Blackberry propagation by green cuttings. Blackberry propagation is easier than you thought

Blackberries are capable of multiplying in several ways. This feature greatly facilitates the primary task of any gardener: getting the maximum yield in as soon as possible... It is only necessary to stock up on the appropriate knowledge for the optimal combination of existing methods with the varietal affiliation of the bush and the seasons.

For example, in order for the reproduction of blackberries by apical layers to take place with the best result, it must be used at the end of August. And for dividing the bush, spring or autumn is suitable.

Blackberry propagation methods, used in the correct period of time, with an eye on the variety, will allow you to get the best quality planting material. This will greatly facilitate the survival and further development of the plant.

There are many breeding methods berry bush... Depending on the type of plant, one or another method is used. For example, bush remontant blackberries (Ruben and Gigant varieties) reproduce well by dividing the bush or by root buds. And such a high-yielding variety like Texas is absolutely incapable of producing root shoots, therefore it multiplies by dividing the bush or layering. For creeping species (Natchez varieties, Polar without thorns), layering is also suitable, as, for example, in grapes.

Do-it-yourself blackberry seedlings

The upright bushes (thornless variety Thornfrey, Loughton, Black Satin), which give many basal offspring, are best rooted with lateral shoots or with the top.

Blackberries can be propagated at any time of the year, except for winter. Spring is ideal for growing seedlings from seed and dividing the root during transplanting mother bush... In Siberia, spring is the best time for blackberry breeding. Cuttings develop very quickly during this period of the year.

Propagation by root cuttings

Summer is a great time for propagation by cuttings obtained by burying shoots in the ground. At the same time, you can plant a blackberry bush, dividing it into several daughter plants.

Important! Elevated summer temperatures can interfere with the survival of a young bush. In hot weather, the soil with new seedlings must be mulched to avoid moisture loss and soil overheating.

Preparing seedlings for planting at their summer cottage

Autumn is also suitable for rooting blackberry vines, by fixing it in a groove with a spear or hook and filling it with soil on top. During the cold winter period buds from a buried branch will give roots. In the spring, all that remains is to separate the rooted vine and transplant.

The most common breeding methods are:

• Layers;
• Offspring;
• Root cuttings;
• Stem cuttings;
• Green cuttings;
• Sleeping kidney.
• By dividing the bush

Layers

Climbing blackberries are ideal for this breeding method. Moreover, on personal plot there should be a lot of bushes, since healthy fruit-bearing branches are used here to form planting material, which can reduce the future yield.

In order to propagate the garden blackberry with a horizontal layering, the following manipulations must be done:

• In mid-August, when it will no longer be too hot, dig a groove up to 20 cm deep and put a one-year shoot in it so that only its top remains above the ground. To fix the blackberry branch in the trench, use a hook at the base and end, or press down on top with a brick.
• It is recommended to cut the top of the shoot by about 10 cm. This will suspend growth and redirect all the forces of the future seedling to rooting and developing new shoots.
• Fill the groove with the fixed vine with earth.
• Thoroughly mulch the layers and water abundantly.

Within one or two months, by the beginning of October, new shoots with their own root system will already appear on the buried branch, which must be immediately dug out, carefully separated from the mother bush, and planted in a prepared place.

If in this way you dig in the layers at the end of September, then you can already transplant the newly formed bushes in early spring when the snow melts.

In addition to horizontal, for this method of breeding, you can also use the apical layering. The tip is trimmed in the same way, but the tip is already added in, and then all the above actions are repeated. Creeping blackberry varieties are very easily capable of propagating with the tips of the shoots. In addition, with this method, the crop will not suffer.

Preparing cuttings for propagation

Important! For faster rooting, experienced gardeners advise cutting the bark in a place that will be in the ground. So the roots will germinate more easily and the young plant will form faster.

With proper care, the cuttings rooted in this way will begin to produce crops in the second year of independent life.

Offspring

A young shoot growing from a rhizome is called a scion. In this way, erect blackberries reproduce. During the summer season, about twenty young offspring grow around the bush. Basically, such shoots are removed so as not to interfere with the development of the mother plant.

For breeding, offspring are carefully selected:

• The mother shrub should be high yielding and healthy, and the shoot from it should be 10 to 12 cm in size.
• The selected offspring in May or early June is carefully separated from the adult bush using a bayonet shovel.
• Organic fertilizers are added to the finished pit, then the shoot is placed there, mulched and spilled well.

If in the spring the offspring are still weak and underdeveloped, they are left until autumn near the mother bush, providing increased care, and in September, the strengthened plants are planted.

Most effective method

Root cuttings

In winter, when trips to the dacha are reduced, and the desire to grow something does not disappear, you can continue to breed blackberries at home in a city apartment by cutting the root of the plant. But there is one condition: the planting material must be prepared in advance. At the same time, it is better to cut root cuttings into 6-9 cm in length and 0.3 - 1.5 mm in thickness, using a transplanted bush. For these purposes, you can carefully dig the soil under the bush, and, having cut the cuttings, bury it back.

If the material for planting was harvested in the spring, then the resulting parts of the root must be distributed on the surface of the prepared container and sprinkled with earth to a thickness of about 3 cm.When the emerging seedlings grow enough, and the spring frosts pass, young plants can be planted in open ground.

