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Blackberries are a perennial shrub whose fruits are similar to raspberries, but have a dark shade. The plant belongs to the genus Rubus and the Rosaceae family. The culture was not particularly popular among gardeners, despite the pleasant taste of the berries and their medicinal properties. The reason was its heat-loving nature, but now breeders have managed to significantly improve its characteristics. However, to successfully grow the crop, you need to know how blackberries grow, bloom and bear fruit in order to provide favorable conditions for development.
The crop yield is 4-6 kg per plant
What does a blackberry look like?
Blackberry grows as a bush, the length of its shoots reaches 3-8 m, depending on the type. The stems of the plant are longitudinally furrowed and blue-violet in color. They are covered with a bluish coating and strong, curved, numerous spines along their entire length. But now varieties have already been bred whose shoots do not have thorns, which makes caring for the crop much easier.
The stems have a two-year life cycle. In the first season they grow from underground dormant buds, and in the next season they form branching shoots, like a tree. The length of the lateral processes reaches 40 cm. An inflorescence grows at the top of each of them. The shoots on which the crop ripens die off at the end of the season.
There are two main types of culture: sundew and bramble. The first shoots grow flexible, reclining, and the berries are dark purple. The second is distinguished by erect branches and dark burgundy fruit color.
The leaves are large, consisting of five or seven pointed segments. They feel rough to the touch. The plates are dark green on top, and on the reverse side they have a grayish tint, as they are covered with a short edge. The edges of the leaves are wavy.
The flowers are medium in size and consist of five rounded petals in white or pink. Their diameter reaches 2-3 cm.
The berries are complex drupes weighing 3-8 g. They are round or elongated. The taste is sweet and sour. When ripe, the berries are able to hang on the branches for a long time and not fall off.
The bush begins to bear fruit fully in the second year after planting.
Where do blackberries grow in Russia?
The wild form of the crop has an average level of frost resistance. This shrub can withstand temperatures down to -23 °C. Wild blackberries grow mainly in the Krasnodar region, Novosibirsk, Leningrad, Samara regions, and the North Caucasus.
Garden crops have increased frost resistance. Such blackberries grow even in regions with difficult climatic conditions, but with obligatory shelter for the winter.
In which forests do blackberries grow?
This subshrub is found in pine, deciduous and mixed forests. It appears on the edges, as well as well-lit clearings and clearings.
Wild blackberries grow not only in the forest, but also in other wet places. It can be found in water meadows, along the banks of streams and rivers, and in ravines.
Do blackberries grow in the Urals and Siberia?
In these regions of the country, only the garden form of the crop grows on personal plots. In the conditions of the Urals and Siberia, blackberries are unable to survive in forests or near water bodies without shelter for the winter.
How blackberries grow
To successfully grow this subshrub, you should know how it grows in nature and in your garden. Because to obtain a high crop yield, it is necessary to provide conditions taking into account its requirements.
How blackberries grow in the garden
Garden blackberries grow on well-drained loams with an acidity level within 6 pH, rich in organic matter. It is also permissible to grow it on sandy loam soil if you first add 10 kg of humus per square meter. m.
Garden varieties need sufficient free space for full development. Kumanik bushes should be planted at a distance of 1 m, and sundews - 1.5 m. The area should be well lit throughout the day; only in such conditions will blackberries grow and bear fruit abundantly every year.
A garden type of crop needs support. The best option is trellises with stretched rows of wire. In the first season, the shoots of the plant should be directed in one direction or tied to the lower tiers. And for the second season, go the other way or fix it on the top rows.This will allow you to separate the one-year and two-year branches.
Garden blackberries grow actively with regular pruning. The first time it should be carried out at the beginning of summer, shortening the stems at a height of 1.5-1.8 m to stimulate the growth of side shoots. The second time it is necessary to prune the bushes at the end of June. During this period, it is necessary to remove excess young shoots, leaving no more than 5-8 well-developed pagons. The last pruning should be done in late autumn, completely cutting out all biennial branches.
For the winter in the northern regions, the shoots must be removed from their support and bent to the ground, covered with several layers of agrofibre.
Blackberries are best propagated by root cuttings.
How blackberries grow in nature
The wild form of the crop is not particularly demanding in terms of soil composition and lighting. The subshrub grows on acidic and moderately alkaline soil. Given favorable conditions, it forms dense impenetrable thickets.
The wild form, like the garden form, has a two-year shoot development cycle. In the first season they grow and become lignified, and in the second they bear fruit and die.
How blackberries bloom
Garden types of crops bloom at the end of May, and forest blackberries only at the beginning of summer. The plant forms buds within 3-4 weeks, depending on weather conditions. Late flowering guarantees good fruit set, since the plant does not suffer from recurrent spring frosts.
The buds are collected in corymbose inflorescences. They grow on the tops of side shoots. Timely pruning of young pagons of garden crops can significantly increase the volume of the harvest.
When to pick blackberries
The ripening of fruits in garden and forest blackberries is extended. Therefore, on one bush you can see green, red and black berries growing simultaneously.The blackberry season in Russia begins in mid-July and lasts until early October. Harvesting must be done in several stages.
When do blackberries ripen?
The ripening time of garden subshrub berries directly depends on the region in which it grows and the crop variety. Early species begin to bear fruit from the beginning of July, middle ones - in mid-summer, late ones - in the first ten days of August. Blackberries ripen in the Moscow region two weeks later than in the Krasnodar Territory.
Berries on the subshrub appear about a month after the end of flowering. The longer the growing season of a variety, the longer it will take for garden blackberries to ripen. Fruiting lasts 4-6 weeks.
Timely application of potassium fertilizers helps speed up fruiting
When does the wild blackberry ripen?
The ripening period for wild blackberries occurs later than for garden blackberries. The first berries on the subshrub ripen only in mid-August. And the harvest can be harvested en masse by the end of summer and continue until frost sets in.
Signs of maturity
You can determine the ripeness of berries by their color. When ripe, blackberries become dark in color and covered with a bluish coating. The consistency of ripe berries is soft, and the central pit of the drupes is completely filled.
Collection rules
Harvesting is recommended in the morning, in dry sunny weather. Because with increased soil and air humidity, the berries become watery and lose their sweetness. When collecting fruits, you need to wear thick clothing, since the shoots of forest blackberries and some varieties of garden blackberries are densely covered with thorns.
For long-term fresh storage, the berries must be picked with the stalk attached.So they can retain commercial properties for 7-10 days in the refrigerator at a temperature of +4 ° C.
Conclusion
Knowing how blackberries grow in nature, you can create optimal conditions for growing them in your garden. And then this fruit shrub will produce a generous harvest every year. And in terms of taste and healing properties, it is not inferior to raspberries, as it has a rich chemical composition.
