stems of the plant are fixed on a fan-shaped support. Last year's branches are tied vertically, young shoots are placed horizontally on the sides. After harvesting, the ribs of the fan are trimmed above the ground. The central old branches are removed at the root, new shoots are collected in a bunch, shortened to a height of 1.5 m and loosely fixed on a trellis.
- The rope (horizontal) method is suitable for the formation of clinging and creeping species. Long flexible stems are wound in a spiral around a support on one side, and growing shoots are similarly secured on the other side. With this method of gartering, fruit harvesting will alternate every year. In autumn, fruit-bearing vines and weak and damaged young shoots are completely cut off.
When is autumn pruning done?
It is difficult to give a definite answer to this question. Focus on the fruiting period. When it ends, you can start pruning the bush. It is necessary to leave a reserve of time for the plant to recover after pruning, gain strength and form a strong above-ground part. Carry out pruning 3-4 weeks before the onset of persistent frosts. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the climate. For example, pruning blackberries in the northern regions should begin earlier - in September, and in the southern regions it can be done until the beginning of November.
When is autumn pruning done?
Berry fruiting period
Blackberries are a biennial plant. In the first year, buds form, in the second, flowers and fruits appear. To do this, the shoots are sorted and tied, growing on one side and bearing fruit on the other, so that it is convenient to harvest. After the second year, old shoots are pruned.
Video: Growing blackberries
The berries ripen in June-July, depending on what variety is planted. Blackberries are fertilized in summer with potassium fertilizers. Potassium makes it possible to demonstrate all the best taste qualities. Use potassium salt according to instructions, potassium sulfate. From organic fertilizers - a solution of ash, which is poured under the root.
Fertilizing during berry ripening
To prepare an infusion of wood ash, 200 g of the substance is poured into 10 liters of boiling water and left for 2 to 3 days. In addition to potassium and phosphorus, the ash contains a rich complex of microelements, which improves the plant’s immunity. If you use ash once every two years, the plant will not get sick.
Green fertilizer helps. To do this, cut weeds are poured with water and left for 7–10 days. You can add yeast - 100 g per 10 liters of water. Yeast microorganisms actively transform soil organic matter into substances available to plants.
If anyone doesn’t know, any fertilizers are first absorbed by microorganisms and only after they die are released into the plants. Yeast is added one day before the end of fermentation of the green fertilizer - on days 6 - 8.
Watering the soil under blackberries with yeast is very beneficial, as the fungus accelerates the rooting of young shoots and improves the composition of the soil.
Fertilizing blackberries during the fruiting period is carried out 3 - 4 times. The last fertilizer should not contain nitrogen so that the plant does not begin to expel new shoots before the onset of winter. Fruiting of some varieties is delayed until late autumn - these are hybrid varieties. They are also called ezhemalina. They are not afraid of cold weather and are ready to bear fruit until frost. During this period, the plant needs potassium most.
Pest protection
The crop is very resistant to pests, but under unfavorable weather conditions it can become infected with fungus. This is evidenced by the appearance of a white coating on ripe berries. Fungicides and copper sulfate are used.
To protect the shoots for the winter, they are laid on the ground and mulched with sawdust, straw, and peat. To protect against fungal infection, the plant is first treated with copper sulfate, then mulched.
Activities in the berry rows
For ease of care and fertilization, the berries are planted in rows. They are tied on ropes stretched along the rows.
In the fall, the rows are loosened, dug up with fertilizers, and sprinkled with dry wood ash.
Blackberry pruning: procedure
When the timing of pruning has been calculated, and there is still time before the onset of frost, you can begin autumn pruning of the bush. It's done like this:
1. Trim old branches . It is easy to distinguish them from new ones by external signs. Young shoots are green or light brown. Last year's branches are brownish-brown. Another characteristic feature of old cuttings is dry inflorescences and stalks left over from the previous season. If last year's shoots are powerful, then it is better to cut them off in parts.
Important point! There is no need to be afraid to cut out the branches of a bush. Radical thinning of the crown is much more beneficial for the plant than severe thickening.
2. Cut off thinned young shoots . Along with them, remove too short branches. They did not have time to ripen over the summer. They will not bring the desired result, but will only draw strength from the plant.
3. Thin out the bush . If, after cutting old, thin and short branches, there are too many healthy and fully formed shoots left, then select the best of them - no more than 5-8 pieces, and remove the rest. You can also play it safe and additionally save a few more spare branches in case of a harsh winter. In the spring, if necessary, leave them - if some of the main stems are frozen - or cut them out if the bush overwintered safely.
On a note! The shoots are cut to the very root. There is no need to leave stumps. The woody part can rot from high humidity. To remove branches level with the soil, the tool must be well sharpened. Only in this case the cut will be smooth and not torn. The fibers of the internal tissues will remain unharmed and this will allow pruning without unnecessary injury to the plant. The cuts do not need to be treated with garden varnish. After a day, their surface will be covered with a hard crust.
4. Carry out sanitary pruning . Be sure to cut off diseased and dry shoots. Remove branches affected by pests such as spider mites, aphids or galls. Such parts of plants will not survive the winter, and the pests that have settled on them will eventually move to young branches.
After pruning, do not forget to remove the debris remaining under the bushes - branches, dry leaves, old mulch. All this needs to be burned, otherwise diseases and pests will overwinter and begin to “attack” the plant again in the spring. Be sure to treat the bushes with fungicides and acaricides.
Blackberry pruning: procedure
Methods of fertilizing
Nutrients can be applied using two methods: root and foliar.
Root (under the root)
Add fertilizers to the roots in dry or liquid form. It is important to add solutions to watering holes, and spread the granules evenly around the perimeter of the tree trunk circle, followed by digging into the ground.
Foliar (by leaf)
Beneficial substances are applied to the above-ground part of the plant (foliage). This method plays a supporting role; it is not recommended to replace the main root feeding. The procedure allows you to enhance metabolic processes that are important for good plant development and high yields.
Only mineral substances are used for spraying. The products are diluted with water according to the instructions. For the event, you need to choose dry and cool weather, only making sure that rain is not expected in the coming days.
Autumn care for blackberries after pruning
Pruning is only part of caring for blackberries in the fall. It is also necessary to feed the plant well so that it successfully survives the winter. You can use both organic and mineral fertilizers. Compost or rotted manure are suitable as organic fertilizers. Of the minerals, it is best to use those in which phosphorus and potassium occupy most of the composition. Mulch the soil under the bushes - add a layer of peat, sawdust, and needle bed. Mulch will protect the roots from frost and prevent the rapid evaporation of moisture.
Blackberries are a heat-loving crop. A poorly tolerated winter can affect the harvest. There will be few berries or they will not set at all. Therefore, the bushes need to be covered for the winter. If these are climbing varieties, then the stems are gathered into a bunch and bent to the ground. They are then secured with staples or metal pegs.
Read our detailed article: Autumn blackberry care according to the rules
Upright varieties of blackberries also need to be tilted as close to the soil surface as possible. Place a “warming pillow” – spruce branches or straw – under the branches. The branches are covered from above with one of the agricultural materials - spunbond or lutrasil.