How to choose the right root cuttings

If the blackberry root was harvested in the fall, then the planting material should be stored in the cellar or in the refrigerator in a plastic bag, keeping the temperature from + 2 to + 5 ° C at the storage place. Once every 7 days, the package should be removed to ventilate and check the condition. Then, at the end of February, plant the root material in containers as described above and place on the windowsill.

Bushes grown in containers with the onset of stable heat can be planted in the open ground. This home breeding method is good because the germination rate of root cuttings will be about 70% if done correctly.

Rooting

Stem cuttings

Propagation of blackberries by cuttings from the stem is a very popular method. This method can be used to grow absolutely any variety of blackberry plants. Experienced gardeners recommend doing as follows:

• With the onset of autumn, cut annual stems. To do this, using pruners as garden tools, shoots with lignified bark should be prepared in such a way that each cut is about 40 cm long.

Important! Blackberry stems (for example, the very thorny variety Karaka Black) of almost all varieties are covered with fine needles. In order not to injure yourself on a prickly thorn and not to splinter your hands, you should work with gloves.

• Then the resulting cuttings are buried 20 cm into the ground until spring.
• In the spring, dig out the planting material again and refresh the sections on both sides. Place each stem cutting at a distance of 10 cm from one another and again cover with soil.
• For better germination, cover the future blackberry with a film on arcs. The greenhouse must be periodically opened and ventilated. It is better to water the planting with water settled in a barrel, not forgetting to weed out the weeds that have appeared.
• As soon as the small bushes with three leaves sprout, it will be necessary to remove the cuttings from the ground with extreme care. Each of them will have 2 or 3 sprouts with roots, which should be divided and transplanted into separate containers for growing.
• As soon as the seedlings are overgrown with new leaves and their stems will noticeably lengthen, you can start planting them for permanent residence.

You can try directly in the spring propagation of blackberries by cuttings from the stem. But you will need to have time to cut and root before bud break.

Breeding method stem cuttings many advantages, including ease of use, versatility of the method, and most importantly - this a large number of the resulting seedlings.

Green cuttings

You can propagate blackberries in the summer with green cuttings, which are taken from the top of the plant.

This requires the following:

• Cut off the tops of different shoots in the month of July. The length of the green cutting should be approximately 20 cm and the cut angle should be 45 °.
• In the resulting shoots, a small stalk is cut off from the bottom, on which there should be two leaves. The top is not taken for breeding.
• The lower leaf must be cut off, not forgetting to leave a small stump, and the upper one must be shortened by half. The stalk should have a healthy greenish tint.
• The resulting cuttings should be held in a root growth stimulator, such as Kornevin, and then placed in separate containers, which are filled in equal parts garden land, peat and perlite. For pots with cuttings, it is necessary to make an unventilated greenhouse, in which a humidity of 96% at a temperature of 30 ° C must be observed.
• When new leaves appear on the seedlings, you should begin to air.
• After a week, you can be transplanted to a permanent place of residence.

Selection of green cuttings for propagation of berry bushes

In summer, propagation of blackberries by cuttings from the top is unproductive. The disadvantage of this method is the low survival rate - only 10% of the initial planting. In addition, the method requires high labor costs.

Seeds

Seed propagation of blackberries will require a lot of patience from the gardener. The first fruiting here is possible only after 4 years, and a full harvest can be harvested only after 5 years.

Important! The germination rate of blackberry seeds from stores is only 10%, while planting material from breeders or collected with their own hands has a germination rate of up to 80%.

Seed method

To harvest a blackberry seed, you need overripe berries that have not been exposed to diseases. The gruel from the fruits is washed several times with water, while large viable seeds settle at the bottom of the dish, and the pacifiers and fibers remain floating on top.

Planting material free from husks and fibers is placed on a cloth or paper towel and slightly dried in a shady place, and then prepared for planting. Seeds are not sown immediately. They are kept in the refrigerator at a temperature of + 4 degrees for about three more months in a plastic container, covered with sand, which is moistened from time to time. You can store seeds in this way for no more than a year.

The best soil temperature for germination is from 25 to 28 ° C, therefore, first in indoor conditions grow seedlings, which are subsequently transferred to open ground. In early March, you can sow seeds for seedlings and grow them under a phytolamp.

However, there is also an autumn method of sowing in open ground. When the last foliage falls from the trees, sowing is carried out. Seeds overwinter in their natural environment and germinate in spring. This method produces hardened and more viable plants and eliminates the need to grow seedlings.

Sleeping kidney

For this method, cuttings of no more than 15 cm in length with three dormant buds are harvested from one-year-old shoots in the fall. Such blanks are stored in a cellar or refrigerator.

Germination of dormant buds in the stem

• In March, cuttings should be removed, turned upside down, placed in a transparent vessel.
• Pour water so that it covers only one kidney, without waking the rest.
• Water must be added as it evaporates and the shoots must be kept on the windowsill.
• The awakened bud will sprout with a shoot with roots. It should be separated and planted in a container with a loose, airy substrate.
• Next, the next kidney is placed in the water, and everything is repeated again.

This method is most suitable for climbing blackberries, cuttings of upright varieties do not root well in this way.

