How to Grow Blackberries? A Complete Guide to Key Cultivation Techniques

SummaryTo plant blackberries, you first need to choose a well-aerated soil, drain and irrigate regularly during the growing process to ensure normal growth of the blackberries, carry out regular intertillage and weeding in the orchard, and in spring fertilize and irrigate the blackberry orchard and cover it with rice straw, wheat straw, etc. You also need to topdress regularly to ensure the nutrients needed for blackberry growth; pruning at the right time can promote better growth of the blackberry seedlings, and during the growing process you must also pay attention to pest control.

Blackberries look somewhat similar to raspberries, are relatively easy to grow, and are also fairly easy to plant.

1. Soil requirements

The soil for growing blackberries must have good aeration, and the thickness of the arable layer in the orchard should preferably be around 40cm; their root system is distributed within 10-30cm of soil, and the organic matter content in the soil must be at least above 1%.

When building a blackberry orchard, if it is on poor mountainous or hilly land, in autumn and winter you should dig trenches in the orchard according to the planting row spacing to freeze the soil, and fill the trenches with some organic-matter-rich wheat straw, leaves and dry grass, etc.

For an already established blackberry orchard, from late autumn after pruning and trellising until germination in early spring of the following year, the soil should be deep-plowed. To prevent damage to the blackberry roots, plow shallowly near the roots and deeply farther from the roots, so as to ensure the soil in the blackberry orchard is loose and rich in organic matter.

2. Drainage requirements

From around the time blackberries sprout in March-April to the stage when new canes emerge, from after flowering in May-June to the young fruit swelling stage, and after harvest in August, if the weather is relatively dry during these periods, one irrigation each is sufficient. In July when the fruit ripens, if the weather remains dry, irrigate about every 7 days; generally the irrigation amount only needs to soak through 15-30cm of soil, reaching 60-70% of the field maximum water-holding capacity. Drip irrigation, hole irrigation and other methods can be used.

If the blackberry orchard lies low or the groundwater level is relatively high, in seasons with more rain, to prevent waterlogging damage to the blackberries, drain the blackberry orchard promptly.

3. Weeding

In the first two years after blackberries are planted and the orchard is established, weed frequently; generally 6-8 intertillage weedings are needed each year. After the blackberry orchard is established in the 3rd year, only 3-4 intertillage weedings are needed each year. Timely intertillage and loosening of the soil in the orchard can keep the soil moist and also eliminate weeds in the orchard, which can promote blackberry growth.

4. Mulching

In spring, after fertilizing and irrigating the blackberry orchard, mulching can be carried out. Rice straw, wheat straw, etc. can be used to cover the bed surface in the blackberry orchard, generally with the mulching thickness controlled at around 5-8cm. After continuous mulching for 3-4 years, the soil in the orchard should be shallow-plowed once.

5. Fertilization

To ensure better growth of blackberries, during the growing process mainly apply high-quality organic fertilizer, supplemented with chemical fertilizer, so as to maintain and increase the nutrients in the soil and to some extent improve the soil structure and biological activity. When fertilizing, avoid harmful substances in the fertilizer entering the soil and polluting the environment.

Base fertilizer application: generally apply base fertilizer to the blackberry orchard in late autumn, mainly applying organic fertilizer that has undergone high-temperature fermentation or composting. A small amount of chemical fertilizer can be mixed into the fertilizer. The amount of organic fertilizer applied should be calculated as 1.5-5kg of fertilizer per kilogram of blackberries. Generally, applying 45-60t/hm2 of organic fertilizer requires adding 450-525kg/hm2 of diammonium carbonate, 50-600kg/hm2 of potassium sulfate, etc. To increase blackberry yield, the amount of organic fertilizer applied can be increased to above 75t/hm2. If local fertilizer resources are scarce, the amount applied should still reach 1 kilogram of fertilizer per kilogram of blackberries. Strip-trench fertilization and whole-orchard fertilization methods can be used.

Topdressing: determine the amount of fertilizer according to the growth state of the blackberry seedlings, mainly topdressing phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. If the blackberries are not growing very well, apply more nitrogen fertilizer. For topdressing, generally choose quick-acting fertilizer, and topdress about 3 times each year. When new canes emerge after germination, carry out the first topdressing, mainly applying nitrogen fertilizer, to meet the nutrients the blackberry seedlings need during the flowering period and promote better growth of the new canes; when the blackberry seedlings have set fruit and the fruit swells, carry out the second topdressing, generally applying nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer or compound fertilizer, to promote fruit development and the growth of the current year's branches; after the fruit ripens, carry out the third fertilization, to increase the nutrients accumulated in the tree body, improve the blackberry tree's overwintering cold resistance, and lay a good foundation for high yield the following year. For topdressing, trench application or hole application can be used. After applying fertilizer, cover it with soil and water appropriately.

6. Pruning

Set up a fence-shaped trellis in the orchard. In the year of planting, along the planting row spacing, set up a support about 2.5cm long every 5-6cm or so; the support should be buried 60-70cm underground, with the above-ground height at around 1.8-1.9m, and 2-3 wires tied to the supports.

In early summer, when the new canes reach a height of 1-1.5cm, pinch the seedlings to promote the growth and development of side branches; in July-August after picking the fruit, remove the dead canes from the trees, remove the previous year's new canes from the roots, and also carefully cut off the side branches on the new canes to reduce damage to the current year's canes. The cut dead branches should be promptly cleared out of the blackberry orchard.

7. Disease and pest control

To promote better growth of blackberries, improve the ecological environment in the blackberry orchard, and strengthen cultivation management, when growing blackberries pay attention to preventing harm from natural enemies and make full use of the natural control role of natural enemies. Efficient biological agents and low-toxicity chemical pesticides can be chosen for control, and attention should also be paid to rotating the use of chemicals, so as to reduce the amount of pesticide used and reduce the impact on blackberry quality and pesticide residues.

Pests such as cutworms, red caterpillars and scarab beetles all cause some impact on blackberries. During the growing process, grasp the occurrence patterns of cutworms and other pests, use poisonous bait to trap and kill them, and measures can also be taken to trap and kill them by using their phototaxis. Highly efficient and low-toxicity pesticides can also be used to prevent pests such as caterpillars and stinging moths. During the growing process, grasp the occurrence patterns of pests well and prevent them early to reduce losses.