Shieldleaf berry is a deciduous shrub of the Rosaceae Rubus genus. Its fruits can be eaten and used medicinally, with the effects of strengthening the waist and kidneys, dispelling wind, and relieving pain. It is commonly used for joint pain in the limbs and back. Now let's introduce the planting methods of Rubus plants mainly based on shieldleaf berry.
1. Planting season
It can be planted when the temperature is above 0℃, regardless of the north or south, but spring and autumn are preferred. The best time for planting in spring is from mid-March to late April, and in autumn is from mid-October to late November. The plants planted in spring will bear a small amount of fruit in the same year, and most of the plants planted in autumn will bear fruit in the summer of the following year. In the third year, it will enter the period of maximum fruit production, and can bear fruit continuously for more than 30 years.
For potted shieldleaf berries, large pots with a diameter of over 30 cm should be used, with one plant per pot. Repotting should be done in spring or autumn every year. For shieldleaf berries planted for more than 3 years, large pots with a diameter of 40 to 50 cm should be used to ensure yield. The roots of the plants should be filled with sufficient base fertilizer, preferably with well-rotted compost and soil.
2. Planting method
There are two planting methods for shieldleaf berries: single plant planting and strip planting. Single plant planting is suitable for planting in scattered vacant land near homes and for weak sucker growth blackberries. The plant spacing for single plant planting is 2 meters. Strip planting is suitable for large-scale planting, with a row spacing of 1.5 meters and a plant spacing of 0.8 meters. There should be 555 planting holes per acre. In northern areas with soil freezing prevention, the row spacing is 2.5 meters and the plant spacing is 0.3 meters, with 330 planting holes per acre. Whether it is single plant planting or strip planting, in order to form a dense plant cluster as soon as possible and achieve high yield, it is advisable to plant 2-3 plants per hole.
3. Scientific cultivation
Before planting, soak the roots of the seedlings in water for 12-24 hours to improve the survival rate. The planting requirement is to plant deep and bury shallow. Deep planting means that the roots of the seedlings should be 10-15 cm below the ground, and shallow burying means that within 30 cm around the seedlings, the soil should not exceed the original soil mark. Deep planting is because the new rhizomes that grow each year move upward with the age of the tree, while the lower roots age each year. In order to ensure the normal growth of the tree, deep planting is necessary. The purpose of shallow burying is mainly to shorten the slow growth period and improve the survival rate.
After planting shieldleaf berries in spring, because the nutrient center of the plants is in the underground roots, not above ground, it usually takes 1-2 months for the basal shoots to emerge. This is the special characteristic of shieldleaf berries that is different from other fruit trees, so the survey of survival rate of shieldleaf berries should be conducted 2 months after planting. After autumn planting, the roots of shieldleaf berries have resumed growth before the soil freezes, while the aboveground buds enter a dormant state and do not sprout. This not only improves the survival rate, but also lays a good foundation for rapid growth in the second year. Therefore, the survival rate of shieldleaf berries planted in autumn is higher than that planted in spring.
4. Cultivation techniques
Land preparation
Land preparation refers to plowing the loose soil, removing weeds, leveling the ground, and applying fertilizer. The main fertilizer application is base fertilizer, and the amount applied depends on the fertility of the soil. Under normal conditions, apply 10-20 tons of organic fertilizer per hectare and incorporate it into the plowed soil. Within 30-45 days before planting, apply 180-240 kg of phosphorus fertilizer and 120 kg of potassium fertilizer per hectare, and incorporate them into the harrowed soil. Lime should be applied to acidic soil to improve it. Both spring and autumn are suitable for cultivation. Spring planting is best done in early April, and autumn planting is best done when the branches stop growing, before the arrival of frost. The row spacing for planting shieldleaf berries is 2.5-3 meters, and the plant spacing is 0.5-0.75 meters. If there is sufficient seedlings, the plant spacing can be reduced to 0.25-0.35 meters. The results show that with a plant spacing of 0.5-0.75 meters, it takes 3-4 years for shieldleaf berries to completely fill the rows. With a plant spacing of 0.25-0.35 meters, they can fill the rows in the second year and bear fruit in the third year.
Cultivation
1. Cultivation mainly includes loosening the soil and weeding. In spring, loosen the soil between rows and weed within rows. In summer, loosen the soil and remove weeds based on the degree of soil compaction and weed growth. Generally, loosen the soil between and within rows 2-3 times before harvesting. After fruit harvest, loosen the soil once and perform 2 times of intertillage management, because the soil between rows becomes compacted and weeds grow densely during berry harvest, so loosening the soil and intertillage are necessary. In early summer, remove weak and damaged root suckers, remove excess branches to prevent overcrowding. Also, remove two-year-old branches that have borne fruit immediately after harvest, and remove any excess, broken, and diseased one-year-old branches. 2. Support. Supporting is also an important part of shieldleaf berry field management. Supporting is used to keep the stems of shieldleaf berries upright and avoid severe bending after fruiting. Effective support can improve fruit quality and yield.
Harvest
Shieldleaf berries should be picked at the right time, neither too early nor too late. Generally, they should be harvested one or two days after ripening. When picking berries, it is best to keep the fruit stalk and part of the peduncle. The harvested berries are best stored in a refrigerator at around 0°C with a relative humidity of about 90%. Under such temperature and humidity conditions, the berries can be stored for about a week. Cold storage facilities such as cold storage can be used for long-term storage of berries.
