Growing blackberries in Siberia

For quite a long time, such an unremarkable and unusual plant for cultivation in the garden, like a blackberry, has been very actively cultivated by gardeners and occupies an honorable place among the most popular crops. However, perhaps this is a fairly natural phenomenon. It should be taken into account that blackberries are not only a very unpretentious and easy-to-grow plant, but also a shrub with a lot of medicinal properties, and therefore its popularity is perhaps quite simple to explain. Of course, given how widespread (not only fruit, but also ornamental) blackberries have become, many gardeners are asking questions about how to grow blackberries in the harsh Siberian winters.

The answer to this question is quite simple and expected: of course, it is real. In horticulture, almost anything is possible, provided you, of course, use the best developments in genetics and know the technique well. We will tell you how to grow blackberries in Siberian frosts and cold conditions in this article. We hope it will help you, and you will never have any difficulties related to this issue again.

How to grow blackberries in Siberian conditions. The most frost-resistant varieties

Photo of the blackberry variety Black Satin

Of course, it is genetics and hybrids that are the first thing that absolutely anyone who wants to grow blackberries in such an unsuitable place for such plants will think about, will be absolutely right. Fortunately, in our time, creating a frost-resistant variety of almost any plant does not present any problems for genetic engineers and breeders.

The list below contains not only frost-resistant blackberry varieties, but also those that, in addition to their amazing resistance to cold, have wonderful taste and decorative qualities.

Black Satin

Of course, it was not for nothing that we mentioned this particular hybrid variety first. The fact is that if you are going to grow blackberries in Siberia, then it is on him that your gaze should fall before everyone else.

In addition to the fact that it has one of the most developed adaptations to the worst cold weather, Black Satin is also an incredibly unpretentious variety of blackberries and can be grown even by the "greenest" gardener.

As for other characteristics of this variety, it reaches a height of five to seven meters, which, of course, is quite an impressive height, especially for a bush. By the way, despite the fact that the variety has such gigantic dimensions, it is still a kind of "kind giant", since it is completely devoid of thorns, and therefore you can work with it even without gloves.

Nevertheless, such a whopper, of course, is very difficult to maintain in a standing state, and therefore, as soon as a plant of this variety reaches a height of one and a half meters, it begins to slope and creep along the ground. Also, this shrub has very interesting growth characteristics. The fact is that over the years, its root system practically does not increase. However, a huge number of sprouts do appear in every season.

The advantages of this variety also include its fruits, which are not only very tasty, but also incredibly pleasant in appearance. Do not forget about their size, since such a giant as Black Satin must correspond to rather large berries.The mass of one single berry can reach up to seven grams. During ripening, the berries form small clusters, which include from ten to fifteen pieces. Consequently, one bunch can weigh from seventy to one hundred and five grams, which, of course, is a very good result, given that such bunches on a bush are very dark.

As for the taste, it can be described as perfect for absolutely any black forest berry. This blackberry is sweet, but not so sweet as to be cloying and nasty. In addition, it has light sour notes that only make the taste more pleasant.

We have already mentioned that you can really pick a lot of berries from one bush, but we did not say exactly how many. In fact, it is not such an easy task to give any specific values. In the end, all gardeners differ from each other in their agricultural technology and their ability to care for plants, and therefore the values ​​will vary greatly from person to person.

Nevertheless, it is still possible to give an average statistics, and it is twenty kilograms per one adult bush, which is well cared for. However, if your results differ from the average, you should not be surprised, since the spread was incredibly huge when collecting information. How to grow blackberries Black Satin - care does not differ fundamentally from other varieties.

How to grow Thornfree blackberries in Siberia

Photo of the blackberry variety Thornfree

This blackberry variety also boasts that it does not have thorns and therefore does not attempt to respond “aggressively” to courting by its owner. Its height, however, is no match for the previous hybrid, which some may see as an advantage and some as a disadvantage.

Speaking about specific values, it should be noted that most often the height of the bush reaches four meters. However, there are also five-meter bushes, as well as three-meter ones. However, its advantages do not end with the fact that this variety does not have thorns. Of course, the first thing for which Thornfrey is so loved and revered is his amazing yield, in comparison with which even Black Satin remains in second place.

