| Planting Blackberries |
| Everything you need to know to start a blackberry crop |
From "Fresh From the Orchard"
episode DFFO-102 |
|
|
At a commercial blackberry farm, two blackberry experts guide you through the intricacies of growing these wonderful fruits. You'll learn the difference between a primocane and a floricane and why cutting back all a plant's canes the first year will give your berry patch a solid foundation for years to come.
We are planting two blackberry varieties: Hull, a trailing variety that Kelly plants at the base of a trellis, and Kiowa, planted as an upright shrub in the landscape.Blackberry Trellises Blackberry trellises are simple to build and require only a few dollars' worth of materials.
1. To build a simple trellis,
sink two 8' pressure-
treated 4x4 posts 3' deep
in the ground. If you're
working in sandy soil, you
can add a quick-setting
mortar mix to anchor the posts.
| 
2. In clay soil, simply tamp
down the soil to hold the
posts in place. The posts
can be set anywhere from
10' to 20' apart.
|
3. Make two marks on each
post, one mark at 2-1/2'
off the ground and the
other mark at 4-1/2' off
the ground.
| 
4. Then, at those marks,
attach 9-gauge coated
wire to the posts with
staples.
|
Preparing SoilSince blackberries are perennial plants that come back year after year, it's worth your time to get the soil prepared correctly. Blackberries grow best in fertile, well-drained soil. Unless your soil is already perfect, you'll want to add a 2" layer of composted cow manure (figure A) and a 2" layer of an organic soil conditioner (figure B) on top of the soil and work them in to a depth of 8"-10". Blackberries do best if the soil pH is slightly acidic, somewhere between 5.5 and 7.0. Take a soil pH test (figure C) and, if necessary, add lime to raise the pH or sulfur to lower the pH.
| 
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
