Blackberry Planting And Care

We grow many different types of blackberries, including reds and blacks.

Growth Habits

Blackberries have three main groups of growth habits: trailing, semi erect and erect. Canes can either have thorns or can be thornless.

Fruiting

Blackberries can have either one single crop or be an everbearing. Single crop blackberries will fruit on two year old canes and are called floricanes. Everbearing, are called primocanes and will fruit on two year old canes as well as have a smaller, later crop on its new canes.

Soil

They do best in moist, well drained soil, but tolerates most types of soil as long as it does not remain wet.

Pruning

Blackberries should be pruned twice a year. First, they should be tip pruned in the spring to about 3’. Removing the tip will help produce side branching, which will create more wood to fruit from and therefore, more fruit. In the summer canes should be pruned to the ground after they finish fruiting. After the second year wood has fruited it will never produce fruit again. Removing those canes will encourage growth of new canes that will fruit in the future.

Fertilizing

Once established, blackberries will not require very much fertilizing. Applying a layer of rich organic matter once in the spring, and then again in the fall will help to increase your yields and the size of the berries.