How and when to transplant blackberries to a new place in the fall

How to transplant a blackberry bush: transplant rules

It would seem that a blackberry grows in the garden, bears fruit, and why bother it, replant it, and worry if it will take root. The fact is that the culture grows well in one place for 10-12 years, and then the bush begins to age, which is manifested by a decrease in yield, a decrease in the number of young shoots. When this begins to occur, it is recommended to transplant the bush to another place. From the point of view of biologists, transplanting renews and rejuvenates the plant, after which it can bear fruit for the same number of years. Also, transplanting can solve the problem of redeveloping the site or planting too large a bush.

In the transplant of blackberry bushes, two stages can be distinguished: preparatory and main. The preparatory stage consists in the selection and preparation of the site. This takes into account the following points:

• a place must be chosen open to the sun, but at the same time calm - a site on a small hill is best suited, since blackberries do not tolerate excessive moisture and stagnant water, or along the fence from the south or south-west side;
• the site must be cleaned of debris, foliage, roots, if a tape planting is planned (in trenches), then the soil can be dug up - if you suspect the presence of larvae or spores of fungal diseases, it is recommended to water the site with a disinfecting solution (salt, potassium permanganate, or copper sulfate);
• the soil for blackberries should be loose, fertile and slightly sour - loamy or sandy loam soil with the addition of peat and humus is ideal.

The main stage consists of the following activities:

• breakdown of beds (plantations) - blackberry bushes are planted in a row at a distance of 1.5-2 m for varieties with erect shoots, and 2-3 m for creeping varieties, the distance between rows is 1.8-2.5 m (depending on varieties);
• devices for planting pits or trenches - holes are dug under the blackberry 0.5 m deep and rhizome-wide, with the trench method, a depression is dug up to 0.5 m deep, 2 m or more in length;
• fertilization - as during planting, fertilizers are added to the planting pit (humus or compost 0.5–1 bucket, mineral mixture 100 g), which are mixed with a part of the soil;
• digging the bush from the same place - the ground around the bush is loosened deeply (to make it easier to dig), then they carefully dig in the bush from all sides and take it out together with a lump of earth (the roots are not shaken off);
• an adult bush has a very long main root, and it is not easy to dig it up, therefore, if necessary, you can chop off this part of the root;
• then a bush is placed in the planting hole, the roots are straightened, covered with the remaining earth, and compacted;
• after transplanting, the bush is watered, and the soil around it is mulched.

Autumn blackberry bush transplant

Blackberry bushes can be transplanted in very early spring, until the plant begins to move the juices, or in the fall, after the end of fruiting. Since the soil is often frozen in early spring, and transplanting at this time is very difficult, many gardeners transplant the bushes in the fall. An autumn transplant is suitable for regions with a temperate and southern climate, where there are no early frosts, and winters are relatively warm.

The transplant should be carried out a couple of months before the onset of constant cold weather - this time is enough for the bush to take root and not freeze in winter. It is good if the plant is moved to a new place along with an earthen clod - in this case, the adaptation process will be easier. In any case, after transplanting, it is imperative to cover the blackberries for the winter with a thick layer of mulch made from sawdust, straw, dry foliage or peat. Snow can also be used for cover - it is poured over the mulch in an even layer.

In the fall, not only adult plants are transplanted, but also young seedlings obtained from the roots of the mother bush - offspring. These scions appear around the bush throughout the summer. By the fall, they grow up and gain strength, so planting offspring in the fall is considered the most successful. Many gardeners plant young shoots in the summer, but by the middle of summer they usually have a height of 10-15 cm and are still rather weak, while autumn specimens are much stronger and their adaptation is more successful.

Creeping blackberry varieties have practically no offspring. It is propagated by layering. To do this, at the end of summer, a young and healthy shoot is tilted to the ground, fixed, and sprinkled with earth so that the top remains on the surface. With good humidity, after about a month, roots will sprout at the place of bud formation, and in September a young bush can already be transplanted to its permanent place. Also, in the fall, planting (dividing the bush) is practiced in order to update the blackberry plantings.

Proper care of blackberries

Caring for mature bushes is quite simple. If the aisles are covered with mulch, then the need for loosening and weeding disappears by itself.

At first, the transplanted bush needs frequent watering (1-2 times / 1 week, if there is no rain), and then, when it takes root, watering is carried out only if necessary (abnormal heat, drought, fruiting period).

The main care measures remain pruning and shelter for the winter. For blackberries, two pruning is required: in the spring, and in the fall, after harvest. For some varieties, thinning pruning may be needed in summer, but the main ones are autumn, it is also preparatory for winter, and spring.

In September (for late varieties in early October), when fruiting is completely over, all old shoots (fruiting this year) should be removed at the base. They will no longer give a crop, and if they are not cut, they will simply create additional stress on the bush. Together with the old shoots, part of the young branches, the weakest and thinnest, is cut out.

For a good yield on the bush, it is enough to leave 6–8 of the strongest shoots, which will yield a harvest next year - the rest must be removed at the root. Leaving stumps is not recommended, as they will rot and infect healthy branches. After all unnecessary growth has been removed, the remaining young shoots are shortened by a quarter (20–25 cm); in creeping varieties, a third of the shoot can be cut off.

Now you can start sheltering for the winter. Blackberries do not have high winter hardiness - some of its varieties are not able to survive winter with temperatures of -10-15 ° C.

To prevent the bushes from freezing, they are covered with a thick layer of mulch. To do this, you need to remove all the shoots from the trellis, lay them on the ground, or bend over, if the shoots are erect, and then cover them.

In the spring, when the threat of frost has passed, the blackberry is freed from the shelter and examined for the safety of the shoots.Healthy branches are flexible, shiny, healthy brownish color, frozen ones are loose, rough and brittle. Dead branches are removed during spring pruning. If there are 4–6 shoots left on the bush, it can be considered that it has survived the winter safely and will please with a bountiful harvest in the summer. If there are 3 or fewer healthy branches left on the bush, then you will not be able to count on a high yield, but the berries will grow larger and sweeter.

Blackberry bush transplant video

How to properly transplant blackberries to a new place, the expert will tell in this video.