It is impossible to imagine the world without berry bushes - not only in summer cottages, where decorativeness and usefulness are combined, but also on city streets framed by very modest, but no less cute fluffy crops. Let's figure out what kind of plant it is - a berry bush.
Building features
All shrubs are distinguished by the absence of a trunk. Instead, up to a dozen branches immediately depart from the root system, creating the bush itself. They are the main branches. The bush consists of branches of different ages and annual shoots developing from buds at the base or on temporary branches. Both fruit and vegetative branches give a harvest. The oval shape of the crown is inherent in most shrubs. The only exceptions are vine-like species with a flattened crown or ornamental crops, which are shaped by skillful pruning.
The root system usually consists of several main, but medium-sized roots, located at a depth of no more than one and a half meters. They quickly overgrow with many suction roots,located horizontally on the earth's surface and covering a vast feeding area. Berry bushes are typical, the names of which we know from childhood. These are the most common garden berries in Russia - currants, gooseberries, honeysuckle, raspberries, some varieties of cherries, etc.
Key Features
Different types of berry bushes, but one thing in common - their harvest ripens much earlier than stone fruit and pome crops. The yield of berries is very high with the proper use of agrotechnical measures. And reproduction by vegetative means makes it possible to quickly obtain fruits: already 2-3 years after planting.
Berries are rich in various bioactive compounds, vitamins, organic acids, pectin, sugars. The most widespread in our country are berry bushes, photos and names of which are presented in the article - currants, gooseberries, raspberries, aronia, honeysuckle, etc. All berries are tasty and he althy, but with many common characteristics of crops, each species requires an individual approach.
Pruning berry bushes
Autumn is the best time to prune. In the spring, due to the vicissitudes of unstable weather, you can not have time or even harm: the berries begin to grow early. At this time, you can make a correction pruning, so to speak, carry out light cosmetic procedures. Often berry bushes are not pruned. There is an opinion that pruning bushes are not needed. In contrast, shrubs need much more pruning than trees. Withoutcompetent formation it is impossible to get a good fruit-bearing bush. Thickening is the main enemy of the shrub. The lack of light will immediately affect the crop. The branches will begin to die off ahead of time, but it’s not worth talking about pests and diseases - in impassable thickets for them it’s just heaven on earth. Both rust and powdery mildew flourish here, and glassware develops beautifully. In other words, one cannot do without the formation of a bush. Trimming fruit and berry bushes is not difficult at all, it is much harder to treat them. Of course, when pruning, you should take into account the characteristics of each type of berry, and we will talk about them a little later.
A few words about the necessary cutting tools. The garden file and pruner must be sharp and in good condition. Do not replace a garden saw with a regular hacksaw. It is inconvenient and hard to work with it, neighboring branches that do not need pruning are often damaged. The cuts must be even and clean. With proper pruning, they will become less infected and grow faster.
Landing
The most important step in landscaping a garden plot is planting berry bushes. It should be carried out according to a landscape project, while taking into account the preferences of each type. The seedling should be comfortable and convenient, because shrubs are planted for a long period of time. No less important is the choice of location, cultivation technology and post-plant care of the crop. Planting is carried out at a time depending on the type of crop, season, climatic conditions, physiologicalshrub state.
It is necessary to take into account the distance between the planted shrubs. Usually they start planting or transplanting at the end of September (until the end of October), but the most favorable period is spring. High demands are placed on the quality of the soil (acidity, fertility, availability of fertilizers and moisture levels). To create conditions for the successful growth of shrubs, their planting sites are subjected to continuous deep tillage with top dressing. Then, for each bush, an individual
planting pit, the depth of which should be at least half a meter.
Shrub care
Care for berry bushes is a set of activities that includes pruning, top dressing, watering and protection from pests. Its high-quality implementation will allow you to get a high yield. Raspberries, blackberries, currants, gooseberries are all fruit and berry bushes. Having considered the general aspects of planting fruit and berry bushes and caring for them, let's move on to the specific features of these plants.