Up to a hundred berries can be harvested from one branch of the Thornfrey variety. Nevertheless, this does not affect their size and weight, and therefore these parameters in fruits are close to the previous variety and are from five to six grams on average.

Also, Thornfree berries can be praised for their extremely rich and beautiful black color and, in addition, for their amazing taste, which is somewhat sweeter than Black Satin. However, you have to pay for such benefits. Therefore, the berries of this variety become incredibly quickly watery and unpleasant on the tongue.

How to grow Thornfree blackberries: You should be very careful about the timing of the harvest, so as not to "overexpose" the berries. It is advisable to start harvesting the fruits at all some time before they are fully ripe, since in this case you will get a much better pulp consistency.

Ripening begins in August and lasts about a month, and therefore you must harvest, as we have already said, a little earlier.

Abundant - how to grow this variety of blackberries

Photo of the variety of blackberry Izobilnaya

We continue to list the blackberry varieties that do not have thorns. However, perhaps this is one of the reasons why it is these cultures that occupy the very top of our list. The shoots of this plant are very strong and powerful, and therefore it is perfect for you if you live in an extremely windy area. Not only will the winds not damage the stem, but they also will not cause terrible diseases in the plant, which, of course, is a big plus.

However, once you read the name of this variety, you will of course realize that its main advantage is far from being wind resistant. Of course, the Abundant blackberry made it to our list due to the fact that it is very abundant. In addition, it has large (even compared to Black Satin) berries, which, in turn, have an oblong shape and weigh from seven to nine grams.

The taste can be described as pleasant, but it is difficult to attribute any other epithets to it. However, this is not required. After all, berries don't have to be great to be delicious. In addition, the fact that there are a lot of them, as well as the fact that they are very large, negates their "just good" taste.

How to Grow Blackberry Agaves

In the previous variety, our thornless blackberry bushes are over. Therefore, we now turn to the thorny representatives of this family. One of these is Agavam. In height, it reaches a fairly standard three to four meters, and its stems are as strong and powerful as those of the Abundant blackberry.

Photo of the blackberry variety Agavam

As for the features and dignity of this variety, it lies in the fact that the Agave blackberry is incredibly winter-hardy. You can even say that this is the most winter-hardy blackberry. At least among those that offer good taste of their berries and high decorativeness. Such a bush can survive even at temperatures up to forty degrees below zero. Therefore, if your winters are very harsh, it is Agavam that will suit you the best way possible.

However, like any other variety, this one has its own limitations, and they are not only in the fact that Agavam has thorns. The fact is that on average, only four kilograms of berries are collected from a bush of representatives of this species. Of course, for this size, this is still quite a lot. However, if you, of course, have enough experience and skills, you can increase this number with good care and agricultural technology.

As for the timing of ripening, they have long been determined and known by Aghavam. The best time to pick the berries is when they are about to ripen. This date comes in mid-April, and therefore it is this time that is ideal to start harvesting.

How to grow Darrow blackberries

This variety is very similar to the previous one, however, it has something that Agave does not have, and this is good and abundant fruiting. The fact is that when growing Agavam, you will most likely be confused by the abundance of ripening of berries. Darrow has no problem with this. It grows up to ten kilograms of harvest, and the berries themselves are very oblong, heavy and beautiful.

Photo of a variety of blackberry Darrow

As for their taste, they differ significantly from all previous varieties, since they are significantly sour. Nevertheless, we are sure that this taste will have a huge number of admirers and admirers.

Speaking of ripening, it should be noted that it takes a little longer than all of the above members of the blackberry family. The berries ripen within a month and a half, and it is not recommended to pick them prematurely.

Nevertheless, this variety, of course, cannot be better than the previous one in everything, and therefore there is a factor in which it lags significantly behind, and this factor is frost resistance. The fact is that Darrow bushes very poorly withstand temperatures below thirty-five degrees below zero.

When to land

In fact, despite the fact that the winters of Siberia are a very unfavorable phenomenon for plants, the planting periods here practically do not differ from those that are adhered to in all other regions of our country. It is best, of course, to plant in the spring, but just be sure to make sure that all return frosts have already passed, since they pose a huge threat to growing seedlings.

