Blackberries are considered a prolific and unpretentious crop and are highly popular with gardeners. Although the bush is undemanding to care for, you need to know some of the intricacies of its cultivation. I will talk about the technology of preparing blackberries for the winter period, the methods of shelter and the materials used for these purposes. Such manipulations are required, since not all varieties are characterized by increased frost resistance.
Terms and rules for sheltering a plant for the winter
The culture bears fruit on the stems of last year's season. With the help of a shelter, it does not freeze in winter frosts. Varieties with medium frost resistance can withstand temperatures down to -15 ° C.
I begin to cover my blackberries from the second half of November at an air temperature of about -5 ° C.
Required actions before shelter
First of all, I put things in order in the garden area: I remove weeds, dried branches, dig up the ground. I cut off the bushes, carry out treatment for diseases. And only then I proceed to the arrangement of the shelter.
Cropping: the sequence of actions
I constantly prune after the onset of frost. During this period, sap flow stops, and the plant will easily tolerate the procedure.
Pruning instruction:
- I begin to cut the outside of the bush, slowly moving to the central part.
- It is better to shorten the branches by 1/3. This way, they can grow and branch out in the coming year.
- Dry twigs must be cut at the root.
- If there are shoots on the bush, between which the interval is less than 5 cm, one of them should be cut off. Otherwise, the shrub will be very thickened.
- You need to get rid of the fruiting stems.
Weeding, loosening
With the help of loosening, oxygen will flow to the roots, and they will be able to develop better. And also the destruction of pests and their larvae takes place.
Weeds also need to be removed from the area where the vine will be laid.
Watering and feeding
Blackberries do not need podzimny watering.
Examine the shrubs carefully before feeding. Apply superphosphate (100 g) and potash fertilizer (30 g) without chlorine under the weak shrub. For better absorption, water the soil near the plant.
Treatments for parasites and diseases
Burn the fallen leaves, thereby destroying the hidden pests. After digging, get rid of some more of them.
For diseases, you can treat the bushes by spraying with Bordeaux liquid (3%). Also, some gardeners use the drug "Pentafag" for prophylaxis.
Thermal insulation of a blackberry plantation
Do not lay vines on the ground, spread cardboard, straw, spruce branches. Place the twine tied vines on the prepared rack. Then cover the top with spruce branches, straw or agrofibre.
Shelter materials
For shelter, you can use the following materials:
- With improvised means. These include: soil, vegetable tops, hay, foliage.
- Agromaterials. For shelter, it is better to use white material, the density of which is 17-50 g / sq. m.
- Natural remedies. Such products are obtained from plants: straw, rice husks. You can also use sawdust, spruce branches, peat.
- Synthetic: spunbond, agrotex.
Methods and features of plant shelter
Erect shrubs must be wrapped in foil. In severe frosts, a metal frame should be erected near the plant and filled with leaves or straw.
In the first year
Shelter instructions:
- Wrap agrofibre around the bush.
- Place the plant in the net. The diameter of the building should be approximately 50 cm.
- Put straw in the net for insulation.
Young shrub
The vines need to be tied and wrapped in spunbond. Mulch the earth in the near-trunk circle.
Sequencing:
- Remove the stems from the support.
- Tie in the form of a bundle.
- Tighten with agrofibre.
- Put on the prepared rack.
- The erect plant is covered with a net around the circumference, and straw is arranged in the middle.
Old bush
Such blackberries do not need to be thoroughly covered for the winter. If desired, the root zone is mulched, and the branches are removed from the support, bent to the mulch and covered with spunbond.
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