Blackberries in Siberia: planting and care

Features of growing blackberries in Siberia

Blackberries are considered a culture vulnerable to severe frosts: their frost resistance is estimated at a maximum of -20 degrees. But even at such temperatures, the bushes should be covered for the winter in order to preserve the shoots and the root system. However, cases are widely known when many varieties grow calmly and effectively bear fruit in the Chelyabinsk region without any shelter, where you will not surprise anyone with a 30-degree frost in winter. Still, the best results are obtained by those gardeners who cover the bushes.

In order for the blackberry to bear fruit well, the planting of the bushes should be carried out in well-lit places warmed by the stingy Siberian sun, which will be maximally protected from cold winds. To allow the plants to grow a little stronger and take root, planting should be done in the spring, then by winter the plants will gain enough strength to go to winter: this is the only way you can protect your culture from freezing.

When choosing a blackberry variety, pay special attention to its winter hardiness. For Siberia, it is better to take the Snyder or Eldorado varieties. A variety such as "Eri" has also proven itself quite well.

Preparing for landing

Blackberries, which are to grow in Siberia, with its harsh living conditions, must receive proper care from the farmer, moreover, it must be planted in the right place. The selected site must meet the following requirements:

• lack of highly shaded areas;
• enough sunlight;
• the soil of the selected area should not be excessively moistened or even waterlogged;
• sandy soil should not prevail.

As already mentioned, in the northern regions, it is preferable to plant all varieties of blackberries in the spring. Before planting is carried out, the site should be carefully prepared: exterminate perennial weeds, remove all rhizomes from the soil, dig up the soil with high quality (adhering to the bayonet depth of an ordinary shovel).

Mineral fertilizers mixed with organic fertilizers must be applied to the land on the site where the cultivation of blackberries is planned: at least 10 kg of humus, 20 g of potassium sulfate, 15 g of superphosphate are needed per 1 square meter of the planting area.

Landing technology

When planting bushes of a variety suitable for Siberia, the holes should be placed at a distance of at least one and a half meters from each other, keeping 2.5-3 m between the rows. The root system of a blackberry, regardless of what variety it represents, lies somewhat deeper than that of the same raspberry. Therefore, the planting pits must be made large and deep - best of all 0.5 * 0.5 m. The holes must be prepared 10 days before planting takes place.

It is better to plant the bushes vertically, slightly deepening the root collar (no more than 2-3 cm). If this condition is not met, then even the most careful care will not bring the expected results - the development of the bush will be suppressed.

As soon as the blackberries are planted, a hole is made around the plant and the seedlings are watered abundantly (at the rate of 1 bucket of water for 2 bushes). The next step is to mulch the soil around the seedling.

When all the necessary manipulations are made, blackberry seedlings, regardless of the variety, need to be pruned. On each shoot, leave no more than 5 cm above the soil, cut the rest decisively.

Subtleties of care

During the spring and summer, which will pass after planting the bush, it will give several strong shoots. Any variety of blackberries suitable for growing in Siberia needs proper care: regular loosening of the soil was carried out not only in rows, but even between rows, two-year-old shoots were cut off, a shelter for wintering in the fall was organized, as well as a timely rise to supports with the arrival of spring.

An adult plant (the variety in this case is not of fundamental importance) needs annual spring feeding: 25 g of urea is applied for each square meter of the planting area, and once every three years - 10 kg of humus for each blackberry bush.

Caring for blackberries also includes the obligatory rise of shoots to the trellis.

No matter what kind of blackberry you grow in your garden, it requires adequate watering. Do not allow the soil to dry out excessively, especially during active flowering or fruiting, the bush will not like it. In the first few years of the life of the bush, it is watered in a fan-like manner, lifting and tying up the growing whips. All subsequent young shoots are directed to the center of the bush.

In the fall, when fruiting is over, it will be necessary to provide not so much care as preparing the bush for winter: we cut off all the old lashes cleanly, and carefully place the young shoots in a small pre-dug trench to make it easier to organize a shelter. The bushes are covered with a protective layer of suitable material, sometimes leaves, sawdust or spruce branches are used. Without observing these rules, plants of a non-resistant variety are unlikely to survive the harsh Siberian winter.

It should be noted that experienced "blackberry experts" advise to observe the rule of crop shelter regardless of the resistance of the selected variety to frost: even a variety that is officially considered hardy for lowering temperatures to -20 degrees, very often suffers from frosts, as a result of which the yield of the bush decreases.

So, you provided your bushes with decent care, and they successfully spent the winter under a reliable protective layer. But the cold has passed, and now the time has come for the first spring work in the garden. What does a gardener do first? Of course, it frees its blackberry from winter shelter. This must be done even before the buds on the lashes swell, and winter-hardy varieties wake up early enough. In principle, all subsequent care of the blackberry bush consists in shaping it and raising the growing branches on the trellis in time. And so on until the time comes to harvest.

Blackberry bushes, even if they are of the same variety, do not bear fruit at the same time. The fruits need to be harvested in several approaches as they ripen. If the berry is ripe, then it easily and effortlessly comes off the cup.

Harvesting is often fraught with great difficulties - blackberries have a "prickly" character. Each berry variety, in addition to its taste and characteristics of agricultural technology, also differs in the number of thorns, but nevertheless, there are a lot of such thorns. Recently, however, varieties have appeared that delight us with absolutely smooth stems, without a single thorn. A variety such as, for example, "Thornfree", has excellent qualities and is certainly suitable for growing in Siberian gardens, the only condition is that we must not forget about the winter shelter.

As you can see, there is nothing difficult or impossible in the process of growing blackberry bushes, even in the difficult conditions of Russian Siberia.Cast aside doubts, and be sure to make the blackberry a permanent inhabitant of your garden, and she will never be in debt, generously thanking you with her tasty and healthy gifts.

Video "Harvest blackberry"

Thanks to this video, you will learn which blackberry varieties are successfully grown in the garden plots of Siberia, what are the features of crop care.