Cultivation Techniques and Management of Blackberry Bush
Today, the editor introduces the cultivation techniques and management of blackberry bush, as well as the experience of planting blackberry bush in the aspect of green plant maintenance. Corrections are welcome if there are any mistakes!
Summary: Is it difficult to plant blackberry bush? Follow these three points, and the planted blackberry bush will look good and taste delicious.
The blackberry bush is a common tree in the southern part of China, also known as the southern candle, lingdingzi, niujin tree, etc. Its leaves are commonly used to make rice in the southern regions of China, hence the name blackberry bush. The blackberry bush has an elegant shape, long flowering period, and ornamental value. So, can blackberry bushes be planted on a large scale? How to plant blackberry bushes? Here, Science Agriculture will explain this issue.
What is a Blackberry Bush?
Blackberry bushes might be unfamiliar to friends in the north, but they are very familiar to those in the south. There is a custom of eating blackberry rice in the south, usually on the third day of the third lunar month or the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. The reason why blackberry bushes are called "black rice" is that the leaves contain natural melanin that can dye rice black and have certain preservative properties. People in southern regions have the custom of eating black rice, hence the name blackberry bush.
The blackberry bush belongs to the Ericaceae family, with a height of two to six meters, a branching tree shape, elliptical leaves, terminal and axillary racemes, and flowers that are mostly white with a hint of red, cute in appearance. The fruit is a berry, purple-black in color, similar to blueberries. The blackberry bush has strong ornamental value, and many friends like to use it for bonsai, while some places use it as an urban绿化 (greening) tree.
How to Plant Blackberry Bushes?
After understanding the basic information about blackberry bushes, some friends may ask how to plant them. Here, Science Agriculture will discuss the planting of blackberry bushes from three aspects: growth habits, planting methods, and daily management.
Growth Habits: Blackberry bushes often grow in the wild, with strong adaptability, preferring warm and humid growing environments, sun-loving and shade-tolerant, drought-resistant,贫瘠 (infertile), and cold-resistant. They can grow well in mountains and roadsides. Blackberry bushes grow in the south of the Yangtze River in China, and they can also be found in North and East China. Judging from the growth habits of blackberry bushes, they can be planted in most parts of China.
Planting Methods: There are mainly two methods of propagation for blackberry bushes, one is seed sowing, and the other is cutting. Although blackberry bushes have strong adaptability, the propagation techniques are still somewhat difficult, especially using seed sowing, which is more challenging because the germination rate and seedling establishment rate of blackberry seeds are relatively low, making it difficult to plant blackberry seedlings. Here, we will mainly talk about the cutting method.
Since blackberry bushes have poor rooting ability and the effect of hardwood cutting is poorer than that of softwood cutting, cutting is usually done with softwood. The cutting time is in the spring every year, and the cuttings need to be selected from one to two-year-old branches on healthy, disease-free mother plants that are three to five years old. The diameter of the cuttings should be between 0.2 to 0.5 centimeters, cut to a length of about 10 centimeters, with a flat top and a V-shaped oblique cut at the bottom.
After the cuttings are trimmed, it is best to bundle 50 to 100 cuttings together and place them in water to keep them moist. Before cutting, it is necessary to dip the cuttings in a rooting hormone and消毒 (disinfect) them. The rooting hormone can be ABT or IBA at a concentration of 200 mg per liter, soaked for one to two hours. The disinfectant can be carbendazim or potassium permanganate.
The cutting substrate can be well-ventilated sandy soil, vermiculite, or perlite. The depth of cutting should be one-third to one-half the length of the cutting, with a spacing of about 5 centimeters. After cutting, keep the seedbed moist.
Daily Management: After blackberry bushes have survived the cutting, they need careful nurturing. Here, we mainly discuss seedling management and fertilizer and water management. After the blackberry bushes have been cut, it is necessary to maintain a suitable seedbed environment, provide appropriate shading in the summer, and keep warm in the winter. Keep the seedbed moist, using a spray to apply water, and promptly loosen the soil and remove weeds. Transplanting is done from February to March of the following year.
The water and fertilizer management of blackberry bushes needs to be carried out according to the growth stage. In the spring, a small amount of decomposed organic fertilizer can be applied. Before flowering, spray potassium dihydrogen phosphate to promote bud differentiation. After the blackberry bushes have set fruit, be sure to apply nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers to promote fruit growth. Blackberry bushes prefer slightly acidic soil, and since the soil in the north is alkaline, sulfuric acid iron can be used to improve soil acidity. Blackberry bushes are relatively drought-tolerant, and the soil should not be too moist. Watering should be based on the soil and weather conditions, watering thoroughly when dry.
The above information introduces the cultivation techniques and management of blackberry bushes and the specific methods of planting blackberry bushes for your reference.