How to grow blackberries in the country and what place on the site to choose

To start answering the question of how to grow blackberries, you need to start by choosing a site. Despite the fact that we have described to you some varieties that are well protected from the effects of strong winds, they are, of course, not immortal.Therefore, it is advisable to provide protection from windy weather. The best defenders for blackberries will be ordinary fences and fences, since they are the ones that most strongly weaken the wind rushing to your plantings.

Nevertheless, do not forget that the bushes need the sun, and therefore planting them where it does not shine at all just to protect them from the wind is clearly not the best idea. In addition to the above instructions, you should also remember that blackberries have some features that are incredibly important to consider when planting a plant.

We will list the most important of them in the list below, and also explain how exactly you need to plant the plant so that these features do not eventually kill the bush.

How to grow blackberries - the subtleties of planting. First of all, despite the fact that the roots of this plant practically do not grow, one should not forget that the bushes themselves grow in height very quickly, and, as you remember, they grow to a considerable height. Therefore, if you plant seedlings too close to each other, there is a high probability that they will interfere very much with themselves during the growth process.

Therefore, when planting blackberries, it is incredibly important to maintain a distance of at least two meters. According to exactly the same rule, the distance to the fence should also be observed. However, here the limit will be not two, but only one meter.

Sunlight is very important for this plant, since its shoots, with a lack of this inexhaustible source of energy, begin to wither before our eyes. In addition, a lack of light can lead to one of the most unpleasant problems, which, in principle, can be associated with any fruit plant: crop failure.

However, a much less pleasant circumstance is a significant decrease in cold resistance, which in the end can lead not only to a poorly spent winter, but also to the death of the bush. An excess of moisture is also extremely detrimental to blackberries. However, perhaps, it is not useful for any plant, however, it is the blackberry that is very acutely experiencing excessive watering.

That is why it is strictly forbidden to plant it in any lowlands. The fact is that during the rains or after the snow melts, almost all the water will flow into these lowlands, and therefore the risk that this will harm the roots of the plant is extremely and extremely high.

Also, this culture is very demanding on what microelements its soil is saturated with. For example, if it lacks iron or magnesium, you can definitely expect that this will adversely affect the blackberry, the activity of its growth and development, and, of course, the yield.

We also advise you to follow the procedure below. A year before planting blackberries in any place, it is advisable to plant any legumes there. This will enrich the soil and adapt it to the habitation of our black forest berry.

Pre-planting works

At the moment, it is probably already obvious to you that planting this plant is an incredibly complex process, and therefore, obviously, it requires thorough preparation from you, which we will now talk about. So, before growing blackberries, you need to: prepare the site and the seedlings directly.

How to properly grow blackberries: site preparation

Naturally, just taking and planting a blackberry seedling anywhere is far from the best idea, which can lead you to the fact that the bush will grow very poorly, develop and bear fruit. And, perhaps, he will not grow up at all. Therefore, first of all, you simply have to carry out a thorough cleaning of the area, which implies the destruction of weeds and throwing all stones aside.

After that, the soil is dug no less carefully. The digging depth should be the bayonet of a standard shovel.Before directly digging into the ground, it is necessary to add organic and mineral substances, thanks to which the plant will grow much faster and will be able to adapt equally quickly to completely new and unfamiliar conditions.

In order to prepare the substance that you will add to the soil, you will need ten kilograms of humus, into which you will need to introduce twenty grams of potassium and two hundred grams of ash. It is also advisable to add fifteen to twenty grams of superphosphate.

Also, do not forget that blackberries do not tolerate acidic soils at all, and therefore, if it is very acidic in your area, lime should be introduced into the soil, which will help you get rid of the undesirable qualities of the substrate.

Everything that was listed above, of course, is done not a day or even a week before the direct planting of the seedling, but a whole month. Only in this case, all fertilizers and substances introduced into the soil will have time to be absorbed and will be well accepted by the plant.

You should also think carefully about how moist the soil in your area is. The fact is that this directly affects where the blackberry will be planted. In the event that it is too wet, the bush is planted in a garden bed, and if it is not wet enough, in a rut.

How to grow blackberries - preparing seedlings for planting

Of course, the soil is far from the only thing that needs to be properly prepared for such a responsible and important procedure. Saplings are also among these things, and several procedures need to be carried out with them.

First of all, you should inspect the roots very well, since it often happens that sellers not only do not remove parts of the root with physical damage on their own, but also do not warn buyers about them. Therefore, it often happens that an inattentive gardener absolutely confidently plants a blackberry in the ground with serious root damage, which in no case should be allowed.

