Feeding blackberries during flowering and fruiting in spring, summer and autumn

Blackberry nutrition is very important for the normal growth of the shrub. Top dressings are foliar and root. Both types of fertilization are important for the plant. Blackberries are fed throughout the growing season.

Why is it so important to feed blackberries

Feeding a garden blackberry is just like any other plant. Top dressing saturates the soil with nutrients that are necessary for the normal growth of blackberries.

In addition, top dressing promotes the growth and development of shrubs, increases plant immunity and positively affects the taste of fruits.

Nutritional deficiency leads to the fact that the bush grows poorly, the yield decreases, and the plant itself develops poorly. Deficiency, as well as excess fertilizing, negatively affects the growth of blackberries. The shrub begins to actively grow deciduous mass, but the yield is almost zero.

Procedure technologies

There are two types of top dressing - foliar and root. Foliar top dressing implies the processing of shrub leaves. Roots are applied directly to the soil in the area of the root system.

Root

The essence of root feeding is that nutrients enter directly into the root system and immediately saturate the plant with useful trace elements necessary for growth.

Root top dressings are organic and mineral. Organic top dressings are diluted in water or mixed with soil in spring or autumn.Mineral fertilizers are dissolved in water and watered on shrubs or scattered on the soil and after that watered blackberries with warm water to dissolve the granules.

Foliar

Foliar top dressings are only mineral. It is rare to find a recipe for organic foliar fertilization. When using this method, fertilizers are dissolved in warm water and sprayed on the bushes.

Sprinkling blackberries with minerals is necessary so that in the coming days after the procedure there are no heavy or prolonged rains.

What plants fertilize

There are two types of fertilizers - mineral and organic. Mineral fertilizers are complex and single-component. At the same time, it is allowed to introduce both mineral substances and organic matter into the soil. The blackberry will not get worse from this. The main thing is to ensure that the shrub does not overfeed.

Mineral fertilizers for blackberries

The main minerals for agricultural plants include nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. At different stages of the growing season, plants require different substances.

At the stage of bud formation and growth of deciduous mass, it is recommended to introduce nitrogen into the soil. During flowering and fruit formation, nitrogen can also be added, but combined with potassium and phosphorus.

Before the onset of cold weather and after harvest, blackberry bushes need potassium. This mineral fertilizer boosts plant immunity and helps survive winter frosts.

Organic

Autumn is the time for root feeding. After harvesting, the soil around the shrub is loosened with a pitchfork. Organic is used as fertilizer:

manure;
chicken manure;
urea;
compost;
sawdust;
wood ash.

Organic fertilizers are also sold in specialized gardening stores. For example, Fertimix Biogumus. The drug stimulates the growth of leaves and the root system, increases resistance to diseases.

Another drug is Novofert Yagoda. Use the substance during the flowering period every 2 weeks. Stop feeding shrubs after fruit ripening.

Folk remedies

For root dressings, folk methods are used, for example, watering blackberries with weed-based infusion. Weeds are cut and filled with water. They insist one week. Yeast is also added to the infusion. When it is ready, you need to water the blackberries 2 times a week for about 1 month.

The source of calcium for blackberries is eggshell. To prepare the fertilizer, the eggshell must be crushed, and then poured with water and left for a day. Water the shrub with the resulting solution.

Algae is used as fertilizer. They contain about 60 trace elements that are necessary for the normal growth of plants.

Nutritious top dressing is prepared from animal hair waste. To prepare top dressing, you need to mix the soil with wool in the fall. In spring, the soil will be saturated with nitrogen.

Blackberry bushes are useful to periodically water with nettle infusion. For its preparation, 2 kg of fresh nettles are poured in a large barrel with warm water and left to ferment in the sun. After a few days, the resulting infusion is diluted in water and the bush is watered. It is recommended to water plants with nettle infusion during flowering and ovary formation.

Nuances of seasonal care

Depending on the season, top dressing has its own nuances. Blackberries require different nutrients in every season.

Spring fertilizer

In the spring, after the snow has melted, potash nitrate is added to the ground. This fertilizer contains nitrogen and potassium. The fertilizer is available in the form of granules. The granules are scattered on the ground, and then poured with warm water to dissolve them. From mineral fertilizers, superphosphate, nitrogen and potassium sulfate are used.

Summertime

During this period, complex fertilizers are applied to the soil. In summer, plants are sprayed with nitrogen, potassium or phosphorus diluted in water. Minerals are applied only to moist soil. In August, they take a break in top dressing until the onset of autumn, when the preparation of the shrub for winter begins.

Autumn

In September, the preparation of blackberries for winter begins. In autumn, after pruning the plant, they dig up the soil around and add organic matter, superphosphate and potassium sulfate. In addition, the earth is mixed with pre-prepared compost or humus.

How to feed blackberries

Blackberries are also fed depending on the growing season. Also, during the application of nutrients, the composition of the soil is taken into account.

Features for fertilizing blackberries on different soils

Blackberry prefers to grow on drained loamy soils with neutral or slightly acidic soil. Before planting, the earth is mixed with organic matter.

After planting young seedlings

After planting young seedlings, the soil is fertilized with Bioterra. The drug promotes rapid survival in a new place. "Bioterra" consists of 4 types of manure, as well as organic waste.

For the growth of seedlings, nitrogen-containing top dressings are used, which contribute to the activation of shoot growth. For example, urea or ammonium nitrate. Such fertilizers are applied when planting seedlings in the spring.

During flowering

With the beginning of flowering, every 12-15 days, the bushes are fed with the Novofert Yagoda substance. Such top dressing is carried out before fruiting. Another effective remedy is Kemira Universal 2. The substance helps to increase the yield and growth of plants.

During berry ripening

During fruit ripening, in order to increase yield and fruiting, top dressing should be applied, which includes 20 g of s altpeter and 10 g of urea. When fruiting is just beginning, it is useful to fertilize the soil with potassium sulfate. 2 tbsp. l. potassium sulfate is diluted in 5 liters of water. From foliar dressings, the leaves are sprayed with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

After harvest

After harvesting, it's time to prepare the bushes for the onset of winter. At this time, use organic top dressing and potassium. From organic matter, the soil is fertilized with manure, compost or humus. 2-3 times a year they dig up the earth with chicken manure. Immediately before the onset of cold weather, the soil next to the blackberries is mulched with peat or straw.

Common mistakes beginner gardeners make

The most common mistake inexperienced gardeners make when fertilizing blackberries is not to pay attention to the appearance of the bush and act strictly according to the instructions or the timing of fertilization. The nutrition of any crop is based on how the plant looks. If the blackberry is abundantly growing deciduous mass, but does not bear fruit, you need to stop feeding it.

Another mistake of many inexperienced summer residents is ignoring the composition of the soil, climatic features. The poorer the soil, the more and more often mineral and organic fertilizers will have to be applied. Especially during the growth period in spring and during the formation of ovaries.