How to prune blackberries in the fall for a good harvest. Pruning blackberries in the fall for beginners

Growing garden blackberries requires appropriate care. For the normal growth of the shrub, followed by the appearance of mature and juicy fruits it needs to be cut. In this article, we will consider the method of pruning blackberries in the fall, complete instructions will be revealed for beginner gardeners.

The expediency of pruning a bush

Should I prune blackberries in the fall? This is compulsory procedure, which contributes to the comfortable growth of plants and fruits in the future. At the same time, it is necessary to cut not only old dry branches, but also young shoots.

Autumn pruning of garden blackberries helps to achieve the following results:

Rational consumption of nutrients for the plant. Old shoots also require nutrition, which results in a lack of it in young healthy shoots.
Eliminate shady areas. Overgrown branches give additional shade to the blackberry, but for normal growth, the shrub should be in the sun as much as possible.
Preparing for frost. Flexible young shoots are much easier to cover than old hard branches.
Maximum yield. Productivity increases if small shoots that bloom little or do not bloom at all are eliminated.
Shrub reinforcement. If damaged, dry and old shoots are removed, then the young branches become stronger and more resistant to external stimuli.

When is the best time to prune: autumn or spring? Preparation for sheltering blackberries for the winter period involves the complete elimination of unnecessary branches. Therefore, this procedure must be carried out in the middle or end of autumn, depending on the region where the plant grows, as well as on its variety. That blackberry, in which fruiting ends in early autumn, can be pruned during this period. Varieties with a later harvest are pruned in mid-October. But, despite this, spring is the period when you should open a bush from a shelter. After carrying out this manipulation, it is also necessary to check the shoots for damaged branches. If any are found, they are removed.

Blackberry pruning scheme

This event is held only after the full harvest. How to prune a blackberry bush? An approximate instruction for pruning a plant, clear and easy for beginner gardeners, provides for the following actions:

Elimination of shoots that brought maximum amount fruits this year. And this should be done in such a way that there are no stumps left. They can rot in the winter, which will lead to the death of the plant.
Removal of underdeveloped, small branches. Such shoots will not bring a crop in the future, but they will take in some of the nutrients. Therefore, it is pointless to leave them, there will be no yield on such branches.
Pruning diseased and damaged branches. Ultimately, they will die. But besides this, they can have a harmful effect on young and healthy shoots.
Shrub formation. A healthy bush should consist of 6-8 healthy branches. You should choose the most suitable branches for growth in the amount of 8 pieces. Cut off the rest at the root. This will help to evenly distribute the load on the shrub, as well as saturate all the shoots with useful substances.
Shortening the remaining shoots. Some of the branches need to be cut about 25 cm. You can increase the length if the size of the branch allows it. The cut must pass over the kidney.

After carrying out such manipulations, the shrub is finally ready for shelter for the winter. At the end of winter, blackberries should be opened. This is done in March-April. It all depends on weather conditions during these months. After opening the bushes, they need to be carefully examined for damaged branches. A healthy branch should have a brownish glossy surface. Dry and affected branches are pruned.

Bush formation

Proper pruning of blackberries involves the formation of a bush. Especially if there was a strong growth of the plant for summer period. The manipulations that should be carried out for this depend on the plant variety. So, you can form a garden blackberry in this way:

all branches should be collected and in vertical position lift on a trellis;
divide the bush into two parts and distribute the branches on different sides;
look at the bush for old shoots that gave the maximum number of berries, such shoots are removed;
eliminate diseased, thin and too young branches, they will not survive in frosty conditions;
leave a few of the healthiest and most durable branches, after shortening them by 20-30 cm in front of the bud;
remove the branches from the trellis, carefully lay them on the ground for subsequent shelter.

As for the creeping blackberry variety, the formation of the bush proceeds as follows:

distribute the branches into shoots that bore fruit and did not give a harvest this year;
wind old and young branches on the trellis, distributing them on different sides;
shoots bearing fruit this year must be cut off at the root;
the rest of the branches should be looked at and the strongest and most healthy shoots should be left;
remove branches ready for winter and lay.

Blackberry care involves sheltering the plant after pruning. That is why it should be done in the fall. sheltered plant for normal subsequent growth must be in a healthy state. If diseased, dry or diseased branches remain during shelter, they can also damage healthy shoots.

