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 cultures. We'll figure out what kind of plant this is - a berry shrub.
Structural features
All shrubs are distinguished by the absence of a trunk. Instead, up to a dozen branches, creating the bush itself, immediately leave the root system. 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 yield crops. The oval shape of the crown is inherent in most shrubs. The only exceptions are lianike species with a flattened crown or decorative cultures, which are shaped by skillful pruning.
The root system usually consists of several basic, but not large roots, located at a depth of not more than one and a half meters. They quickly overgrow with many suction roots located horizontally on the surface of the earth and covering a vast area of nutrition. Typical are berry bushes, the names of which we have known since childhood. These are the most common garden berries in Russia - currants, gooseberries, honeysuckle, raspberries, some varieties of cherries , etc.
Main characteristics
Types of berry bushes are diverse, but one thing unites - their harvest ripens much earlier than in stone fruit and pome crops. Berry yields are very high with the competent use of agricultural measures. And vegetative propagation makes it possible to obtain fruits soon: already 2-3 years after planting.
Berries are rich in a variety of 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, chokeberry, honeysuckle, etc. All berries are tasty and healthy, but with many general characteristics of the crops, each species requires an individual approach.
Pruning berry bushes
Autumn is the best time for pruning. In the spring, due to the vicissitudes of unstable weather, you can not be in time or even do much harm: the berry plants start to grow early. At this time, you can make correction cropping, so to speak, to carry out light cosmetic procedures. Often, berry bushes are not pruned. There is an opinion that pruning bushes is not needed. On the contrary, shrubbery pruning is much more necessary than trees. Without proper formation, it is impossible to get a good fruiting bush. Thickness is the main enemy of the bush. Lack of light will immediately affect the crop. The branches will begin to die prematurely, but it’s not worth talking about pests and diseases - in impassable thickets for them is simply a paradise on earth. Here rust and powdery mildew flourish, and the glass-case develops perfectly. In other words, bush formation is indispensable. Trimming fruit and berry shrubs 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 tools for cropping. The garden file and pruner must be sharpened and in good condition. Do not replace the garden file with a regular hacksaw. It is inconvenient and difficult to work with it; neighboring branches that do not need to be pruned are often damaged. Slices should be even and clean. With proper pruning, they will become less infected and grow faster.
Landing
The most important stage of gardening a garden plot is planting berry bushes. It should be carried out according to the landscape project, while the preferences of each species should be taken into account. The seedling should be comfortable and convenient, because shrubs are planted for a long period of time. Equally important is the choice of place, technology of cultivation and after-planting care of the crop. Planting is carried out in terms depending on the type of culture, season, climatic conditions, physiological condition of the bush.
The distance between the shrubs to be planted must be taken into account. Usually, planting or transplanting begins in late 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, the presence of fertilizers and moisture level). To create conditions for the successful growth of shrubs, their places of planting are subjected to continuous deep tillage with the addition of fertilizing. Then, for each bush, an individual is dug up
landing pit, the depth of which should be at least half a meter.
Shrub care
Care for berry shrubs is a set of measures that includes pruning, fertilizing, watering and pest protection. Its high-quality performance will allow you to get a high yield. Raspberries, blackberries, currants, gooseberries - these are all fruit and berry bushes. Having considered the general aspects of planting fruit and berry shrubs and caring for them, we move on to the species characteristics of these plants.
Currant - berry shrub
Blackcurrant is a favorite among Russian gardeners. The useful berry is photophilous, although slight shading tolerates well. She prefers neutral fertile soils or with a low level of acidity (6-6.5), not subject to flooding by groundwater. Currant is a moisture-loving culture and is demanding on regular watering. In a dry summer, it should be watered every three weeks. Propagation of the berry by cuttings or horizontal layering. The most preferred time for planting is autumn, but currants planted in early spring also take root.
Landing pits are prepared by carefully digging up the soil and adding humus. They are located 1.5-2 meters from each other. Saplings are buried by 10 cm, arranging them obliquely and shortening to 2-3 buds. Annual top dressing with nitrogen and organic fertilizers and maintaining proper acidity with dolomite flour or ash are required. Proper pruning helps reduce the risk of disease. The bush should consist of 15-20 branches of different ages. Currants are pruned in spring or October (after leaf fall). The bushes thin out, cutting off the drooping branches, 5-6-year-old branches with a weak (less than 15 cm) growth completely or to a strong lateral branching.
Diseases and pests
Diseases of berry bushes do not bypass currants: they are susceptible to anthracnose, powdery mildew, and kidney currant mites. To avoid the attack of pests or diseases that these crops are often exposed to, spring treatment will allow. Currants, for example, have a shower of boiling water.
Freshly boiled water is poured into a metal watering can and watered the bush from top to bottom. You can treat the berry by spraying with a Bordeaux mixture. This should be done in the early spring, before the start of cultural growth.
Raspberries
The magnificent taste of berries, their high healing qualities, as well as the decorativeness of raspberry bushes are appreciated by many gardeners. It is difficult to imagine a summer cottage that would not adorn this berry shrub. Depending on the variety, the height of raspberry bushes can reach two meters. For a good yield, raspberries should be planted in rows, with a half-meter spacing between the 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 surface of the soil. Tamping the soil is not necessary.
Raspberries are unpretentious, care for it is mandatory pruning. It allows you to significantly increase the number of peduncles and, consequently, the crop. When 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 hygrophilous and need moderate, but not excessive watering. The best nutrition for her is humus.
Gooseberry Care
Gooseberries - low (not more than a meter in height) berry shrub, the branches of which are covered with prickly thorns. Fruits - round or oval berries of green, red or yellow color. Gooseberries are drought tolerant, do not like excessive moisture, watering should be rare and not abundant.
Proper pruning of gooseberries is especially important. She is the key to a generous harvest. Three to five strong young shoots are selected annually, cutting out all
the rest at the very root. It is possible to remove diseased, drooping branches and emerging shoots at rhizomes throughout the 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 treatment of the bush will help to avoid the appearance of aphids and other pests. Gooseberry bush with good care can bear fruit up to 25 years.
Edible honeysuckle
This shrub is the most photophilous of garden crops. That is why honeysuckle is in dire need of pruning. In addition, it can 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 are dark purple with a bluish bloom, oblong shape. The taste of fruits - from sweet and sweet and sour 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 the autumn, bushes fertilize 10 kg of humus, 80 g of superphosphate and 200 g of ash. Every spring, honeysuckle is fed with urea - 10 g per 1 m². This winter-hardy berry shrub is gaining mass in the first years. After this period, forming trimming is carried out annually.
Berry bushes, photos and brief information about which are presented in the article, are distributed throughout Russia. These are favorite garden crops, every year pleasing summer residents with good harvests of fragrant healthy berries.