Effective ways to propagate blackberries

Reproduction of garden blackberries by layering

Reproduction of blackberries is not difficult if you know the basic methods appropriate for each type of culture. Shoots of upright varieties (kumanik) are often difficult to bend down to the ground. This probably explains the very rare attempts to propagate them by apical layers, but they usually produce many root suckers. But creeping varieties (dews) can be easily bred if at least one bush grows on the site, precisely by layering.

Kumaniks and dewdrops practically do not differ in care. True, they are tied up in different ways. Yes, kumaniks are not always sheltered for the winter, but the long branches of dewweeds, which grow several meters in the first year after planting, practically do not become lignified.

With one blackberry bush, you can grow about 20 seedlings by layering in one season. This is best done in the summer, at the beginning of August, when the heat has subsided. You need to take a young shoot, cut off its top (approximately 10 cm), lay it in a previously prepared hole or trench up to 25 cm deep and sprinkle it with earth. The branch can be pinned to the ground with wire or pressed down with something on top of the soil so that it does not rise out of the hole, and the end, trimmed to stop its growth, can be left outside. The buried hole is watered and mulched abundantly.

Further care for the buried shoot consists in frequent watering, weed control. After 2 months, in the fall, new leaves of rooted shoots should appear on the surface of the earth. The earth must be carefully excavated, the branch must be carefully cut with a pruner between the roots that appear - these are the new seedlings and are ready for planting. They can be immediately transferred to a permanent place, or you can postpone planting until spring - it depends on the speed of frost arrival.

And you can even later in the fall dig in the top of the young shoot, cutting off the apical buds, organize the same care, and plant new plants in a permanent place in the spring, after the ground has melted - when they usually plant blackberries on the site. To speed up the process, a twig is slightly cut or scratched under each bud. When blackberries are propagated in this way, by layering, the branch is added dropwise, without cutting it off from the mother bush.

Reproduction by offspring

Reproduction of upright blackberries usually occurs with the help of offspring. When the rhizome grows, new young shoots appear on it, which are usually removed annually so that the bush does not grow uncontrollably. A healthy adult bush over three years old gives 15-17 offspring, among them the strongest and strongest are chosen, which will become independent plants after planting and appropriate care.

At the very beginning of summer, strong offspring are chosen, which have reached 10 cm in height, they are separated together with the root from the mother plant, preferably with a lump of earth, and transplanted to a permanent place. Planting and follow-up care is carried out in the traditional ways for blackberries. It is advisable to plant in prepared fertilized soil, then water it well, mulch around the ground. Some gardeners leave the selected offspring, do not separate them from the mother bush until the end of summer, and transplant them in the fall like a new seedling. In this case, the shoot is shortened to 30–40 cm. If you choose good strong shoots and provide them with careful care, then next year they will grow into real young bushes, and most importantly, they will retain all the qualities of their variety.

This is a very simple and convenient breeding method. The only pity is that it is not suitable for all varieties.

In hybrids and some new varieties of large-fruited and thornless blackberries, offspring are not formed. This, of course, makes it much easier to care for the bushes, but it does not make it possible to breed them in this way.

Cuttings in greenhouses and on window sills

But by cuttings at home, you can propagate almost any variety. True, thornless varieties often grow thorns. Even such a new variety as Prime Arc Freedom, which is now undergoing variety trials, is perfectly propagated by cuttings or root shoots. In the US state of California, "Prime Arc Freedom" gives two crops, which means that in our country it may well bear fruit in greenhouse conditions.

In the fall, cuttings are harvested by cutting them off annual shoots. Each stalk should be approximately 15 cm tall and have 2-3 buds. Then they take each of them, cut off the leaves, and put them in the water with their apical bud (just the top one on this cutting), that is, upside down. In a jar of water (which is constantly topped up), the cutting stands until a small independent plant with its roots and shoots develops from the bud. This tiny seedling is separated with a piece of stem and planted in a bowl with light nutrient soil for seedlings. There it will grow and grow stronger until spring at home or in greenhouses. And after cutting it, the next bud is lowered under the water, the process is repeated. This is a very productive method, since each bud grows a full-fledged blackberry bush with the characteristics of its own variety.

There is another way to root the cuttings. They take the same not yet lignified stalk, cut off the stalk on the opposite side of the bud at an angle of 45 degrees, cut it over the next leaf, remove one of the parts of the three-part leaf, dip the stalk with the bud into Kornevin or a similar preparation, plant it in peat for rooting. Such small cuttings with one bud and one incomplete leaf root perfectly and give rise to a new plant. They are provided with home care until spring, and then planted in a permanent place of growth.

Garden blackberries take root easily. You can make it even easier - lower the lower part of the cutting into water, bend it, lower the upper part into wet soil, or simply wrap it with polyethylene to retain moisture. After a while, the root will begin to grow not under water, but on the other side.

Blackberries are never bred with seeds, although they sprout well, they can grow strong good plants. But this is how specialists work, not summer residents.

Growing a bush from seeds you never know what will happen - a new plant does not retain the characteristics of the variety of the plant from which the seeds were collected. It is much easier to breed blackberries on your site with offspring, layering or cuttings.

Video "The easiest way to propagate blackberries"

In this video, you will get acquainted with a simple method of breeding blackberries, which gives 100% survival rate.