It is also important to ensure that the root system of the plant is well hydrated before planting. In addition, you should observe whether mold is present on it, since it is no less a common cause of plant death than direct root trauma. However, it also happens that the seedling simply cannot be prepared a month before planting, since it was purchased just a week before.

In this case, you will need to store it in as dark and cool a place as possible. At the same time, throughout the entire storage period, sufficient moisture in the roots should be maintained. The roots will be soaked again just before planting. True, then they use not just water, but a mixture with a growth stimulator. The roots are dipped in such a solution for several hours, after which they are already planted in their future place of residence.

However, it is naive to assume that every store or market is right next door, and therefore, of course, the question of transporting the sprout from the place of purchase arises. At the same time, obviously, this must be done, providing the lowest risk of injury to the plant. This can be done by wrapping it in foil, after filling it with sawdust in advance. So the roots will not only be protected from external influences, but also will not dry out.

It is also very important to monitor the weather before planting, since it is it that is the most common cause of death of young seedlings that have not even had time to really grow. In no case should you plant a blackberry if there is frost on the nose.

How to grow blackberries and how to plant them correctly

So, let's say you have done all of the above procedures, and you have a well-prepared soil and a well-prepared seedling. What to do now will be described in the instructions below.

To place blackberries, it is advisable to use a garden wire trellis... Do not forget that a set distance of two meters should be observed between each bush.Of course, you will also need planting holes. Their dimensions should be about forty by forty centimeters, and in depth they should reach half a meter. Of course, deviations from these values ​​of about five to ten centimeters are permissible, however, it should be understood that these very parameters have been established by years of practice, and it is still not worth violating them.

Remember that the roots of blackberries, although they do not grow too quickly, they definitely differ in strength and strength, and therefore they need good space to grow. As for the placement of the rows themselves, it depends entirely on how you want to see them. If, in your mind, these are long blackberry corridors, then they should be placed parallel to the fence, while retreating up to a meter from the fence.

In the event that you want to see many small, harmonious rows on your site, you can arrange them all perpendicular to the fence, keeping the same distance. It should also be remembered that between all these rows you need to somehow move, and therefore it is imperative to observe a distance of about two and a half meters between the rows. This is the only way it will be convenient for you to care for your plants in the future.

Before each seedling is in the hole intended for it, its bottom will need to be filled with earth. It is also advisable to pour an additional portion of humus into the still fresh hole, which will significantly help the plant adapt in a new place. However, you need to carefully ensure that the roots do not come into contact with humus, and therefore, a little more earth should be poured on top of the humus.

This will provide the roots with a good soil “foundation”. Now you can place the seedling in your hole, after which all the cavities remaining in the hole are well sprinkled with earth and compacted so that the root is held firmly and confidently.

At this stage, it is very important to make sure that the seedling does not look out of the hole more than necessary, and, of course, that it is not too deeply buried. The most suitable option is for the soil to cover the plant exactly along the root collar, plus or minus a couple of centimeters.

Also, one should not forget that, despite the dislike of waterlogging, this plant is still hygrophilous, and it never refuses water. Therefore, as soon as the planting procedure is completed, and the root will sit firmly in the ground, the soil should be watered well and abundantly. However, it is very important to ensure that this watering does not become excessive and does not kill the seedlings even before they can enjoy this wonderful world.

According to the average estimates of professional gardeners, five liters is an ideal volume of water, which will not only be useful, but also will not harm the bush at the initial stage of development. It should be understood, however, that this irrigation is not single. It is carried out every time you add an additional layer of soil into the hole. Poured soil - watered. We added humus - poured it, and so on.

Thus, you will allow the blackberry to take root without any problems and survive the adaptation period.

After all of the above planting steps are completed, you should completely cut off the entire root part of the plant using a well-sharpened garden tool. At the same time, you should make sure that you do not in any case leave the plant without buds.

At least two of them should remain on the trunk. The fact is that the so-called dormant buds are located on the root system of this plant, which will not begin to grow until they have enough resources for this. However, the plant will be able to allocate enough resources to them only when all the buds in the aboveground part run out, which is what this procedure is designed for.

