Planting, growing and caring for blackberries in the Urals and Siberia, the best varieties

Wild blackberries have very long stems covered with sparse thorns and a bluish purine coating. In the first year, fruit buds form on the shoot, in the second year lateral branches with inflorescences appear. After the berries ripen, the stems dry out at the age of 2 years. The leaves of the bush are dried, brewed and drunk as tea. The ripe fruits of the plant are rich in organic acids, vitamins, and pectin. By following the requirements for planting and caring for blackberries in the Urals, you can count on a good harvest.

How to choose the right variety

After the domestication of the wild perennial, in addition to the creeping variety of the plant, the erect blackberry was bred. But almost all varieties of subshrubs cannot withstand such frosts as raspberries, which belong to the same genus Rubus. In Siberia, where the air temperature drops to -40 °C, blackberries grow, but you need to plant varieties adapted to harsh climate conditions and take into account that you still have to cover the bushes.

For the Urals, where strong winds blow, preference should be given to erect, frost-resistant shrubs.

Blackberry varieties for Siberia

The Rubus genus is grown on an industrial scale in North America. In Russia, it is planted mainly by summer residents in the Leningrad region, and in the Moscow region, and in the Far East, and in the Crimea.

Blackberries take root and bear fruit in Siberia:

• Taylor;
• Agawam;
• Lawton;
• Thornfree.

The varieties are valued for their large berries and decorative appearance. All of them can withstand frost, but in harsh climates they take shelter for the winter.

Early

In Siberia, it is recommended to plant blackberries, which ripen not in September, when it is already cold, but in early summer. The Eldorado variety takes root in regions with harsh climates. Erect bushes have long shoots covered with large thorns. In early June, the Giant blackberries ripen. The fruit weighs only 7 g, but the plant produces a good harvest and is valued for its high winter hardiness.

One of the new early hybrids, Black Butte, is distinguished by large fruits; individual specimens weigh 20–23 grams. The oval berries of Agawam blackberries are harvested in several stages. The bushes of this variety are of medium height, thick shoots, falling down, dotted with brown thorns. The plant can withstand frosts down to -30 °C.

With an average ripening period

In temperate climates, the blackberry variety Tupi takes root. An erect bush with small thorns is rarely affected by diseases and can withstand frosts under cover. The harvest ripens by early August. The weight of one berry reaches 9–10 grams. The Lawton variety is distinguished by its rapid ripening; in a favorable year, a whole bucket of small blackberries is harvested from the bush.

Plants with long branches do not suffer from diseases, but they can tolerate frosts of -20 °C only under cover.

Late ripening

In regions where summers are short, varieties with early ripening are planted, but in the south of Siberia, Texas blackberries, bred by Michurin, are grown. In August, the creeping bushes ripen with aromatic, sour berries weighing about 10 grams, which can be canned and frozen.

Chokeberry blackberries must be covered for the winter. The harvest is harvested in the last month of summer and in September. One branch of the plant bears 15–17 small fruits.

Shade-tolerant

Blackberries take root in different conditions, but the taste of the berries deteriorates with a lack of light, in damp and rainy weather. The shrub loves the sun, but some varieties thrive in the shade. These include Agave, its advantages are called:

• exceptional frost resistance;
• high productivity;
• good berry taste.

The Thornless Evergreen variety grows in the shade. There are no thorns on the shoots of the plant. One cluster bears more than 60 small fruits.

Frost-resistant

Darrow blackberries adapt well to the cold winters of Siberia. An erect bush covered with thorns does not die at a temperature of -35 °C.

They have high frost resistance:

• El Dorado;
• Agawam;
• Snyder.

The American hybrid Thornfree pleases with large berries. A powerful plant with long shoots does not suffer from diseases and tolerates cold winters normally, but under cover.

Repairers

To increase the yield of blackberries, the bushes are thinned, leaving no more than 5 branches. In Siberia, where cold autumn quickly arrives, among the remontant varieties of plants, strewn with fruits, only a few take root - Black Magic and Ruben with large berries and good winter hardiness, as well as Prime Yang, adapted to unfavorable conditions.

The best varieties for the Urals

In regions where there are few sunny days with high temperatures, blackberries are planted, which can withstand severe frosts and manage to ripen before the cold weather. In the Urals, upright varieties of subshrubs, which suffer less from the wind, take root better - Black Satin, Kiova, Waldo.

Early

In harsh climates, Eldorado blackberries feel normal, which not only has high winter hardiness, but also pleases with pleasant-tasting berries that ripen in early summer. The Snyder variety is not affected by fungi and grows on any soil. The shoots of an erect bush, covered with large thorns, do not freeze at low temperatures; small fruits ripen by the end of June. Polar tolerates spring changes and withstands frosts of -30 ⁰C, sweet blackberries are harvested in the first month of summer. One plant produces up to half a bucket of berries.

