Cultivation

Winter protection of blackberries

Rubus L. subg. Rubus

An agrotechnical practice for preserving annual blackberry shoots, which have a limited frost resistance of -14...-18 °C. The method involves step-by-step bending of stems to the soil and protection with covering materials to prevent freezing and bark cracking during thaws.

In the reference 20 varieties crop Blackberry, where this is mentioned in the description.

Blackberry protection technology is aimed at preserving the annual shoots that will produce the following year's crop. Due to the fragility and significant length of the stems, they are bent to the ground in stages over several days, securing them as low as possible. To prevent contact with the soil and reduce the risk of dampening off, the shoots are laid on a base made of boards or plant residues.

Non-woven fabrics with a density of 50–100 g/m² or spruce branches are used as covering material, as they create the necessary air gap and trap snow. If polyethylene film is used, it is essential to provide ventilation gaps to remove condensate. Work is carried out when stable temperatures of -2 to -5 °C are established to prevent premature bud break or dampening off during the warm autumn period.

Blackberry protection differs fundamentally from that of raspberries, as it requires the labor-intensive task of removing shoots from trellises. The main goal of this procedure is not only protection against critical temperatures but also the prevention of micro-cracks on the stems that occur during sharp temperature fluctuations during winter thaws. An optimal condition for successful overwintering is creating a low structure that can be quickly covered by a stable snow layer.

General information about the subject — on the page Winter covering.

Sources8

Varieties of Blackberry mentioned in the description

Selection based on the description text, not on official evaluation: these data are absent from registers. For specific variety details, please refer to its profile.