After you practically leave no buds on top, the dormant buds will begin to grow rapidly and turn into shoots, which will soon form a bush and you will be able to take care of the young stems as soon as possible.

By the way, we mentioned that the plant should be planted in such a way that the earth covers only its root collar, but we have not explained what is the reason for such a filigree planting.

The fact is that the root is an incredibly sensitive organ. It is no less important than our circulatory system, and therefore, as soon as it is even a little outside the soil, it immediately begins to freeze, and this certainly does not benefit the plant. It would seem, why not just plant the seedling as deep as possible, thus preventing the root from freezing. However, this is also not an option, since in this case growth will be inhibited, and there is a high probability that the plant will simply die.

How to grow blackberries in Siberia. Care after landing

The first time after planting, it is advisable to leave the blackberry alone, since you already did a very good job of ensuring it when you placed it in the ground. She will be quite enough for the water and those fertilizers that were added to the earth with her, but soon their supply will be cut out. Then you will need to provide the bushes with further watering and fertilization.

Also, at the end of the season, it will be necessary not only to cut the plant, but also to cover it from frost. Since, no matter how cold-resistant the bush is, the harsh climate of our country can still harm it. However, we will look at this later, but now let's talk about the persistent needs of the blackberry. Let's start with watering:

Watering and loosening the soil

Watering the blackberry should be done for a month and a half. This statement is especially true for the growing season, when the bush grows at an incredible speed and spends an incredible amount of energy. Also, especially intensive watering is necessary for the plant during hot sunny days that dry out the soil.

By the way, along with the irrigation procedure, it is quite possible to carry out loosening. This procedure is no less necessary. The fact is, the soil contains a huge number of weeds and insects, which, for obvious reasons, are extremely undesirable for your plant.

Also, to get rid of both of these problems at once, you can use the mulching method. Mulch can be made from sawdust, dead leaves, or wood chips. Needles and shredded dry sphagnum moss may also work.

By the way, you need to loosen the soil not only directly near the bush, but also between the bushes. Since malicious organisms can also be located there, it will not be difficult for them to get to your blackberry at the first opportunity. In addition to the fact that loosening allows you to get rid of many problems, it also helps the plant in good air and water exchange.

Top dressing

Of course, you won't be able to achieve record yields just like that. Therefore, for this you will have to resort to systematic and abundant fertilizers, which will help you significantly increase the quantity and quality of berries.

However, feeding is perhaps one of the most difficult procedures associated with caring for this plant. The fact is that its roots, as you remember, are rather shallow, and therefore it is necessary to lay the fertilizer with extreme caution and accuracy.

Mulching, by the way, can be done not only with the above ingredients, but also directly with the help of fertilizer. However, only organic, since, of course, mineral mixtures in such huge quantities in which they are needed for mulching can simply kill the plant.

Manure mulching will require from you from five to four kilograms of the substance itself per meter. And this procedure itself will provide good soil moisture and protection from many creeping insects.In addition, do not forget that fertilizer is, first of all, a nutrient, which, of course, will be useful for the plant and will significantly help it in growth and development.

As for the timing, they are rather vague and uncertain. There is no specific date when the plant will most effectively take fertilization. Nevertheless, we can say with certainty that this should be done exclusively before the appearance of small shoots.

By the way, a rather important rule, which in no case should be violated when mulching, is careful monitoring of soil moisture before the actual procedure. If it is already sufficiently hydrated, mulching can only do a disservice and destroy the plant.

They can also incredibly strongly affect the plant. nitrogen, as well as potash fertilizers. The fact is that with their introduction into the soil, you need to be incredibly careful, since in high concentration they may not stimulate and accelerate the growth of the plant, but, on the contrary, slow it down.

As for exclusively potash fertilizers, they are used only once a year and in rather small quantities (only forty grams per serving).

There are also such dressings that are completely contraindicated for blackberries.... For example, these include chlorine fertilizers, which, it would seem, are very widely used in gardening for almost all plants.

And here phosphoric Fertilizers, on the other hand, can and should be used. However, this must be done wisely.

Thus, if you are feeding the plant enough organic matter, this should be done quite rarely. About once every three years, laying thirty grams per square meter. However, if there is not enough organic fertilizers, then feeding with phosphorus should be frequent up to one procedure per year.