Currant - berry bush
Blackcurrant is a favorite among Russian gardeners. A useful berry is photophilous, although it tolerates a little shading well. It prefers neutral fertile soils or with a low level of acidification (6-6, 5), not subject to groundwater flooding. Currant is a moisture-loving crop and is demanding for regular watering. In dry summers, it should be watered every three weeks. Berry propagated by cuttingsor horizontal stripes. The most preferred time for planting is autumn, but currants planted in early spring also take root well.
Planting holes are prepared by carefully digging up the soil and adding humus. They are located 1.5-2 meters apart. Seedlings are deepened by 10 cm, arranging them obliquely and shortening to 2-3 buds. Annual fertilizing with nitrogen and organic fertilizers and maintaining proper acidity with dolomite flour or ash are necessary. Proper pruning helps reduce the risk of disease. The bush should consist of 15-20 branches of different ages. Currant pruning is done in spring or October (after leaf fall). Bushes are thinned out by cutting off drooping branches, 5-6-year-old branches with weak (less than 15 cm) growth completely or to strong lateral branching.
Diseases and pests
Diseases of berry bushes do not bypass the currant: it is prone to anthracnose, powdery mildew, currant bud mites. To avoid the attack of pests or diseases that these crops are often exposed to, spring processing will allow. Currants, for example, benefit from a shower of boiling water.
Just boiled water is poured into a metal watering can and the bush is watered from top to bottom. You can treat the berries by spraying with Bordeaux mixture. This should be done in early spring, before the start of crop growth.
Raspberries
Great taste of berries, their high healing qualities, as well as decorative raspberry bushesappreciated by many gardeners. It is difficult to imagine a summer cottage that would not decorate this berry bush. Depending on the variety, the height of raspberry bushes can reach two meters. For a good return on the harvest, you need to plant raspberries in rows, with a half-meter interval between bushes, in holes with a depth of 0.3 m. The best period for planting it is autumn, since raspberries begin to grow actively from the first spring days. When planting, the roots should be placed horizontally on the soil surface. It is not necessary to compact the soil.
Raspberry is unpretentious, its care consists in obligatory pruning. It allows you to significantly increase the number of peduncles and, consequently, the yield. During spring pruning, 7-9 strong shoots are left on the bush. After harvesting, two-year-old stems should be removed, being careful not to leave stumps. Pests winter well in them, and it is important not to give them this opportunity. Raspberries, like many berry trees and shrubs, are moisture-loving and need moderate, but not excessive watering. The best feeding for her is humus.
Gooseberry care
Gooseberry is a low (not more than a meter high) berry bush, the branches of which are covered with prickly thorns. Fruits are round or oval berries of green, red or yellow color. The gooseberry is drought-resistant, does not like excessive moisture, watering should be rare and not plentiful.
Proper pruning of gooseberries is especially important. It is the key to a bountiful harvest. Three to five strong young shoots are selected annually, cutting all the rest underthe very root. It is possible to remove diseased, drooping branches and emerging shoots from rhizomes during the entire growing season. Every year you need to replenish the bush with new branches. Their total number per bush should be no more than 10-15.
Timely spring processing of shrubs will help to avoid the appearance of aphids and other pests. A gooseberry bush with good care can bear fruit for up to 25 years.
Edible honeysuckle
This shrub is the most photophilous of garden crops. That is why honeysuckle is especially in dire need of pruning. In addition, it is able to thicken if pruning has not been carried out for only 2-3 years. Honeysuckle is a fairly large shrub, reaching 2 m in height, with beige flaky bark. Berries - dark purple with a bluish bloom, oblong shape. The taste of fruits - from sweet and sour-sweet to sour with pronounced bitterness - depends on the variety.
Honeysuckle needs periodic moderate watering, especially before fruiting. She prefers neutral fertile soils and is demanding on top dressing: every 2-3 years in autumn, the bushes fertilize 10 kg of humus, 80 g of superphosphate and 200 g of ash. Annually in the spring, honeysuckle is fed with carbamide - 10 g per 1 m². This winter-hardy berry shrub gains mass in the first years. After this period, shaping pruning is carried out annually.
Berry bushes, photos and brief information about which are presented in the article, are common throughout Russia. This isfavorite garden crops, every year pleasing summer residents with good harvests of fragrant he althy berries.
