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What Animals Eat Blackberries (Top 6)

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Blackberries are shrubs or shrub vines. They have a very flexible stem shoot, on the surface of which there are many sharp thorns and a perennial rhizome. 

To date, breeders have obtained varieties that do not have thorns, which are consistently productive and resistant to diseases and pests. If there is support next to the bush, then the height of their shoots can reach about 200 centimeters. 

Five to seven-part or triple pale green toothed leaf plates have pubescence on the front and the seamy surface. During flowering, blackberries are the honey plants. 

The diameter of the white flowers is about 30 mm, with their opening observed from June to August. This entirely depends on the climatic conditions of the region. Juicy fruits ripen in August, and they are black.

So, what animals eat blackberries? This is because different animals love these plants because of their nutritional value.

Mice What Animals Eat Blackberries
via Flickr

What Animals Eat Blackberries?

  1. Cows

The small stems and leaves of blackberries contain about 12% protein, which makes them taste good. This makes them beneficial to cows and becomes a source of food. So, when the cows eat blackberries, they will get fat and healthy.

  1. Squirrels

Squirrels love to eat fruits. They can eat whatever fruit they find, like strawberries, mulberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc. Also, blackberries are not exclusive because you will find them eating them in the garden.

  1. Deer

Many wild animals love to eat blackberries, and deer are among them. Although the bushes of blackberries are covered with sharp thorns, the deer can still correct the berries from the plant and eat them.

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  1. Mice

Mice are the best eaters of blueberries which you can find the berries eaten in the morning. These mice will become a nuisance at one time, and if not controlled, they will make a large mess. Using a fence and motion-activated lights can prevent them from eating these blueberries.

  1. Bears

Bears are lovers of blackberries because of their nutritious value. Even if the berry bushes are long, you will find the bears trying to get these berries. Because of that, you will find most of the blackberries garden attractive to these animals.

  1. Birds

Birds like bluebirds, catbirds, robins, cardinals, kingfishers, wild turkeys and mourning doves eat blueberries. In an area where they are found, you will find these berries eaten in large numbers.

Blackberry Propagation

1. Reproduction by apical layers

Reproduction by apical layers is the simplest method, which consists of the fact that any climbing shoot can be bent to the ground and buried at the top with soil in the spring.

The top quickly gives roots, and then new shoots from the buds form underground. After that, you can separate the shoot from the mother plant.

2. Reproduction with horizontal layers

With the method of reproduction with horizontal layers, it bends down to the ground. It is not the top that is covered with soil but the shoot along its entire length.

As a result, several bushes are formed and have cut the buried shoot between the newly formed bushes. The young plants are separated and planted in a permanent place. This method gives the best results in the spring.

3. Reproduction by root suckers

Bush blackberries are best propagated by root suckers that appear around the bush every year. Only those of them that have reached 10 cm in height is suitable for separation and disembarkation.

It is best to plant offspring in May or June because they will have enough time to settle down in a new place before the cold weather.

4. Bush division

There are varieties of blackberries that do not give offspring, and bush division is used to propagate these varieties.

The main thing in this method is to divide the bush dug out so that each division is sufficiently developed and can successfully root in a new place. Part of a bush with an old rhizome must be disposed of.

5. Propagation by cuttings

Propagation by cuttings is used when they want to get offspring from valuable varieties of blackberries. In June-July, blackberry cuttings are cut from the upper third of the shoot, consisting of a bud, leaf, and part of the stem.

Treat the lower cuttings with a root-forming agent, plant them in small cups with a mixture of peat and perlite and place the cups under the film. Maintain a 96% humidity level in the greenhouse. After about a month, the cuttings will develop roots, and they can be planted in a permanent place.

How To Grow Blackberries

1. Choose the location

Blackberries love light, so choose open areas. There will be too much sun in the southern regions, but building a temporary blackout for the summer is better than immediately saving the plant from access to light.

Another nuance when choosing a place is in the absence of drafts. A wall of any building, a fence, and trees can become protection from the wind.

How To Grow Blackberries
“Blackberries and barbed wire” via Wikimedia

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2. Soil preparation

In terms of soil, blackberries are the most challenging. They need loamy, slightly acidic, and drained soil. Consider also fertility, which should be high. The groundwater level is also essential. A distance of at least a couple of meters is required between it and the roots. 

3. Sowing

Any landing begins with the preparation of the pit. If you have several seedlings, place the holes at a distance of 2.5 m. Determine the dimensions relative to the earthen clod, which should be three times larger.

It will not hurt to fertilize the soil before planting. This is best done with peat or phosphate and potash fertilizers. Install a blackberry seedling in a pre-watered hole, fill it with freshly dug soil.

Do not fill the root collar more than 7 cm.  The ground around the seedling should be mulched with sawdust, peat, and sunflower husks. 

Experts advise planting blackberries in open ground in spring from the last days of April to the first – May after the soil warms up nicely. 

At the same time, autumn planting is not recommended for this crop. Blackberries prefer sunny locations that must be protected from gusts of wind. The fact is that the wind can damage the foliage and fruits of the plant and interfere with normal pollination. 


Conclusion

Blackberries are shrubs or shrub vines with a perennial rhizome and flexible stem shoots planted with sharp thorns. They are characterized by stable yields and resistance to pests and diseases.

If supported, blackberry shoots can rise to a height of up to two meters. The leaves are trifoliate or five to sevenfold, dentate, light green in color, and pubescent on both sides. Since these plants have nutritional values, they are eaten by animals, and now you know these animals.