Mid-season

The fruits of the Gazda variety, created in Poland, have time to ripen in the Urals. Tall hybrid bushes tolerate severe cold and do not suffer from diseases.On shoots weakly covered with thorns, blackberries ripen in early or mid-August; fruit harvesting ends in September.

Lawton is pleased with its high yield; the berries ripen by the end of summer.

Late

In the Urals, blackberry hybrids are mainly planted, the fruits of which ripen in July. Under cover tolerates cold temperatures Texas and Oregon Thornless. Both varieties delight with a large number of berries. From one bush they collect a bucket of fruits, which ripen by the end of August - beginning of September.

Winter-hardy

Agave tolerates the lowest temperatures. The Gigant variety is almost not far behind this variety. Erect Darrow bushes do not freeze at -35 ⁰C. The winter-hardy hybrids Thornfree and Amara safely withstand the Ural frosts.

Bush

Blackberries with erect shoots tolerate low temperatures and strong winds, but require shelter in northern latitudes. The stems of these plants are strewn with thorns or thorns and reach a height of 2 meters. Bush varieties Ruben, Agavam, and Gazda are taking root in the Urals.

creeping

In the forests of Europe and the Asian taiga, you can find dewberries in the wild, the shoots of which spread along the ground, reaching 4–5 meters. This blackberry bears fruit in the shade and is not afraid of drought. Oregon Thornless and Texas hybrids are cultivated in the Urals, but in winter they freeze out without shelter.

How to plant and grow crops

Growing blackberries in harsh climates is not so easy, but if you follow the requirements of agricultural technology and careful care, they reward you with berries rich in useful components.

Dates suitable for planting

In Europe and America, where blackberries are cultivated on an industrial scale, there is not much difference when plant shoots are sent into the ground - in spring or autumn, but this period determines whether the shrub will survive in a climate with cold winters and late frosts. To eliminate the risk of blackberries dying in the Urals and Siberia, they are planted in the first ten days of May or from September 1 to 15. In this case, there is a higher probability that the plant will not only survive, but will also be able to take root.

Where to plant on the site

The place for blackberries should be well lit by the sun and inaccessible to northern winds. The subshrub feels comfortable at a distance of a meter along a hedge or fence on the western or southern side. Blackberries need fertile soil, not rocks, salt marshes or swamps. The crop dies when the roots reach groundwater.

Pre-planting work

Having chosen a suitable place for the plant, the entire area is cleared of weeds, the remains of stems are removed, and the soil is carefully dug up.

Site preparation

Since blackberries are demanding on soil fertility, before planting the soil must be fertilized with organic matter and mineral complexes.

For 1 sq. m of area contribute:

• a bucket of humus;
• 2 tbsp. spoons of potassium sulfate;
• 100 g superphosphate.

10–15 days before planting blackberries, deep holes with a diameter of 40–50 cm are dug in a plot of several rows, leaving a distance of 1.5 m between each.

Preparation of planting material

The bushes of the crop, which are preferably purchased from a nursery, are soaked in water, where they must remain for at least half a day.

Procedure technology

The seedling is placed vertically in the hole, deepening the neck by 2 or 3 cm, the roots are placed on a mound made in the hole.After this, a ditch is dug around the bush, half a bucket of water is poured, and the ground near the plant is mulched with peat. The shoots are trimmed, leaving branches up to 5 cm long.

Aftercare

If you take care of blackberries, even in harsh climates they will reward you with the first fruits. In order for the roots to be saturated with oxygen, you need to constantly loosen the soil throughout the entire area.

Irrigation

The first month or 2 after planting, the bushes need to be watered frequently. After the blackberries take root, the amount of moisture is reduced. But when the berries begin to ripen, once a week 2 buckets of water are poured under each bush.

Foliar and root fertilizer

In spring, blackberries need nitrogen, it is contained in urea. Every 2 years, a bucket of compost or humus is added under the bushes, and the stems and leaves are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture.

Support garter

Blackberries have very long shoots; after planting and pruning, they are fixed to the trellis:

• fan;
• wave;
• rope.

The shoots are attached to the wire in the center, and the fruiting shoots are directed to the side, woven together in twos or allowed to trail down. Tying it to a support using any of these methods makes pruning easier and makes picking berries easier.

Formation

If the bush produces flowers in the first year, it is advisable to cut them off. The following spring, the branches are shortened by 15 centimeters. In the summer, fruit-bearing shoots are cut off completely and excess growth is removed.

Shelter for the winter

Even cold-resistant hybrid crop varieties in Siberia and the Urals often freeze out. To prevent this from happening, in the fall they dig a trench where young branches are laid and covered with pine needles and sawdust. In the spring, before the buds appear, the plant is freed from covering material.