The Latest Blackberry Planting Techniques and Management Methods Tutorial

Blackberry is also called dewberry. It originated in North America and is a very popular fruit. After many years of cultivation in the Jiangsu region of China, it was successfully introduced, but blackberries do not keep well and spoil easily, so they are not easy to buy on the market. So how should this fruit be cultivated, what environment does it need, how should it be managed, and what should be noted? Let's take a look together right away!

1. Environmental Conditions

The environmental requirements are very high: well-drained, deep soil rich in natural organic matter. You can also mix your own nutrient soil. But it is best to disinfect the soil first. Plant on slightly higher ground, not in low-lying land. It needs trellising for cultivation and cannot be without something to climb on. In the rainy south, rain-shelter cultivation is essential to reduce disease.

2. Planting Methods

New plants can be planted every spring. Dig the planting holes according to the length and spread width of the seedling's root system. Apply organic fertilizer, cover with 8 cm of excavated soil, and then plant. The roots must not come into direct contact with the fertilizer. Protect the root system. The row spacing is 1 m, and the plant spacing is also about 1 m. After planting, water thoroughly, which helps rooting and nutrient uptake. Leave enough growing space.

3. Growth Management

Mainly apply potassium fertilizer. Fertilize before flowering and during the fruiting period. At these times, dissolve the fertilizer in water and water it on slowly. Especially in summer, you can add more water. Lower the concentration to reduce the burden on the roots. Before flowering, apply 500 jin of compound fertilizer per mu. During the fruiting period, apply fertilizer in batches, 200 jin at a time, in the early, middle, and late stages. This is because the fruiting times are not uniform. After harvesting the fruit in winter, apply fertilizer once, using 1,000 jin per mu.

4. Plant Training

After planting and setting up the trellis, some canes will grow onto the support on their own, but some will not, so when the canes grow to about 1 m, we should pinch off the tips to stop the main cane from growing and encourage side branches, then tie the main cane to the concrete post. Side branches that sprout later should be pruned, about three times a year. Prune when the side branches grow excessively, or when there is too much growth and they become dense and tangled.

There is nothing particularly special about growing blackberries. Just be careful that fertilizer does not damage the roots, but the environmental requirements are high. Fertilizing at the key times is enough. However, pruning is needed to maintain a suitable tree shape.