How to grow blackberries: trellis garter

The fact is that the blackberry is a rather large plant, as you may have noticed, and therefore it needs support. Such support can be very well performed by a garden trellis, which is widely used for tying various large-sized shrubs.

First of all, of course, you need to prepare the trellis itself, but if you have already installed it, you can proceed to directly fixing the plant. To do this, it is necessary, first of all, to tilt the fruit branches to one side and tie them to wires, which should be located at a height of ninety centimeters and one and a half meters.

As for the young branches, you will have to take them to the other side relative to the center of the bush so that they do not intersect with the fruit ones.

However, the division can be done in another way: all fruit branches can be fixed on the lower wires, and the young ones - on the upper ones. This way they will not overlap either, and you may find it more convenient to work with the plant. It should also be mentioned that you cannot use anything you get as a garter. It should be strong, but not as thin as wire, as such materials can damage the stems. In fact, twine works best.

Blackberry pruning

Pruning blackberries is just as important as watering or fertilizing, for example. The first of them is carried out in the spring, when the bush grows most actively and rapidly. During this procedure, each stem must be shortened by exactly ten centimeters. It would seem that this does not make any sense, but in fact, experienced gardeners and botanists have long proven that such a procedure very well helps the plant to concentrate its energy on growing large and juicy berries.

Another thing about spring pruning is the fact that not all stems are pruned during spring pruning. In fact, only those that have already wintered are shortened, but in the fall all those that have faded and brought you berries are cut off.

Also, autumn pruning means cleaning the plant from viruses and diseases, because fungi or insects could develop on them throughout the year. In addition, during the autumn pruning, unnecessary young shoots are also removed, which do not give any hope. This will help the plant not waste its nutrients on parts of it that you don't need in the end.

Important! All last year's whips must be cut to the very root. If you leave a small stump, there will be a high probability that various parasites or bacteria will start in it. This is especially dangerous if you do not treat the cut with charcoal. Since the stump is still associated with the plant, the disease can spread to it, which, of course, will not end well.

However, besides pruning, there is another method to increase the yield of blackberries. This method is called topping. And you, if you are an experienced gardener, of course, have already heard about it more than once and, of course, applied it in practice.

The essence of the method is that a clothespin is placed at the top of the stem, which does not allow it to grow in length, forcing the blackberry to invest all its efforts and nutrients in the development of the fruit. This procedure is performed, as well as pruning, twice a year.

The first procedure takes place at the very end of spring - in the middle of May, and the second - in the middle of summer, and not in the fall, as you might expect. About how long a clothespin is made from has long been debated in the society of gardeners. However, if we average the values ​​suggested by many gardeners, we get about ninety centimeters. It is this length that is optimal and allows you to get the maximum benefit.

How to grow blackberries in harsh Siberian conditions: sheltering a plant before cold weather

Yes, that's right, despite the fact that in this article we are considering exclusively winter-hardy varieties of blackberries, no one has canceled the fact that they may well suffer from excessive cold. This is especially true in Siberia, where critical temperatures are quite normal.

When to start covering the bushes? Of course, after pruning and before the onset of cold weather. In principle, we cannot give you any more specific date, since it does not matter. You can cover the same day as you prune, but it is fashionable a week before the first blizzard.

In order to carry out this procedure correctly and be sure that your blackberry is one hundred percent protected, you must follow the instructions that we have given below:

• First of all, you must tie the lashes, since, of course, if they are in a state spread out in all directions, you will not be able to cover them in any way. To bind, you will have to split the entire rosette into several small groups containing two to three separate stems.
• After you have several ligaments, all of them must be bent to the ground, while securing with hooks or with the same twine.

Nevertheless, such rather cruel manipulations can be carried out exclusively with creeping varieties, since they will not cause them any damage at all. A completely different conversation if your blackberry is erect and grows exclusively perpendicular to the ground.

In this case, trying to bend it to the ground, you are more likely to break all the stems, and therefore you need to follow a completely different instruction. It is to start preparing for winter in the summer.

It is in the summer that it is necessary to tie small weights to the tops of the lashes of the bush. The fact is that if you apply force slowly and in small portions, then you will not damage the plant in any way. Thus, the weights will gradually bend the stems to the ground, and in the end it will not be difficult for you to bend them a little more and finally cover them.

