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Planting Blackberries Everything you need to know to start a blackberry crop From "Fresh From the Orchard" episode DFFO-102

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It's best to plant blackberry shrubs in the early spring or, in warmer climates, in late fall.

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	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F
	Figure G

• Blackberries can be purchased either bare-rooted or containerized. If your new plants are bare-rooted, shake the packing material off the roots (figure D) and set the plants in a bucket of water for several hours (figure E). This keeps the roots from drying out, which you want to avoid at all costs.

• In most cases, the canes of a blackberry shrub will have been cut back at the nursery before you purchase them. If your new blackberry shrubs have not been cut back already, cut the canes to 6"-8" inches. By pruning back the canes in the first season, you will not have a crop the first year, but you will allow the plants to put their energy into developing a strong root system. The plants will be healthier and more productive in the long run.

• To plant, dig a planting hole wide enough to accommodate the roots without crowding them (figure F). Place the blackberry shrub in the hole, positioning it so that the crown of the shrub, where the stem and the roots join, is level with the surrounding soil.

• When you've filled the hole about three-quarters of the way with soil, stop and pour about a gallon or two of water into the hole (figure G), which will help settle the soil and get rid of any air pockets. Finish backfilling, lightly tamp down the soil with your hands and water well once again.

• Different blackberry varieties have different spacing requirements, and you should follow the recommendations on the plant label or the recommendation of your extension service.

How Blackberries Grow

Blackberries are perennial plants, meaning they live for many years. But the stems, which are called canes, are biennial, meaning they live only two years. The first year of its life, the cane is called a primocane. A primocane grows and develops foliage, but it bears no fruit. The second year of a cane's life, it's called a floricane. A floricane flowers and produces berries, then dies.

Bloom

Figure H

Blackberries bloom in late spring. Pollination is mainly done by honeybees (figure H), so avoid spraying any pesticides when honeybees are out.

How to Train Canes to a Trellis

During the first growing season, blackberries don't need to be trained to a trellis. Starting the second year, the canes should be tied to the trellis. One method involves loosely tying primocanes to the wire as they develop. The best time to start is before the buds swell in early spring. When the canes are tall enough to reach the top wire, tie them horizontally along the wire. Another method some gardeners use it to train only the floricanes to the trellis and let the primocanes sprawl on the ground.

Fertilization

The best way to determine proper fertilizer rates is by way of a soil sample test (figure I). If soil sample results aren't available, fertilize two times a year (spring and summer) with a balanced (10-10-10 type) fertilizer with micronutrients (figure J). You can also look at the blackberry foliage. Leaves should be a dark green. Pale-green or yellowing leaves typically indicate a nitrogen deficiency.

Figure I

Figure J

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