Despite the fact that blackberries are a fairly popular product, it is quite difficult to buy seedlings today. This is due to the lack of demand for it. After all, blackberry bushes require appropriate care, which causes a lot of trouble. But growing your own blackberries helps to get the maximum amount of fruits that have high price in the shops. After all, these berries contain many vitamins and other useful substances. With self-growing plants, you can stock up for the winter with this valuable product, which is an excellent prevention of colds.

Blackberry represents perennial shrub having flexible shoots and stems. There are many thorns on the branches. Blackberry bushes are best planted along fences or in specially designated areas.

The value of blackberries is not only in beautiful ornamental bushes, which will decorate the garden at any time of the year, but also in delicious berries. They can be eaten raw, cooked from them compotes and jams. To form a neat bush and get good harvest you need to know how to take care of it. How to prune blackberries and when to do it?

Advice: When planting blackberries, it is imperative to ensure free space between bushes. This will facilitate the process of pruning and caring for the bushes.

Pruning blackberries in the fall for beginners by year

The first year of growth: we form blackberry bushes

The formation of blackberry bushes should be given special attention. Blackberry stems are flexible, so the formation of bushes consists in separating young shoots from those that are already bearing fruit. The most popular are the following types of blackberry bush forms: fan, rope, weaving, in which the direction is in one or opposite directions.

When planting, the distance between blackberry bushes should be 3.5-5 m. Length - approximately 25 cm from the ground. It is necessary to ensure that the plant does not grow freely, it must be constantly directed. When the growing season is over, you need to cut off the weak tops of the blackberry stems.

The first pruning of blackberries in the fall before winter helps:

use the nutrients that come to the bush for the development of young shoots;
increase the frost resistance of the blackberry bush;
stimulate flowering next year;
evenly distribute the total load on the blackberry bush, which contributes to a good harvest.

Second year of growth: continued formation of blackberry bushes

Blackberry fruiting begins from the second year of growth. Berries appear on the lateral shoots. New shoots also appear, which also need to be directed, not allowing them to grow in an arbitrary direction.

Advice: New shoots must be separated from branches that bear fruit.

When the berries are ripe, they can be collected, and these branches can be cut. New blackberry shoots are left, only their weak tops are removed. This should be done every year, which will ensure the good formation of the bushes and prepare them for fruiting for the next season.

Pruning blackberries is a hassle, but in order to get developed bushes that give a good harvest, you need to cut them regularly. The first time you need to cut a blackberry bush 2 years after planting. In the future, pruning is carried out after 1-2 years, by removing the shoots that bear fruit.

Blackberry bushes also need to be pruned in spring. Stems and loops are cut out, the length of which is very large, and the tops are dry. Pruning of blackberry bushes should be done every year, leaving no more than 5-6 shoots on each of them that bear fruit.

Blackberries of some varieties are left uninsulated for the winter. In this case, fruit-bearing shoots are shortened in autumn by cutting them to the same height (1.5-1.8 m). Sometimes such pruning is carried out in the spring, which is even more convenient, due to the fact that you can simultaneously remove the affected areas of the shoots. When pruning bushes, it is important to leave the shoots long enough to be able to tie them up.

Advice: Stems that have frozen out during the winter should be removed completely.

The final formation of a blackberry bush

Photo: The first option for the formation of blackberries on two sides

Most right time for the formation of blackberry shoots - May-June. Young shoots of blackberries are cut at a distance of 8-10 cm from the surface of the earth, which will allow the formation of a bush from secondary shoots. Despite the fact that they are still quite weak, they are completely healthy.

Photo: The first version of the formation of blackberries on one side

By the end of the growing season, the height of the secondary stems should be approximately 1.5-2 m. The stems comfortably bend down to the ground to insulate them for the winter. With the onset of the next year, they will need to be tied up and provided with support, at the time when the berries will ripen. This will ensure that the berries ripen at the same time.

When growing blackberries on your site, you must carefully control the growth of shoots, then the blackberries will surely please you with a tasty and rich harvest.

Video: Pruning blackberries for beginners

Despite the outward militancy, which is expressed by hundreds of thorns covering the stems of the plant, the blackberry requires careful care. To grow healthy plant, bearing fragrant black berries, blackberries need to be cared for during fruiting and after it ends. If the procedure during the growing season is more or less clear, what should be done in the fall, how to prepare blackberries for winter?

Features of caring for blackberries in the fall and preparing for winter

In order for blackberries to endure the winter without consequences, you should not rely solely on covering material. As you know, only a well-groomed and healthy plant can endure long cold weather, so the preparation of blackberries for winter should be started at the very beginning of the growing season of the bush.