By dividing the bush

This method is used in cases where the cultivated variety does not produce horizontal shoots or young shoots in the form of offspring.

The mother bush is divided in spring or autumn, digging up and dividing it into parts. In the process of work, one should try to inflict minimal damage to the root system of the plant for better survival in the future.

The main rules for caring for any blackberry variety, in ... Blackberries are similar in appearance to raspberries. It contains a variety of elements that are most valuable in the human diet. The popularity of the berry is table ...

Blackberry is still difficult to call a regular in household plots amateur gardeners, however, breeders have already bred many cultivars of this useful wild-growing berry, among which the semi-sheathing thornless species are especially popular. The reasons for their popularity are not only in the presence of larger and tastier berries than those of the wild-growing blackberry or of its thorny varieties: the thornless varieties do not spread so much over the site, which means they do not create impassable thickets on it. In addition, blackberries are much more useful and unpretentious than their "relative" ordinary garden raspberries, so the interest shown in it by some experimental gardeners is not at all surprising.

Like other crops, blackberries need minimal, but care, part of which is its reproduction.

How to propagate blackberries

Blackberries can be propagated:

1. Growing from seeds.
2. Rooted tops.
3. Horizontal layering.
4. Green summer or autumn shoots.
5. Air layering.
6. By dividing the bush.
7. Root offspring.

More about blackberry breeding

The seed method is perhaps the simplest and involves the usual sowing of seeds. Despite its simplicity, it has its own inconveniences: firstly, the planted material requires watering and fertilization; secondly, this method does not in all cases guarantee the preservation of the varietal characteristics of the crop. Simply put, if you come across any elite blackberry variety bred, say, by the Americans, then it is better not to propagate it by seeds: the grown bushes may not inherit a single characteristic that was inherent in this variety. Finally, thirdly, the percentage of natural germination of seeds may be low, but it can be increased with the help of scarification and stratification. The first method involves partial destruction or damage of the hard seed coat, the second - pre-sowing treatment of the material with low temperatures. For example, before sowing, you can hold the seeds for two to three days in melt or rain water. The most suitable soil for them after stratification is any light soil, peat chips or wet sand. If the seeds are planted in containers, then they are first kept for one and a half to two months in a cold room at a temperature of + 2-5 with a moist, but not waterlogged substrate, and then transferred to a room with a temperature of up to +20 for germination. After the appearance of three leaves on the seedlings, they can be thinned out.

The essence of the second method, known as "pulping" - in pinching the processes that have seals at the ends. This is done like this:

1. In young shoots that have reached a height of about 60 cm, it is necessary to cut off the top by 10-12 cm. This will provoke the growth of lateral shoots of their axillary buds.
2. When the processes take the shape of a spindle and they have their own leaves and thickenings at the ends, they must be pressed to the ground, deepened into it by about 5 cm and sprinkled with a loose moist substrate. This will allow the tops to take root completely.
3. After rooting the tops in the fall of the same year or in the spring of the next, the finished sprout must be separated from the parent bush and planted separately. You can, however, leave it in the same place, but the main thing is that it is disconnected from the parent bush.

Creeping blackberries or their especially valuable varieties and forms are usually propagated by horizontal layers. Before using this method, some experts recommend not to allow fruiting of these varieties and for two years in a row in early spring, cut off all the stems on the bush at a height of 10-15 cm, so that in the end the upper part of each rhizome gives five to six strong good shoots. Reproduction itself is carried out as follows:

1. In grooves 5-7 cm deep, shoots are laid out around the parent shrub without separating them, fixing with wooden hooks.
2. With a sharp knife, light cuts are made in several places under the kidneys.
3. Sprinkle all the sprouts with loose moist soil so that they are at a depth of about 10 cm, leaving only the tops with leaves unshelled.
4. Regularly watered, and for the winter mulch with insulating material or spud with soil.

If everything is done correctly, then by the fall of next year, new roots will appear in the grooves under the buds, and on top - young shoots that must be carefully dug up, divided into separate seedlings and, trying not to shake their native soil from the roots, transplanted into a pre-selected and prepared place ...

The method of propagation by green, already stiff shoots is often used when the parent bush has a large number of extra offspring. It looks like this:

1. From the shoots (more precisely, from their upper third, with the exception of the very last two buds), single-bud green cuttings are cut, which, in addition to the bud, have a part of the stem and a leaf.
2. Cut cuttings are treated with 0.3% indolylbutyric acid and planted in small containers with a prepared substrate (one part of peat and one part of sand, perlite, vermiculite or crushed expanded clay).
3. The containers are placed in greenhouses, greenhouses with a film coating or in special chambers with a humidity of 96-100%.
4. After 25-30 days, the cuttings will start to take root. This is a sign that they can be planted in a permanent place.

This method is resorted to in early July, often combining it with summer pruning, however, there is also its autumn-winter variety. It looks like this:

1. In autumn, leafless cuttings with two or three buds are harvested from annual shoots.
2. The stalk is lowered into a jar filled with water with its upper kidney downward (that is, in an inverted state). The water level should be such that it covers only this kidney. The jar is placed on the windowsill. Water should be added to it as it evaporates, but not higher than the initial level.
3. After a while, a mini-bush with roots and shoots begins to grow from this bud. It should be separated along with part of the cutting itself, transplanted into a glass with a special substrate used for growing seedlings, and lightly watered. You can grow it on a windowsill or in a greenhouse until spring.
4. The remaining "main" stalk is placed by the next bud into the water, and the whole process is repeated until all the buds "wake up" in this way.

