How to choose the right methods for planting blackberries

In order for blackberries to grow well on your site, you need to carefully approach the issues of choosing a location, planting method, and also properly prepare the soil for this crop.

Since blackberries are the closest relatives of raspberries, the places, methods and soil preferences of these two species coincide. In general, you can plant blackberries in the area where raspberries grew quite successfully in the past. But you need to keep in mind that blackberries consume a lot of water and nutrients from the soil.

Which planting site should you choose for blackberries?

To choose a place to plant blackberries, you need to consider several factors. For blackberries, the illumination of the place is very important. Among other berry crops, like raspberries, blackberries do not tolerate shaded places, this is expressed by the fall of leaves, buds and slow growth of branches. So try to determine in advance a place on the site where there will always be enough sunlight during the day.

But lack of light — This is not the only factor influencing the quality and quantity of the crop. It is also worth making sure that there is some kind of protection from the wind in winter, since at this time of year it is strong and cold, which can easily damage the plant.

Even buildings or some structures can serve as protection. The cardinal directions from which cold winds are most likely are northwest and northeast. Moreover, the problem of cold winds is similar in danger to summer, dry winds, you will get protection from gusts at any time of the year.

Due to the fact that the blackberry root system goes quite deep, you should take care in advance and find out the location of all the springs on your site, if there are any. All this is justified by the fact that spring soils are noticeably colder than ordinary soils, and low temperatures can adversely affect the strength of plant roots. And no matter how much blackberries love moisture, cold soil can make them prone to diseases and pest damage.

Clay soils will also prevent blackberries from growing well, so if you can help it, avoid planting them in this type of soil. Now that you've learned all the nitty-gritty factors associated with soil, you'll be able to choose the right location for your own blackberry bush very easily.

But of course, the quality of the harvest and the health of the shrub itself depends not only on soil factors and placement on the site, but also on where these seedlings were purchased. Experienced gardeners recommend buying seedlings only in nurseries where professionals work in crop propagation and care.

Preparing the soil for blackberries

For blackberries, it is very important to properly prepare the soil before planting. Properly prepared soil is a very important activity that must be carried out before planting absolutely any crop. Suitable soil for the plant will be the key to long life and health. But our goal is blackberries, so we will find out all the soil preferences specifically for them.
We can immediately say that blackberries, like raspberries, love to live in soils such as sandy loam or medium loam with humus, the main property of which is moisture holding capacity. In addition to the main surface, the subsoil also has some influence on the growth of blackberries.

To ensure the necessary drainage and good development of the root system, the subsoil for blackberries must be loose and contain a certain amount of clay so that there is no significant loss of moisture. It is important to take into account the acidity of the soil solution; for blackberries, pH 6 is the appropriate level.

In fact, very few gardeners are known who find out the pH value of their soil and know the exact definition of the concepts of sandy loam and medium loam.

As a rule, acidity is determined by the presence of moss, sorrel or horsetail. If there are these crops on the site, all that remains is to carry out liming. It would be better if this procedure was carried out 2 years before planting our crop. As a rule, you need to add about 500 grams of dolomite flour per 1 square meter. meter of area.

The hole for planting blackberries is made according to the following parameters: 60x50x50 centimeters. One third of the pit is filled with manure or compost (4 buckets), superphosphate (300 grams) and potash fertilizers (80 grams). Two thirds will be from ordinary alumina or earth. The entire substrate must be spent on one planting hole.

Two thirds of this substrate is poured into the planting hole; a seedling must be placed on top of the poured substrate, the roots should be straightened, and only then the hole should be filled with the remainder of the mixture. After this process, do not forget to water the planting site well.

After this, the soil will sink slightly, so you will need to add more substrate and do not forget about watering. Try not to deepen the neck of the root system, otherwise you risk weakening the growth of the blackberry bush. Later, it will be necessary to mulch to avoid evaporation of water from the soil.

When to plant blackberries?

When to plant blackberries? The best planting time for blackberries is mid-autumn and early spring. Since at this time, the blackberry stems begin to ripen and become covered with bark. But if you plan to replant blackberries during the summer, you will need to dig up a twig of blackberries and, together with a small piece of soil, replant them in a new area. If it turns out that your seedlings have not fully matured and do not have a woody covering, then in this case, you will need to prune 25 centimeters from the top and plant blackberries only at the end of summer.

Methods of planting blackberries

Currently, there are two good and proven methods for planting blackberries. They are: “bush method” and “tape method”. You can choose at your own discretion, or as your site allows you.

The “bush” planting method is done using a cord, which will need to be pulled and marks made on it at equal intervals (about 1 meter). The marks will become holes for planting blackberries in the future. You can place the seedlings in the form of a checkerboard or along a line, depending on your taste. However, no matter what types of blackberries you choose, with the “bush” method, you you will have to maintain a distance between the bushes in the row.

The “ribbon” planting method is performed using the same cord, but this time everything will be different. Firstly, the distance between the rows will be 2 meters. But in the row itself, the bushes can be planted closer to each other, at a distance of about half a meter. This method is good because it can speed up the appearance of the first berries.