Blackberry plants require a large raised bed because the plants must be spaced 3–4 feet apart (91–122 cm). Your raised bed should be positioned where it will receive 6–8 hours of direct sunlight to promote healthy blackberry growth. The soil in your bed should be loamy, well-draining, and have a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. …
Growing Blackberries in Raised Beds [6 Vital Steps] Read More »
Prune your thornless blackberries twice every year. In late fall, remove second-year canes that have produced fruit in the previous harvest season. Blackberry canes die after their second year and should be removed. Do not remove any first-year canes since they will still produce fruit. Once the spent canes are removed, wait until early spring …
How to Prune Thornless Blackberries [4 Essential Steps] Read More »
Different types of blackberries are distinguished by the presence of thorns and by cane type. You can have thorny or thornless blackberries. In addition, there are 3 cane types: erect, trailing, and semi-erect. Erect and trailing varieties can be thornless or thorny. However, semi-erect blackberries are nearly always thornless. All wild blackberries you encounter will …
Blackberries need full sun. They should receive a minimum of 6 hours of direct sun each day, but more is better. For the best possible harvest, aim for 8 hours of full, direct sunlight on a daily basis. Although they will tolerate a bit of light shade here and there, blackberries will not flourish to …
Blackberry roots only grow 12 inches (30 cm) deep. However, blackberries have strong lateral root growth that can spread out to 24 inches (60 cm) in width. A blackberry plant doesn’t need very deep roots because many berry bushes grow to rather short heights. While some blackberries can reach up to 10 feet tall (3 …
Blackberries and their cousins, boysenberries, marionberries, and black raspberries grow very quickly. Newly sprouted blackberry canes can reach 6 feet in height (1.8 meters) within a year. Most berry growers opt to prune the height of first-year canes down to 3-4 feet (1–1.2 meters) to make them more manageable. Regular pruning helps provide effective control …
There are two types of blackberry plants, each with a different growth habit: trailing blackberry bushes (semi-erect blackberries) and erect blackberries (upright). Trailing blackberries have trouble staying upright and absolutely need a trellis. Trellising ensures the fruit lasts until harvest and isn’t destroyed by moist ground, insects, and other factors. Erect varieties of blackberry, on …
Do Blackberries Need a Trellis? [7 Steps to Make a Trellis] Read More »
Blackberries are pretty short-lived, having a lifespan of about 15–20 years with proper care. Proper care for blackberry bushes includes planting them in acidic soil, giving them 3 doses of water per week (1-2 hours each of those days), and annual pruning sessions in fall to late winter. This winter care is especially important as …
During the growing season, water blackberries with a drip irrigation hose for 1–2 hours, 3 times per week. During harvest season, you can increase watering frequency to 1–2 hours every day to aid fruit production. Most blackberry varieties prefer damp soil which is why drip irrigation is recommended most of the year. Healthy blackberry plants …