Reproduction by layering also has several options. One of them involves wrapping the grafted places with cellophane. Earth is poured into the material, and this whole structure, which looks like a sleeve, is tied across and left for about a month. Watering is carried out by injecting with a syringe with water. When the cuttings have roots, they can be separated and planted.

Another variant of this method looks like this:

1. In the first half of August (some argue that this can be done in June), strong annual shoots need to be dug to a shallow depth, without separating them from the parent bush, so that the end of each layer remains outside. If necessary, the layering should be fixed. To make the shoot take root faster, and make it easier for new roots to break into the light, you can slightly scratch or cut its bark with a sharp knife before dropping it.
2. Prune it 10-15 cm to stun growth.
3. Mulch and water the digging site for two months.
4. In the first half of October, excavate the layers. If everything is done correctly, young roots will appear on them by that time. The finished shoots should be cut off from the parent bush and planted immediately in a permanent place.

Some gardeners argue that such a digging can be done in late September - early October, and in the spring the resulting seedlings can be planted.

It is also permissible to drop in only the tops of the layers, cutting off their tips and placing them in grooves to a depth of 20-30 cm. They are covered for the winter, and in the spring the finished seedlings are separated from the parent bush and transferred to a permanent place.

Root offspring propagate those varieties of blackberries that have erect shoots. There is usually no shortage of them: starting from the age of three (namely, it is recommended for using this method), one bush gives annually about one and a half to two dozen shoots. This amount depends on:

1. Cultivars of culture.
2. The degree of soil moisture.
3. The content of nutrients in it.
4. Crop care level.

If the shoots are not intended for planting, then so that the shrub does not overgrow, most of them are weeded out during the usual weeding or loosening of the soil. If you decide to propagate the variety in this way, then this should be done in May-June, when the shoots reach a height of 10-15 cm.They are dug out together with an earthen clod from one or two healthy bushes that give high yields, and transplanted to a permanent place, and in the absence of prepared soil - to a picking bed for growing to a regular seedling.

Sometimes the shoots are dug out in the fall, but in this case they should be immediately transplanted to a permanent place, while it is advisable to cut the shoots so that their length from the root is 30-40 cm. Well-developed annual shoots with a thickness of at least 8- are most suitable for reproduction. 10 mm. at the base, having a compact root system with a thick lobe and a length of 15-20 cm. Such material can be obtained only on soils that have a sufficient amount of organic fertilizers.

Finally, the division of the blackberry bush is only used if the variety does not produce offspring. With this method, several healthy young shoots with strong good roots are left in each separate part of the bush, and parts of the bush with old rhizomes are discarded. On average, from one bush, you can get five to six new ones.

Conclusion

Those who grow blackberries in special nurseries most often use the tissue culture method. It involves the mass reproduction of healthy plants on special media in boxes, followed by the rooting of the resulting seedlings under sterile conditions. When they turn into elite seedlings, they are planted in the fields of the nursery after preliminary sterilization of the soil to obtain a healthy material.

If you grow blackberries on your site, then the above methods will be enough for you, especially since they do not seem too complicated. True, when choosing a method, you should focus primarily on what kind of blackberry you are growing: for example, reproduction by root suckers is not suitable for hybrids and large-fruited varieties. We would also like to warn you against propagation of the culture by root cuttings. This method, whose description can be found in various sources, is good only for its usual varieties. If you apply it to thornless varieties, they will very quickly turn into thorny plants, which you hardly need.

Autumn is considered good time for reproduction of blackberries in summer cottages. This can be done in several ways.

How to propagate blackberries in the fall

Blackberries can be propagated at any time of the year, except for the winter months. The advantage autumn breeding is that the plant begins a dormant period, and in winter, natural stratification occurs (acceleration of germination under the influence of cold temperature), after which the seedlings become more hardy.

In the fall, you can get new copies of blackberries in the following ways:

• dividing the bush;
• horizontal layering;
• root cuttings;
• stem cuttings;
• sleeping kidneys.

By dividing the bush

In this way, varieties and hybrids of blackberries are propagated, which do not give young offspring. Autumn is the best time for this procedure. The division of the bush is carried out before autumn pruning in September - early October, so that the seedlings have time to take root well before the first frost. Procedure:

1. Water well under the bushes 1-2 days before dividing. If the soil is dry, the roots of the blackberry can be severely damaged.
2. Along the perimeter of the bush, at a distance of 30–40 cm from the root collar, make a groove with a shovel. Chop off the roots that are outside of it.
3. Dig up the bramble bush carefully by digging in on all sides with a shovel.
4. Shake it lightly to free the rootstock from the soil.
5. Divide the roots of the plant into several pieces using a garden knife. Each division should have 1–2 shoots of the current year with roots.
6. Clean the cuttings from old stems, cut off damaged and rotten roots with pruning shears. Shorten the shoots to 30 cm. All cut-off parts should have 2-3 shoots, and at least 1 underground bud should be present on the roots.
7. Immediately plant the resulting seedlings in a permanent place, in pre-prepared holes.
8. Blackberries grow shoots up to 5-7 m long, so do not spare space. The distance between seedlings in a row should be about 3 m, and between rows - about 2 m.

