How to cultivate American blackberries? Detailed planting techniques
American blackberries have the advantages of cold resistance, drought resistance, moisture resistance, resistance to pests and diseases, vigorous growth, strong branching ability and easy propagation. Planted in the same year, they bear fruit in the same year, and generally enter the full production period in the third year, with the yield per hectare stable at around 26.25 tons. They are rich in sugar, fruit acids and various vitamins, and also contain various minerals, with effects such as anti-aging and improving human immunity. Their cultivation method is as follows:
Seedling raising: Blackberries are extremely easy to propagate, mainly by cuttings. It is best to choose a fertile, shady and slightly moist (but not waterlogged) place as the nursery site. Select mature new branches, cut them off leaving 2 buds, and insert them as cuttings. The cutting time is from December to January of the following year. If water and fertilizer management is strengthened, well-growing young seedlings can be obtained in the same year as the cuttings, with branches reaching 4 to 5, and a height of more than 2 m. Some mature branches can bear fruit in the same year they are cut, but the fruit quality is not good.
Garden site selection: Choose a sandy loam soil with sufficient sunlight, convenient drainage and irrigation, and fertile and loose texture as the garden site. Although blackberries grow better in shady and moist places, this has a slight impact on their quality, especially the sugar-acid ratio.
Planting: The plant and row spacing is generally 2x2 m, with 2550 plants per hectare. The planting holes should be 60x60x60 cm. Apply organic fertilizer, superphosphate, rapeseed cake or burnt mud ash, then firm the soil, cover with 30 cm of fertile soil, and then plant. The planting period is from October to January of the following year. When planting, spread the root system and water thoroughly after planting. Pay attention to watering and drought prevention in the early stage of planting.
Water and fertilizer management: Fertilize 4 times throughout the year. Apply base fertilizer in October, mainly organic fertilizer, superphosphate, burnt mud ash or rapeseed cake. Apply pre-bud fertilizer at the end of January, mainly imported compound fertilizer. Apply topdressing in mid-to-late July, mainly quick-acting nitrogen fertilizer (diluted human manure or urea). Pay attention to drainage in the garden, and try to keep the garden dry during the fruit ripening period, which is beneficial for increasing the sugar-acid level.
Trellising: After planting blackberries, start trellising. The trellis height is 1.8 to 2 m, and hedgerow or overhead trellises can be used. Distribute new shoots on the trellis surface at 30 cm intervals, so that they do not overlap.
Pinching: Because the new shoots sprouting from the root crown of blackberries are the fruiting canes of the second year and grow very vigorously, regular pinching should be carried out to promote maturity and more branching. For canes that have already fruited in the current year, in order to reduce nutrient consumption, they can be cut off from the base in August to September after fruiting, so as to concentrate nutrients and cultivate new shoots, and pay attention to regularly tying the new shoots.
Winter pruning: The pruning period is from December to late January of the following year. According to the maturity of the new shoots (fruiting canes), leave 8 to 20 buds and cut back. The general pruning principle is mainly light pruning, with fruiting canes spaced 50 cm apart on the trellis, and excess ones removed.