Blackberry is a drought-resistant crop, since its root system penetrates deep into the ground, absorbing a sufficient amount of groundwater. But during active flowering, formation of ovaries and ripening of berries, watering of blackberries must be increased several times in order to get a good harvest of sweet fruits.
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How watering affects the taste of blackberries
Blackberries are a healthy and tasty berry that many summer residents grow on their backyards. But many novice gardeners do not know how to properly care for this crop in order to get a good harvest of juicy and sweet berries.
Some water the plants with sugar syrup or fertilize with a yeast fermented solution, but such means are ineffective. In this case, it is important to observe the frequency of watering the blackberries so that the plants receive sufficient moisture throughout the growing season.
How to properly water a blackberry
The irrigation regime for this berry crop depends on the climatic conditions of the region, the amount of precipitation and the age of the plants:
- In the south of the country, in hot and dry summers, blackberries must be watered at least 1-2 times a week, monitoring the condition of the soil and pouring about 10 liters of water under each bush.
- Young seedlings are watered 2 times a week (6-7 liters of water for each plant).
- In central Russia, adults, rooted crops are watered once every 10-14 days, and young seedlings - at least once every 7-10 days, subject to minimal rainfall.
During rainy summers when blackberries get enough moisture naturally from watering the plants should be discarded, because excessive moisture can lead to root rot, the development of fungi and death culture.
Fertilization along with irrigation of berry crops
The process of irrigation of blackberries is closely related to the introduction of dressings, since this helps not only to increase the number of fruits, but also to improve their taste.
If the berries are grown on good fertile soil, it is enough to feed the plants with organic fertilizers, which contribute to the production of large and sweet fruits. To do this, it is necessary to dilute 10 kg of cow dung in 10 liters of water, insist for 24 hours and completely shed the soil during its digging. This procedure is carried out at the stage of preparing the soil for planting young blackberry bushes.
Nitrogen is an effective fertilizer for growing green mass and forming healthy ovaries. Therefore, when watering plants, it is necessary to dilute 50 g of a nitrogen-containing preparation in 10 liters of water, add 2-3 liters under each bush. This top dressing is used only once every 3-4 years, depending on the structure of the soil and the content of nutrients in it.
If a berry crop grows on depleted soil, complex fertilizers must be applied at least once every 2-3 years, and nitrogen-containing fertilizers - every season.
T. because blackberries have a long and branched root system, before applying fertilizers, the soil should be well loosened, so that top dressing can penetrate as deeply as possible into the ground along with water, saturating the plants with the necessary useful substances.
Watering rules
The process of irrigation of the bushes should be carried out only early in the morning or late in the evening, since the hot sun quickly evaporates moisture, and it does not have time to get to the root system of the plant.
For irrigation it is recommended to use only warm settled water, the temperature of which is not less than + 23… + 25ºC. If there is no possibility of heating, experts recommend organizing a drip irrigation system that will allow the liquid to be evenly distributed over the site and slowly penetrate into the soil, preventing it dry out.
Mulching blackberries will help to retain moisture in the soil for as long as possible, reduce the number of watering by 3-4 times. Using this agrotechnical technique, plants can be irrigated at any time of the day. To prevent fungal infections and pests (slugs and snails) from developing in the mulch, the layer of peat, sawdust or straw should be no more than 10-15 cm.
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