Up to 5 seedlings can be obtained from one blackberry bush

If some shoots are rootless, do not worry and plant them in the ground. Blackberries reproduce even by root particles, so they tend to take root.

Horizontal layering

In this way, a large number of young blackberry bushes can be grown. To do this, you need to do the following:

1. In early August, bend the shoot of the current year to the ground and, without separating it from the bush, dig a shovel on the bayonet.
2. Leave its top above the soil surface and cut 10 cm to stop further growth.
3. Tamp the soil and secure the shoot with a stone or hairpin so that it does not straighten out.
4. Mulch and regularly water the soil where the scion is dug.
5. At the beginning of October, use a pitchfork to dig out a layer with new rooted seedlings.
6. Cut off the seedlings and plant them in another place.

When propagating blackberries with horizontal layering, you can get a large number of seedlings.

If the shoot is buried in the fall at the end of September - early October, then the young seedlings are planted next spring.

Video: blackberries, reproduction, the easiest way

Root cuttings

This method gives good results - up to 70% of new seedlings. Procedure:

1. In November, dig in the blackberry bush, cut the root cuttings, and then bury again.
2. Choose cuttings 6–9 cm long and 0.3–1.5 cm thick.
3. Fold them in a bag and place them in the refrigerator or cellar. The storage temperature should be no higher than +5 0 С.
4. Air and inspect the cuttings every 5-7 days.
5. At the end of February, lay them out at the bottom of the container, sprinkle with earth to a height of 3 cm and place them on the windowsill for germination.
6. In April, plant the seedlings in the garden in the place of your choice.

Up to 70% of root cuttings give new seedlings

The material can also be cut when replanting the bush to a new location.

For blackberry varieties without thorns, propagation by root cuttings is not suitable, as it becomes prickly.

Video: reproduction of blackberries

Stem cuttings

The method is simple and versatile, allowing you to get a lot of seedlings at the same time. Algorithm of actions:

1. In October, when the shoots of the current year become woody, cut the cuttings about 40 cm long.
2. Bury them in the ground to the depth of a shovel bayonet.
3. In April, after the ground has thawed, dig up the cuttings and cut their ends again.
4. Place the overwintered material at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other and sprinkle with soil.
5. For better germination, stretch the film over the cuttings on arcs. Water and weed regularly.
6. As soon as the shoots with 2-3 leaves appear, dig up the cuttings. Young shoots of blackberries with roots are formed on them.
7. Divide the seedlings and plant them in pots for further growth.
8. When the stems of the blackberry bushes grow and new leaves appear, plant them in a permanent place.

Separate seedlings and plant in grow pots

Video: blackberry propagation by stem cuttings

Dormant bud propagation

This method takes a lot of time, but gives almost 100% results. Procedure:

1. In October, cut annual cuttings with 2-3 buds, no more than 15 cm long. Be sure to remove the leaves. Store them in a refrigerator or cellar.
2. In February - early March, remove the cuttings and place them in a jar of water, top bud downwards. Only one of these buds should be in the water.
3. Keep the jar of cuttings on the windowsill and periodically add the evaporated water.
4. A sprout with roots appears from the awakened bud. Cut it off and plant it in a pot of growing soil.
5. Dip the second bud in water, it will also sprout. In this way, wake up all the buds on the handle.

Place the blackberry cuttings in a jar of water, bud top down.

The roots appear precisely on the apical bud, for this they turn the stalk upside down.

You can propagate blackberries in another way. Place the stalk with the bottom cut in a jar of water, and dig the apical bud into a pot of damp earth. A sprout with roots will appear from it. When 2-3 leaves are formed, cut off the sprout from the cutting and leave in the pot for further growth.

In order not to confuse the upper and lower buds of the cutting, I make the upper cut straight, and the lower one obliquely.

Video: blackberries from bent branches, buds

Having at least one blackberry bush on your site, you can perfectly propagate it in the fall. Choose the method that works best for you and follow the recommendations.

Garden blackberries are increasingly settling on our plots. Delicious useful berry requires quite feasible, even for novice gardeners, care, especially since breeders are trying to create more and more undemanding varieties in care, depriving them of thorns and thorns. Even one bush in the yard attracts everyone's attention, it is so decorative, and some manage to make of this culture hedge... Only the trouble is that seedlings are still not cheap, but I want to breed it at home, so many are interested in the question of how to propagate blackberries.

Reproduction of garden blackberries by layering

Reproduction of blackberries is not difficult if you know the basic methods appropriate for each type of culture. Shoots of upright varieties (kumanik) are often difficult to bend down to the ground. This probably explains the very rare attempts to propagate them with apical layers, but they usually give many root suckers. But creeping varieties (dews) can be easily bred if at least one bush grows on the site, precisely by layering.

Kumaniks and dewdrops practically do not differ in care. True, they are tied up in different ways. Yes, kumaniks are not always sheltered for the winter, but the long branches of dewweeds, which grow several meters in the first year after planting, practically do not become lignified.

