Blackberry propagation

Blackberries are everyone's favorite, healthy berry, which, by the way, is so loved by children. It is not too demanding on growing conditions and care, while it grows quickly and contains a large amount of vitamins. Therefore, many gardeners strive to have this plant on their site. But there are times when you have a very small amount of planting material in your hands, and you want to grow not a single bush far away, and even as soon as possible. Therefore, the reproduction of blackberries is a necessary and useful activity.

In this article, we will talk about several options for a fairly fast blackberry propagation. You just have to decide which option is most suitable for you.

Blackberry propagation by layering

Blackberry propagation scheme by layering

Before we start talking about breeding methods, I would like to say a few more introductory words. Do not forget that blackberries will settle in your garden for a very long time (they can grow in one place for up to 10 years). Therefore, if possible, choose the best varieties suitable for your climate, and also determine a place for its cultivation that will not have to be changed later.

Blackberry propagation by layering can be carried out in two ways.

Blackberries: propagation by layering. Method # 1

Simple enough, even for inexperienced gardeners, a very budgetary way. After all, having only one plant in your hands, you can grow up to 20 daughter plants from it.

To get new plants, at the end of summer, after the cold weather sets in (around the beginning of August), you need to choose a strong, annual plant and immerse its shoot in the soil to a depth of about 20-25 cm.The upper part of the shoot should remain on the surface , it must be shortened by 15 cm, this will slow down the growth of the shoot itself. It should be noted that there is no need to separate the shoot from the mother plant.

The shoot can be additionally strengthened on the soil surface with a wire bracket, or you can put a small load on top (this is especially true in places where the soil has a crumbly structure). Cover the ground with a layer of mulch.

Further, the mother shoot should be watered regularly. After about a couple of months, the shoot should take root and you can gently push the ground away from it (it is best to use a pitchfork for this). If you see full-fledged white roots, everything worked out for you and the new seedlings can be carefully separated from the mother's shoot and immediately planted in a permanent place.

This method can be used not only at the end of summer, but also in autumn (in September-October). Then young seedlings can be planted in the spring.

Method 2

The second method repeats the first in all respects, except that in this case, the shortened apical part of the shoot is added in advance. To speed up the process of the formation of new plants a little, the bark on the part of the shoot that will be in the ground should be slightly scratched with a well-sharpened knife. This will make it easier for the young roots to get out.

Reproduction by offspring

This breeding method is not suitable for everyone. Firstly, some varieties of blackberries (including those with large fruits, as well as hybrid ones) do not form offspring at all. Secondly, offspring appear only where plants have been growing for some time (as a rule, at least 3 years).

However, this is without a doubt the easiest way to reproduce. All you need to do is find the offspring, dig it up and transplant it to a new place. The most suitable time for this procedure is spring, after the onset of stable above-zero temperatures. It is at this time that the chances of survival reach a maximum.

Blackberry propagation by cuttings

Blackberries lend themselves very well to propagation by cuttings (parts of shoots). Using this method, you can provide yourself with a sufficient amount of planting material. Indeed, from one shoot bud, one new plant is obtained.

In order to apply this method, you need to cut the cuttings from the shoots of the first year of life in advance, even in the fall. Cuttings should have from two to three buds and a length of up to 15 cm. The foliage must be removed from the cutting. Reproduction will occur due to the axillary buds, which are at rest.

We put the prepared cuttings in a container with water with the upper bud down. The water level should be such that only this (now lower) kidney is closed. We put the container with the handle on the window and, as necessary, constantly add water. After a while, a whole micro-blackberry bush will grow from a bud immersed in water, which will have both roots and a shoot.

This bush is our new seedling. Together with a small part of the shoot, it must be separated from the mother and planted in a container filled with soil (as when growing seedlings). Do not forget to water the seedling a little.

Now it's the turn of the rest of the kidneys. We reproduce the whole process from scratch with each subsequent kidney separately.

Young seedlings are grown at home (or in a greenhouse) until the onset of heat. This method, of course, requires some effort and time, but just imagine what beauty will grow in your home while it is cold and snowing outside!

Now you can see that blackberry propagation is, in fact, not such a complicated process, which is within the power of amateur gardeners of any competence.