Blackberry plantings need to be carefully and timely looked after. Shrub care includes:

timely watering;
fertilizing;
weeding;
thinning of landings;
pruning young blackberry shoots;
arrangement of props: shoots are tied to a trellis or other support;
giving the bush the correct shape.

Video: preparing blackberries for winter

Crown formation deserves special attention. There are three ways of forming: fan, rope and weaving.

To carry out the fan formation a trellis is built along the row, to which the longest stems are tied in a vertical position. Short shoots are bred to the sides and fixed at a height of 30 cm. This method is best suited for the formation upright varieties berry.
Rope formation is performed as follows: the stems are collected in a bundle and tied with several rings, which are evenly distributed along the length of the cylinder. The structure is attached to a support.
Braided crown formation is very similar to rope, this method differs in that the branches are divided into two bundles. Ideal for big bushes. Both methods are best used to form creeping brambles.

note, garden blackberry bushes should be planted in rows that are done at a sufficient distance from each other. Such a distance is observed so that the branches do not intertwine with each other, and the landings do not turn into impassable thorny thickets. Moreover, it is much easier to take care of individual plants and harvest from single plants.

Important! Experts recommend cutting flower stalks from bushes planted in spring: in this way, the shrub will not waste energy in vain, but will immediately direct them to the formation of roots - a powerful root system significantly increases the cold resistance of the plant.

Pruning blackberries in autumn

Blackberry is a shrub with a two-year fruiting cycle: the first year after planting, the plant forms shoots, and in the second it bears fruit. In order for the bush to bear fruit well, two-year-old blackberry branches must be cut as they become unproductive. Old lashes shade young shoots, which is why the berries ripen more slowly or remain green at all, become small and lose their sweetness.

Why trim

In addition to maintaining productivity, Blackberry pruning has a number of equally important goals:

After removing the old wood, the nutrients are evenly distributed over the fruit-bearing shoots, without spending extra energy on maintaining unproductive ones.
Due to the fact that the extra branches strongly “thicken” the bush, the central branches are constantly in the shade: a disadvantage sunlight significantly impairs frost resistance.
Pruning blackberries not only speeds up the ripening of berries and their taste qualities, but also strengthens the bush.
Shortening annual shoots contributes to better flowering in next year.
Since the plant is covered with thorns, it is much faster and safer to pick berries on a thinned bush.

Important! During pruning, you need to cut out all the "suspicious" stems: healthy rare bushes more productive than dense thickets of rotten and dry branches.

What crop of blackberries can be harvested next season can be judged already with the advent of spring: if there are 6 healthy shoots left on the bush, the bush will please with a generous harvest, 4 will bring a little less berries than in the previous case, 3 or less will form a little large berries.

When is the best time to prune blackberries - in autumn or spring?

Spring and autumn pruning are equally necessary for the normal development, active fruiting of blackberries. If blackberries are pruned in autumn in order to strengthen and improve their frost resistance, then the goal spring pruning- cleansing the bush from frozen and rotten branches, increasing productivity. Therefore, both the first and second pruning are essential to obtain a generous harvest of black berries.

Pruning time in autumn

Depending on the length of the growing season autumn pruning of blackberries is carried out from the second half of September to the end of October. As soon as all the berries are collected from the bush, you can begin to cut off old and unnecessary branches.

How to prune blackberries in the fall: instructions and diagram for beginners

So, before trimming, you need to determine permissible load bush. root system a healthy bush of medium size will fully meet the needs for nutrients 6-8 productive shoots. As a rule, 8-10 shoots are left after pruning, in case some of the lashes freeze or die.

Video: pruning blackberries in the fall.

For pruning to be effective, it must be done in the following order:

Immediately after harvesting the berries, two-year-old branches are removed at the root.
Cut off weak, poorly developed shoots.
Branches that have been badly damaged by pest attacks are cut off - most likely, such shoots simply will not be able to overwinter.
In order for the shrub to actively bloom next year, the top is cut off from young shoots (1/4 of the entire length of the shoot). Please note that you need to cut off the upper end 1 cm above the kidney.

Important! In the process of pruning, the branches must be removed at the root: rot may appear on the stumps, which can harm the rest of the branches.

At the end of pruning, you need to remove the cut off branches and rake the leaves near the shrub, garbage is piled away from cultural plantings and burned. Such cleaning will not only improve the aesthetic appearance of the site, but also prevent the reproduction of diseases and pests. In order for the moisture to evaporate more slowly, and the soil to freeze less, the area around the bushes is generously sprinkled with peat and sawdust.