With one blackberry bush, you can grow about 20 seedlings by layering in one season. This is best done in the summer, at the beginning of August, when the heat has subsided. You need to take a young shoot, cut off its top (approximately 10 cm), lay it in a previously prepared hole or trench up to 25 cm deep and sprinkle it with earth. The branch can be pinned to the ground with a wire or pressed down with something on top of the soil so that it does not rise from the hole, and the end, trimmed to stop its growth, can be left outside. The buried hole is watered and mulched abundantly.

Further care for the buried shoot consists in frequent watering, weed control. After 2 months, in the fall, new leaves of rooted shoots should appear on the surface of the earth. The earth must be carefully excavated, the branch must be carefully cut with a pruner between the roots that appear - these are the new seedlings and are ready for planting. They can be immediately transferred to a permanent place, or you can postpone planting until spring - it depends on the speed of frost arrival.

And you can even later in the fall dig in the top of the young shoot, cutting off the apical buds, organize the same care, and plant new plants in a permanent place in the spring, after the ground has melted - when they usually plant blackberries on the site. To speed up the process, a twig is slightly cut or scratched under each bud. When blackberries are propagated in this way, by layering, the branch is added dropwise, without cutting it off from the mother bush.

Reproduction by offspring

Reproduction of upright blackberries usually occurs with the help of offspring. When the rhizome grows, new young shoots appear on it, which are usually removed annually so that the bush does not grow uncontrollably. A healthy adult bush over three years old gives 15-17 offspring, among them the strongest and strongest are chosen, which will become independent plants after planting and appropriate care.

At the very beginning of summer, strong offspring are chosen that have reached 10 cm in height, they are separated together with the root from the mother plant, preferably with a lump of earth, and transplanted to a permanent place. Planting and follow-up care is carried out in the traditional ways for blackberries. It is advisable to plant in prepared fertilized soil, then water it well, mulch around the ground. Some gardeners leave the selected offspring, do not separate them from the mother bush until the end of summer, and transplant them in the fall like a new seedling. In this case, the shoot is shortened to 30–40 cm. If you choose good strong shoots and provide them with careful care, then next year they will grow into real young bushes, and most importantly, they will retain all the qualities of their variety.

It is very simple and convenient way reproduction. The only pity is that it is not suitable for all varieties.

In hybrids and some new varieties of large-fruited and thornless blackberries, offspring are not formed. This, of course, makes it much easier to care for the bushes, but it does not make it possible to breed them in this way.

Cuttings in greenhouses and on window sills

But by cuttings at home, you can propagate almost any variety. True, thornless varieties often grow thorns. Even such a new variety as Prime Arc Freedom, which is now undergoing variety trials, is perfectly propagated by cuttings or root shoots. In the US state of California, "Prime Arc Freedom" gives two crops, which means that in our country it may well bear fruit in greenhouse conditions.

In the fall, cuttings are harvested by cutting them off annual shoots. Each stalk should be approximately 15 cm tall and have 2-3 buds. Then they take each of them, cut off the leaves, put them in the water with their apical bud (just the top one on this cutting), that is, upside down. In a jar of water (which is constantly topped up), the cutting stands until a small independent plant with its roots and shoots develops from the bud. This tiny seedling is separated with a piece of stem and planted in a bowl with a light nutritious soil for seedlings. There it will grow and grow stronger until spring at home or in greenhouses. And after cutting it, the next bud is lowered under the water, the process is repeated. This is a very productive method, since each bud grows a full-fledged blackberry bush with the characteristics of its own variety.

There is another way to root the cuttings. They take the same not yet lignified stalk, cut off the stalk on the opposite side of the bud at an angle of 45 degrees, cut it over the next leaf, remove one of the parts of the three-part leaf, dip the stalk with the bud into Kornevin or a similar preparation, plant it in peat for rooting. Such small cuttings with one bud and one incomplete leaf root perfectly and give rise to a new plant. They are provided with home care until spring, and then planted in a permanent place of growth.

Garden blackberries take root easily. You can make it even easier - lower the lower part of the cutting into water, bend it, lower the upper part into wet soil, or simply wrap it in polyethylene to retain moisture. After a while, the root will begin to grow not under water, but on the other side.

Blackberries are never bred with seeds, although they sprout well, they can grow strong good plants... But this is how specialists work, not summer residents.

Growing a bush from seeds you never know what will happen - a new plant does not retain the characteristics of the variety of the plant from which the seeds were collected. It is much easier to breed blackberries on your site with offspring, layering or cuttings.

Video "The easiest way to propagate blackberries"

In this video you will get to know in a simple way reproduction of blackberries, which gives 100% survival rate.

Growing and caring for blackberries is in many ways different from the cultivation of raspberries, although they are the closest "relatives" in terms of biological parameters. The choice of propagation method for blackberries depends on what kind of seedlings you purchased - upright or creeping. Another nuance: when caring for garden blackberries, pruning must be performed not only traditional, but also using methods such as normalizing and pinching shoots, as well as shortening the stems.

Growing conditions for garden blackberries

Blackberry is a semi-shrub plant of the Rosaceae family. It happens with erect, arcuate or creeping shoots. Under natural conditions, the aboveground part of the plant dies after the second year of life, but root system continues to live for many years and can sometimes give new shoots.

