Pick big, luscious blackberries right in your own backyard with our easy tips for growing blackberries.
For many of us, one taste of ablackberry cobblerinstantly brings back thoughts of childhood summers spent picking berries.
Blackberries are some of the first fruits of the season.
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Cultivated blackberries are usually erect or trellised and have larger, sweeter, and less seedy fruit.
There are even varieties without thorns so that you could gather berries without covering yourself in scratches.
Find a sunny corner in your backyard and plant one of these delicious cultivars for a summertime treat.
Blackberry Care
Blackberries like a sunny spot with well-drained, fertile soil.
Plant in fall or winter, spacing them 3 to 4 feet apart.
Mulch with pine straw or shredded pine bark to conserve moisture and discourage weeds.
Prune old canes right after fruiting to encourage new canes and discourage diseases.
Buy plants at a local nursery, or order from your favorite online retailer.
Light
Cultivated blackberries require full sun for good flowering and fruiting.
Many types of blackberries tolerate partial sun as well, but this usually results in fewer and slower-ripening berries.
have a go at provide at least six hours of direct sunlight a day.
Soil
Blackberries require slightly acidic, well-drained, organically rich soil so you can thrive.
The plants do best in loam or sandy loam soil.
Loosen the soil to a foot deep and addcompost or aged manureto improve drainage if needed.
Raise the soil level higher if poor drainage is a problem.
Mulch around the plants to conserve moisture.
Watering is rarely necessary in winter or while the plant isn’t fruiting.
Temperature And Humidity
Most blackberries can be grown inUSDA Plant Hardiness Zones5-9.
There are cultivars bred to survive harsher winters and others that will fruit in warmer climates.
Blackberry plants require chill hours in winter to set fruitthey must spend some amount of time below 45oF.
How much depends on the pop in you grow.
If you live in the Coastal South, look for blackberries that are recommended for Zone 9.
Add a couple of inches each year as the mulch breaks down and enriches the soil.
If you do choose to fertilize, wait until the second year.
More recent releases are thornless and have better disease resistance.
Dead floricanes should be cut to the ground each winter.
This will encourage the plant to produce lateral branches and grow bushier.
If you choose not to prune your floricanes, use a trellis to support the tall, lanky growth.
Propagating Blackberries
Cultivars that are not patented can be propagated in the home garden.
The easiest and fastest way to propagate blackberries is by transplanting the suckers that sprout up from the roots.
To propagate your suckers, gently clear away the soil to find the roots.
Replant the sucker at the same depth in a new location.
Water deeply, keeping the soil moist while the plant is getting established.
Plants with orange rust must be burned or disposed of in the trash.
Keeping wild brambles off your property can also help reduce the incidence of disease.
The adult moth has black and yellow bands and looks much like ayellow jacket.
The off-white larvae pupate in the crown of the plant.
Look for wilting or dying canes, sawdust at the base of canes, and tunnels in canes.
Dig out affected canes and roots in the fall and burn them or throw them in the trash.
Another borer, the red necked cane borer, is a small metallic black beetle with a reddish neck.
The larvae tunnel into canes, causing brown galls on the stems an inch or two long.
Simply remove and dispose of infested canes during the winter.
Other insects cause less damage but can transmit disease to your plants.
While disappointing, this can usually be remedied by taking better care of your plants.
Clear away any weeds that are competing with your plants and put down a thick layer of mulch.
First spread a layer of organic material such as compost if your soil has poor fertility.
Prune away any weak and spindly canes.
Water the plants during hot, dry weather.
And finally, bird netting will save more of your berries from birds and squirrels.
