Berry Bushes In Autumn: Pruning, Care

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

September, October - the time for active work in the garden. Berry bushes need preparation for wintering and future fruiting. Let's talk about pruning, feeding and other concerns of the gardener. It is these timely measures that contribute to obtaining bountiful harvests

Autumn fertilization for bushes

In August, berry bushes slow down their growth, and in September they completely stop growing. Plants freeze on the eve of winter, they are weakened after fruiting. At this time, you need to help them recover.

Organic feeding

It is recommended to give organic matter to gooseberries, red and black currants, humus, rotted manure or compost are suitable for this. The dose depends on the size and age of the bush. A three-year-old needs a bucket, a 5-7 year old needs two, an old one - three. For raspberries, too, a similar top dressing is needed in the size of a bucket per bush / running meter.

It is important to remember that this procedure is not done every year due to the stimulation of excessive growth of branches, which negatively affects further fruiting. On clay / loam, organic matter is given with a pause of 2 years, on depleted sandstones - after 1 year. This rule also applies to raspberries.

Mineral dressing

On fertile soils, it is enough to use superphosphate: 150-200 g per plant. Clay soils require addition of potassium sulfate - 40 g, on sandstones it is used a little more - 60 g. For raspberries, the portion is reduced by three times. If you add minerals and organics at the same time, then you should make a mixture: pour mineral water into the humus, mix and place under the bush.

In autumn, fertilizing does not include nitrogen substances, herbal infusion, extract from manure. Such applications stimulate the activity of shoot growth, and this is not necessary before winter. The energy spent on increasing the crown will be in vain, since they will not have time to stiffen, and are doomed to death from frost.

Digging the soil

The time to perform these techniques is the second half of September and no later than mid-October. Having decomposed humus under the bush or not doing this, autumn digging is carried out. The activity is carried out with a pitchfork or a shovel. Particular care is taken in the projection of the crown of the bush. In order not to damage the roots, it is not recommended to approach the branches coming out of the ground closer than 15 cm and to deepen tools more than 8-10 cm. Behind the crown and between the rows, they dig on a bayonet.

When digging / loosening for gooseberries and currants, it is advisable to create a powder-hilling base. Simultaneously with the digging, superphosphate / potassium is introduced. When conducting this event, it is important to take into account the weather. If there has been no rain for a long time and the ground is dry, watering is needed, until the top layer of 15-20 cm is completely wetted. Work that fell on rainy weather excludes the introduction of potassium, since there is a threat to the root system. As a result, foliage will be dumped and development will slow down in the future.

When the berries are cut

An important point in caring for a fruiting bush is pruning. The best time is the end of fruiting and growing season. Usually gardeners do this in September, and later until mid-October.

Black currants can be cut immediately after picking the berries. Old branches over 5 years old are removed, with reduced productivity. They are easy to identify by their dark brown bark and a small number of fruit twigs. Usually 1-2 pieces are removed. Try to cut at the very base. When thinning out the shoots, do not forget to leave 4-5 one-year-olds.

On red currants, 8-year-old branches are considered old. Cut out one skeletal one, leaving 3-4 first years for replacement. As a result of pruning, the currant bush should have 12-15 branches, the composition of which differs in age. There should be 2-4 pieces from each year. For black currants, the pruning operation ends with shortening / pinching the tops. On white and red, this is not done.

Gooseberries also need to be rejuvenated by removing old ones and leaving behind conveniently located basal shoots. The work is carried out in the same way with black currants, as a result, an adult bush has shoots of different ages 18-25.

It is easier with raspberries, blackberries: all those that bear fruit are completely cut out (there should be no hemp). Strong one-year-olds are left for replacement, 2-3. Using bush plantings, you need to have 8-10 shoots after pruning. For the trenching method, the same quantity is selected per running meter.