Rubus
|
Gregory Hoss Nursery Manager George O. White State Forest Nursery PO Box 119 Licking, Missouri 65542-0119 573-674-3229 GIF-native-plants@prodigy.net |
| Family Scientific Name: | Rosaceae | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Common Name: | Rose Family | ||
| Scientific Name: | Rubus | ||
| Common Name: | Blackberry | ||
| Species Code: | RUBSPP | ||
| Ecotype: | South Central Missouri | ||
| General Distribution: | We have 4 species of Blackberry native to Missouri. | ||
| Propagation Goal: | plants | ||
| Propagation Method: | seed | ||
| ProductType: | Bareroot (field grown) | ||
| Stock Type: | 2+0 | ||
| Time To Grow: | 14 Months | ||
| Target Specifications: | Height: 12 in<br> Caliper:0.25 in<br> Root System: Root system must balance top growth. | ||
| Propagule Collection: | Seeds are purchased from local people who collect within a 50 mile radius of the nursery. | ||
| Propagule Processing: | We clean seeds from fruits with a Dyb-Vig.Seeds are dried to less than 10% seed moisture content prior to storage. We store our seeds in sealed plastic bags inside sealed plastic tubs in a cooler at 36 F. | ||
| Pre-Planting Treatments: |
Blackberry seeds require a warm and cold stratification to overcome seed dormancy. We sow fresh seeds in early July using a Love seeder set at 3rd gear at 8 setting into prepared field beds. |
||
| Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops: |
Soils: Our field soils are silty clay loams. The spring before planting, we amend the soils with 700 lbs/acre of 1N:3 P205:5K20, grow a soybean cover crop, and fumigate in the fall. We use Roundup Ready soybeans so we can control weeds by using glycosate herbicide without harming the cover crop. During early August, we disk under the cover crop and disk thesoils several times during the next 6 weeks to obtain a smooth soil surface. Soils are fumigated in late September. Field Bed Preparation: We mark out and form beds as needed. Beds are prepared with a rototiller/seedbed former and are typically 4 to 6 inches high and 4 ft wide. Fields are cultivated for weeds as needed throughout the growing season. Irrigation: We use overhead irrigation with two inch pvc pipe that can be moved from field to field each year. Our principle water source is from 3 on-site wells and is very good quality water. |
||
| Establishment Phase: |
We sow seeds at least .25 inches deep to protect them from deer, rodents and birds. Seeds are covered and irrigated when soils appear to be drying out on warm days. We apply old sawdust and hydromulch after sowing. Seeds germinate the following spring. |
||
| Length of Establishment Phase: | 1 year | ||
| Active Growth Phase: |
Year 2: Fertilization: We apply ammonium sulfate 21-0-0-24 with a mechanical spreader. We put on the first application the last week of May and to only those 2+0 seedlings that have been germinated for at least 5 or 6 weeks. We put down our last application during the last week of July. We apply fertilizer at the rate of 125 lbs/acre. Frequency of application depends on the species and how they look that season. We irrigate for at least 45 minutes following all fertilizer applications. This insures that foliage will not burn and incorporates fertilizer into the root zone. ROOT PRUNING PROCEDURES: Seedlings are root pruned during June. Pruning depth is at least 10 inches for 1+ 0 stock. Irrigate heavily for 2 to 3 days prior to pruning to saturate the root zone. Set pruning blade to slightly wrench seedlings as they are pruned. Check pruning depth frequently and adjust as needed. Irrigate for a minimum of 2 hours following root pruning to settle soil back around roots. This step is critical to eliminate post root pruning mortality. Irrigate field heavily for 2 to 3 days to further settle the soil. TOP PRUNING PROCEDURES: We top prune only to keep seedlings from being damaged by the mechanical lifter. Our clients prefer seedlings that have not been severely shoot pruned. |
||
| Length of Active Growth Phase: | 4-5 months year 2 | ||
| Hardening Phase: | Hardening begins during August. No fertilizer is applied after August. Irrigation frequency and duration is shortened and applied only when needed. | ||
| Length of Hardening Phase: | 3 months | ||
| Harvesting, Storage and Shipping: | We do not store blackberry stock; it is typically lifted and directly planted in the fall. | ||
Citation:
Hoss, Gregory. 2007. Propagation protocol for production of Bareroot (field grown) Rubus plants 2+0; George O. White State Forest Nursery Licking, Missouri. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/07/22). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.