Erect blackberries are also called kumanik, in terms of their biological characteristics, it resembles raspberries. Forms with creeping, creeping shoots are called dewdrops.

Blackberries differ from raspberries mainly in that their berries do not separate from the fruit. Therefore, blackberries are more suitable for transportation and storage, they hardly wrinkle.

Erect blackberries (cultivated varieties) are quite demanding in choosing a place, they love the sun, so good growth and fruiting can be obtained only in areas that are reliably protected from the wind, well lit and warmed up. In conditions of even light shading, the shoots are strongly elongated, shading the fruiting ones. The yield and quality of berries are sharply reduced. Plants lose their resistance to pests and diseases.

Blackberry erect does not grow well in arid places. One of the conditions for growing these varieties of blackberries is high air permeability and moderate moisture. The plant prefers a well-drained soil with high fertility. The most suitable soil for it is permeable light and medium loam with a thick layer of humus and good moisture. For growing garden blackberries, sandy or sandy loam soils are suitable only with abundant organic fertilizer and watering.

Only some varieties of creeping blackberries are relatively drought tolerant; its root system penetrates much deeper into the soil, saving the plant in arid regions. Creeping blackberries can grow well on dense black soils and even on coarse, heavy loams if they contain enough humus. Only too heavy, waterlogged soils and sandstone are not suitable for growing blackberries.

Propagation of blackberries by cuttings, tops and layering

Reproduction of blackberries is carried out with green and lignified cuttings, rooted tops, layering.

Reproduction of erect blackberries. This species is propagated by lignified and green suckers, root cuttings. When propagating blackberries by cuttings, it is preferable to take young roots of a larger diameter (0.3-1.3 cm) at the age of 1-3 years. They are cut into 5-8 cm long. When planting, the cuttings are placed horizontally in a pre-prepared groove at a depth of 7-10 cm.

Erect blackberries can be propagated by single-bud cuttings. They are cut from the upper third of the shoot, with the exception of the last two buds. After cutting, the cutting should consist of a stem, a bud and a leaf. Before planting, they are treated with 0.3% indolylbutyric acid. Then they are planted in small containers such as plastic or paper cups. The container is pre-filled with a special soil mixture of peat, perlite, sand, vermiculite (1: 1: 1). Containers with cuttings are placed in a greenhouse for rooting.

Reproduction of creeping blackberries. Creeping blackberries are propagated by rooted tops or green cuttings. In uterine bushes, which have risen to a height of 60-90 cm, the replacement shoots are pinched. After that, 3-5 buds awaken on it, from which lateral shoots grow. The ends of these shoots in August acquire a peculiar appearance- they become thinner, elongated, the leaves on them become small. Finally, thickenings form at the very top. It is these shoots that, when blackberries are propagated, are slightly buried with tops in the soil and watered.

Most likely, in the same year he will release roots, and the next year an aerial shoot will grow. This is how the formation takes place independent plant which can then be separated from the mother bush.

Blackberry propagation by layering. In July, shoots that have reached 1.5-2.5 m in height are laid out in grooves 8-10 cm deep, previously dug around the bush. When blackberries are propagated by layering, they are not separated from the mother plant. Several superficial notches are made under each bud with a razor. Then the grooves are covered with soil so that the leaves and tops of the shoot are on the surface. The soil near the layers is constantly maintained in a loose and moist state.

Over time, a thickening will appear at the top of the shoot, which is sprinkled with soil to obtain a seedling. As a rule, in the first year or the next season, roots appear under each bud in the places of notches on the stem, laid in a groove, and the bud itself gives an aerial shoot. In the fall, between the adjacent young shoots, they grope an old stem in the soil and cut it with a pruner. Then the layers are carefully separated from the old stem along with a lump of earth and transplanted to a permanent place. In a new place, they take root well and quickly grow, begin to bear fruit. Thus, with the help of layering, you can get a lot of planting material from each bush - up to a dozen young plants.

The video "Reproduction of blackberries" will help you better understand the technology of the process:

How and when is it better to plant blackberries

When is it better to plant blackberries so that the shrubs take root better? In the northern zone middle lane It is better to plant blackberries in Russia in spring. A long and humid spring helps the planted plants to take root well. Result at autumn planting can be unsuccessful, as the plants freeze out if the snow cover does not fall in time.

In the middle zone of central Russia, blackberries are planted both in autumn and spring. But here autumn planting is more profitable, its period is longer. With a timely autumn planting, no later than the first half of October, the blackberries will get stronger by winter. Freezing of a plant planted in autumn can only happen when planting too late, if severe frosts occur before the formation of a normal snow cover.

How to plant blackberries for optimal shrub growth and maximum fruiting? Plants are planted with an interval of 3-3.5 m between seedlings. More vigorous varieties - at a distance of 4.5 m between the bushes.

Soil preparation and fertilization of the site for blackberries are almost the same as soil preparation for raspberries. Depth and width seats depends on the type of planting material.

Erect blackberries in harsh climates are usually grown in a row pattern with trellis fastening. A distance of 90 cm is maintained between plants in a row, and the row spacing should be 120-180 cm wide. For vigorous forms, the recommended distance between plants is 1.5-2 m or more.