Video: how to cut blackberries in the fall.

note In order for the blackberry to recover faster, only a sharp pruner with no gap between the blades should be used as a pruning tool.

Blackberry shelter for the winter

Since the shrub does not have high frost resistance and bears fruit only on last year's lashes, before winter, blackberries must be covered: the most insignificant freezing of the shrub will entail a deterioration in fruiting, and in the worst case, its complete absence.

Important! For the winter, it is necessary to cover even cold-resistant varieties of blackberries. Such plants are able to withstand frost down to -20C, less frost-resistant blackberry varieties - up to -17C.

Blackberry stalks growing in southern regions, which will not hide for the winter, is shortened to the same height - the length after trimming should be 1.5-1.8 meters.

How to cover blackberries for the winter

After pruning and cleaning the site, you can begin to shelter the shrub for the winter.

The stems of a climbing shrub are collected in a loose bundle, gently bent to the ground and tied to pegs or secured with hooks.

It is a little more difficult to cover blackberries with erect stems in this way, since such lashes are endowed with poor flexibility. So that the stems do not break while bending down, they begin to prepare them for future shelter in the summer: in August, a small load is attached to the upper ends of the plant, under the influence of which the erect stems gradually bend down. After the leaf fall, the lashes slowly bend down more and cover, and in the spring the stems open up and fasten to the support.

Used as a mulching material fir branches, tops of sunflower and corn, hay, straw, sawdust, rotted manure, roofing material, thick polyethylene.

Video: how to properly cover a blackberry for the winter

Important! It is forbidden to cover blackberries with fallen leaves - after the end of the growing season, an incredible amount of pathogens and pests accumulate on their surface, which can cause significant damage to the shrub.

Typical mistakes of caring for blackberries in the fall and preparing for winter

Due to ignorance of how to care for garden blackberries in the fall and prepare them for winter, gardeners often make mistakes.

Here are some of them:

Blackberries are planted too densely, because of which the stems are closely intertwined with each other and block access to the stems that are to be pruned.
Do not form crowns of bushes: healthy branches are damaged during pruning.
Unnecessary branches are left on the bushes: gardeners make a lush plant and do not remove extra and slightly damaged shoots that obscure productive branches and take away their nutrients.
Autumn pruning is postponed until spring: the plant weakens and does not tolerate winter well, it is difficult to cover it for the winter.

After careful study of the theory autumn care for blackberries, you can safely arm yourself garden tool and to consolidate in practice the acquired knowledge, which next season will be fully rewarded with a generous harvest of large juicy berries.

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Pruning blackberries in the fall for beginners. In summer, blackberry bushes look very attractive: green, lush, with delicate flowers, and then delicious berries. Many gardeners know that this culture belongs to biennials. In the first year after planting, young shoots grow, gain strength, and fruit buds are laid on them.

Already in the second year, flowering and fruiting occurs. After that, the shoots grow old, you can’t wait for berries from them. But the bush, out of habit, continues to support the "oldies", wasting its resources, which at the same time can be used more rationally. In our article, we will talk about pruning blackberries in the fall for beginners.

What you will learn from this article:

Why do blackberries need pruning?

It is considered a plant with a two-year fruiting cycle - in the first year we build up a green whip, we wait for it to mature. At proper care in the second year of life, blackberry bushes will begin to produce a crop. That is why the first thing to do is to remove the fruited wood, which will no longer produce a crop.

In addition, such wood will begin to thicken the bush, preventing young shoots from ripening. There are also a number of other reasons that lead to the need for pruning:

If there is too much old growth on the bush, then the nutrients will go to them, and not to the young shoots, which need them for development.
Where there are many old shoots, there is always more shade, and blackberries love light. By not removing unnecessary branches, you can reduce the frost resistance of the plant.
Trimming the shoots will encourage flowering in the coming season.
Pruning blackberries in autumn leads to rationing of the crop, improving its quality and quantity.
Knowing how to prune your blackberries will reduce the risk of disease and pests in your garden.

Timing of pruning blackberries in the fall

It is, of course, rather difficult to name the specific dates for pruning ordinary blackberries in the fall, but the main signal for the beginning of the procedure is the end of its fruiting. Therefore, if the raspberries fruited already in August, then it is worth cutting the bushes already in this summer month.