It's amazing how sciences like physics can be used in an unrelated activity like gardening.

However, what should you do after the stems of your blackberries are "nailed to the ground." At this moment, the moment comes for the implementation of the very last and simplest point of our instructions - for immediate cover.

The material that will protect our plant throughout the winter will not be a garden film or even agrofibre. No, we will use sawdust, hay or straw as it. In simple terms, mulch, however, should be as dry as possible, which means that covering the plant with organic matter or moisture-laden moss is not an option.

You can also spray the branches with copper sulfate in front of the shelter, as this will significantly increase the likelihood of successful wintering and their safety by next year. Important! In addition to organic fertilizers and moss, fruit tree leaves should also be avoided as cover material.

The fact is that various pests and fungi can most likely settle in them, which, at the onset of the next season, wake up and bring a huge amount of trouble to both your plant and yourself.

Gardeners reviews

Love to.

The only serious problem that I can highlight is that blackberries ripen when the cold months and real frosts just begin. That is why at the end of summer there is a lot of trouble with her. Not only do you need to pick the berries very quickly, but after that you also need to immediately cover all the bushes and cover them.

To do this for a long time, and frosts are just around the corner, and therefore it is not always possible to keep up with everything. However, frost-resistant varieties are frost-resistant for that, that they perfectly survive the beginning of the cold period. It is very important to cover not only the bush itself, but also the ground next to it. Many novice gardeners simply do not understand what frost is, and how much it is dangerous for blackberries.

Naturally, if the temperature outside reaches minus forty, the ground will freeze very much, and this freezing may well get to the roots, even if you sprinkled the outlet with all the sawdust and all the hay that you have at all. Therefore, I strongly recommend pouring the mulch not in a heap, but try to spread it wider so that it occupies a large area and does not allow frost to break through.

You can also use film, although in my opinion it is not the best method of protection. Nevertheless, as soon as spring comes, the film will need to be lifted, if not removed. The problem with the film is that it does not allow air to pass through, and the plants also need to breathe. Mulch, on the other hand, allows air to pass through well, and therefore, as soon as the frosts come down and the temperature becomes more or less adequate, the film can be removed.

But mulch - you can not remove it at all until May, until small shoots begin to appear. Then you can get rid of it, and plant the stems of the blackberry on the trellis. Also, immediately after you remove the mulch layer, it is advisable to water the blackberries very well and abundantly so that they get used to being in the fresh air better.

Watering is necessary, of course, abundantly. Personally, I water it once a week, and I can say for sure that my plants have enough with their heads. I water the young with two liters of water, and the adults with six. I do not forget, of course, to feed them. In May-July, this should be done especially often, since the plant grows very quickly.

Mulching is also a very important procedure. I spend it when shoots appear that will only grow next year. From my own experience, I was convinced that if you start mulching earlier, they will not grow at all, and next year the harvest will be poor. So don't repeat my mistakes. By the way, it is advisable to press these youngest shoots to the ground so that they grow parallel to it. It will be much better and safer for them.

All in all, I am very happy to have a blackberry.I must say that for such a large and useful plant, it is very easy to care for it. In addition, on the site it looks just lovely, especially when red berries appear on it, gradually turning into black. I also really enjoyed dealing with a thornless variety. Working with him is a real pleasure, and he does not give any problems at all.

I thought that wintering would be painful for the plant, but it turned out that it tolerates it quite calmly, especially under a protective layer. Simply put, everything with the blackberries was wonderful. Well, her relatives just adore her. They always come to me to help harvest the harvest, but it turns out just indecently much, given the fact that I have only five bushes growing. In general, this is even good. There are enough berries for everyone.

Conclusion

The fact that you live in Siberia should by no means become a limitation for you, which would prevent you from working with plants and doing gardening. After all, there are a huge number of winter-hardy varieties, and therefore, if you are constantly drawn to the garden, why not start with blackberries?

This is a wonderful plant that will not only allow you to develop your skills and improve your skills, but also give you a huge return in the form of a bountiful harvest at the end of the year. The main thing is to follow fairly simple rules and instructions, and the blackberries will take care of the rest by themselves. We hope our article helped you figure out how to grow blackberries, how to care for this amazing plant. And you will never have any problems with it, even in the most frosty and severe region of our country. Perhaps all that remains is to wish you good luck.