Before planting and caring for blackberries, about 2-3 kg of humus per 1 m2 are introduced into the soil, then the soil is dug up. For planting seedlings, holes are dug up to 40 cm deep and up to 50 cm in diameter.

The seedlings are placed at the bottom of the hole, the roots are spread and covered with soil so that the bud at the base of the stem is 2-3 cm below ground level. Seedlings water and mulch the soil with any loosening materials. Repeat watering in dry weather.

Fertilizing and caring for blackberries

In the spring, every year adult plant for feeding blackberries, 5 to 8 kg of humus and 50-60 g of mineral fertilizers are applied.

At the beginning of summer, annually, 10 liters of mullein diluted with water (1: 5) are poured out. At the end of summer, 0.5 liters of wood ash and 100 g of superphosphate (after fruiting) are added for each adult plant.

The soil under the blackberry should be kept loose, cleaned of weeds, regularly cultivated to a depth of 5-10 cm.

In dry times, the plant must be watered. Under normal climatic conditions, this is done immediately after flowering.

After loosening the soil and watering, the surface under the blackberry is mulched with any loosening materials to retain moisture and protect against weeds.

Pruning when caring for garden blackberries (with video)

Seedlings of moderately growing varieties in the first year after planting are shortened to about 25 cm from the soil level. As soon as young shoots appear, they are directed along a trellis or a column. It is important from the very beginning to prune the garden blackberries in the right direction so that the plant does not get used to growing freely. At the end of the growing season, all the weak tops of the carefully tied young stems are cut off.

In the summer of the second year, blackberries will bear fruit on the side shoots. At the same time, new powerful shoots grow from the base of the bush, which form as they grow, tying them to the trellis in the right direction: either in one direction, or they are lifted vertically, and then directed along the upper wire in both directions.

Before pruning the blackberry, the fruiting stems are always separated from the young shoots. Old ones are completely removed after fruiting, new shoots are placed in their place, cutting off only weak tops from them. Further pruning consists of removing the fruiting stems annually and replacing them with young shoots.

Watch the video "Pruning Blackberries" to show you how to do this correctly:

How to prune blackberries: shortening the stems

Powerful stems left for fruiting winter-hardy varieties, which hibernate in an open state, are shortened in the fall, pruning at the same height of 1.6-1.8 m. This work can be done in the spring at the same time as tying the stems to the support. It is carried out taking into account the state of the plants after wintering, the degree of damage to the lower buds by fungal diseases.

Many of the buds often die in winter at a height of 0.7-1 m from the base of the bush, so shortening the stems at the same height (1.61.8 m) is not always rational. In this case, the fruiting zone is sharply reduced.

It is more expedient to shorten the stems above the first bud from above, which is well formed and overwintered normally. If a significant part of it is frozen to the level of snow, then pruning is carried out so that it is convenient to tie the stems to the support. If you shorten the shoots to the first living bud, you will have to lower the wire to the appropriate height. Completely frozen stems are removed to the very base.

Stems of varieties with drooping tops are shortened at the point of inflection in order to increase their resistance to lodging, as well as to obtain larger berries.

How to properly prune blackberries: normalizing shoots

Simultaneously with the spring shortening of the stems of winter-hardy varieties, their final normalization is carried out. On each bush, 4-6 healthy stems are left for fruiting.

Newly growing shoots can be normalized in May-June, cutting them off when they reach a height of 8-10 cm. How to properly cut a blackberry using the method of shoot normalization? In this case, the bush is formed from thin shoots of the second growth wave. Usually they are less affected by purple spot or shoot gall midge. By the end of the growing season, these shoots reach a height of 1.6-1.8 m, so they are not shortened. It is more convenient to bend them down for the winter, but next spring and summer they will need support during fruiting. These shoots are one-dimensional, the harvest on them ripens more amicably.

Gardeners tend to give preference to the first shoots, which are located closer to the uterine part of the plant. When they grow to 40-45 cm, 6-8 of them are left per bush, cutting off all the less developed ones just below the soil level. The first shoots develop quickly, they can be powerful, tall, but they are more susceptible to diseases and pests than others. They are poorly attached to the rhizome at the base, they break easily under the influence of wind, rain, or at the moment of bending. Outwardly viable shoots are often useless for the plant.

How to prune garden blackberries: pinching shoots

In seedlings of the first year of development, one replacement shoot grows on each bush, which indicates a low yield in the next year.

To increase the future fruiting zone, shoots are pinned at the beginning of June, removing the top 3-5 cm long. As a result, lateral buds awaken, new branches are formed. The next spring, inflorescences will grow from the buds of the side branches. You should not hesitate with pinching, otherwise the grown shoots will not have time to prepare for wintering.

This procedure is a mandatory technique for the cultivation of erect blackberries. When is the pruning of garden blackberries made by pinching shoots? The first time it is carried out when the shoots reach a height of 60-90 cm, cutting off the 5-centimeter top. The second time - when the side shoots grow to a height of 60 cm, they are shortened to 40 cm. This technique will help to form a miniature tree from each shoot. It is better to transfer the second pinching to the next year of the shoot's life, leaving 8-12 buds on each lateral branch. Having thus prepared the plants, they are tied to a trellis wire.

Everything about planting, growing, reproducing and pruning blackberry bushes in their summer cottage.