In any case, you need to have time to cut raspberries for the winter 3-4 weeks before the onset sub-zero temperatures(although some gardeners believe that the remontant, on the contrary, should be cut off after the first frost).

Tools for processing blackberries in autumn

Any gardening procedure needs good tools, especially the processing of such a difficult plant as a blackberry. For pruning, the gardener should get a lopper and pruner.

Stores offer a large assortment such goods. Before grabbing the first specimen that comes across, it is worthwhile to find out if it is suitable for pruning blackberries. Also, when making such purchases, it is important to remember that the tool should last for many years.

The average diameter of adult branches is about 1.5 centimeters. Any secateurs can handle this thickness. For processing blackberries, you should pay attention to the bypass tool. It works just like normal scissors. When choosing a pruner, you need to pay attention to the gaps between the blades. If a gap is visible there, then the device will chew the branches, and not carefully cut them off.

The degree of sharpening is also very important. sharp blades it is easier to carry out such work, they greatly facilitate the process. This point is especially important when choosing a tool for processing thorny plants.

In order to simply shorten the shoots, it is better to use an anvil pruner - a flat plate will hold the branch until sharp knife cuts her off. But when working with it, it is important to keep the tool at one angle, otherwise, instead of cutting, it will simply break the stem.

For the autumn removal of lignified shoots, it is better to use a lopper. This device will help get rid of thick branches and shorten the growth in the middle of the crown, which the secateurs cannot handle. Its long handles make it easy to cut in the center of the bush without touching the sharp thorns.

If neither the pruner nor the lopper could do the job, only a garden saw will help. It has a special setting angle and a special sharpening of the teeth, which will allow you to cut the shoots in 2 directions.

The advantage of such a tool is the ability to leave smooth saw cuts, which reduces the risk of infection of the bush, and also looks more aesthetically pleasing.

Blackberry pruning schemes in autumn

All varieties of blackberries are divided into two groups: with straight-growing and creeping stems. The way the bush is formed depends on how the stems grow.

The fan method (vertical) is suitable for upright varieties. Overwintered shoots are attached to the trellis vertically strictly above the roots. Short stems are bred on both sides and tied to the lower string at a height of 25 - 30 cm above the ground. This placement makes it easy to remove the branches after fruiting, as a rule, these are the central shoots, the remaining ones are shortened in order to be freely placed for shelter by winter. This method is applied to upright blackberries.

Rope method (horizontal). They are used for creeping varieties, in which the length of the shoots reaches 10 m. The weaving and the rope are similar, only in the first case, before attaching to the trellis, the old stems are divided into two bundles and twisted together, which makes the shoots more stable.

In autumn, fruiting lashes are completely cut off. Young growth is untied, the best branches are selected, and the weak ones are removed. The remaining lashes are carefully placed in the prepared trench and covered suitable material for wintering. With this formation, neither the length of the lashes nor the spikes are a hindrance.

Important! Whichever method is used, it is best to separate young and old branches when forming. This makes pruning and maintenance easier. The blackberry bush develops with a biennial cycle. Depending on the age of the branches, cut or pinch their tops. In the first year, when the young shoot is only growing and strengthening, at the end of May, its top is cut off by 5-7 cm.

This stimulates the growth of lateral shoots, on which berries will be tied next year. Some gardeners practice a second pinching in the middle of summer, when the stem reaches 0.9-1 m. In the second year, after in early spring buds open, usually pruned side shoots, shortening them to 40 cm.

Pinching up erect varieties is carried out to stimulate the growth of side branches and increase yields. Creeping varieties they don't need it. They are pruned only to shorten vines growing to 10 m or more. Too long lashes complicate autumn pruning and shelter for the winter.

Feeding blackberries in autumn after pruning

Blackberry pruning done in autumn! Caring for blackberries in the fall also involves fertilizing. In most cases, organic matter is used for this. For example, rotted manure is very well suited for these purposes. Fertilize garden blackberry it is also possible with mineral fertilizers. Their introduction is planned at the time of digging the soil.

For greater efficiency, the introduction of organics is combined with the introduction of mineral complexes. In this case, blackberry feeding is carried out as follows:

A layer of manure about 5-10 cm thick is laid out in the aisles.
The required amount of fertilizer is evenly spread over it.
The soil between the rows is dug up.
As mineral fertilizer for autumn application, it is recommended to use a mixture of potassium sulfate and superphosphate. It is necessary to fertilize blackberries in this way annually.

Pruning blackberries in the fall for beginners video

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