How to Grow Blackberries

Blackberries are incredibly tasty, but unfortunately, they don't ship well and have a short shelf life. This means that the blackberries you buy from the supermarket are rarely as good as they can be.

The homemade blackberries are a revelation. This, along with the fact that they have no problems, makes growing blackberries worthwhile.

Blackberries are a native plant to the USA, which is one of the reasons they are so hardy. You can find them wild all over the country in zones 5-9. During the summer, the bushes produce delicious fruit for about three to four weeks.

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One bush will keep your whole family in berry heaven, but you can always grow several to have plenty of fruit to keep or sell. Once you've picked these juicy, ripe fruits, you'll never want to settle for store-bought stuff again.

1.Planting Blackberries:

Blackberries are perennial, but in most plants the canes are biennial. This means that the canes have leaves the first year and, the following year, they bear fruit. These two-year-old canes then die and new canes are formed.

Every year, the plant sends out new canes to replace the ones that have died. Because of this, pruning is vital with blackberries, so be sure to check out the section on pruning.

Growing blackberries requires a bit of patience. In the first year, you establish your factories. The following year, they begin to produce.

2.When to plant:

Plant blackberries in spring. Many online nurseries sell them in winter, usually in packs of five or ten. Most varieties are self-fruiting, so you can only plant one if you have limited space.

However, they look attractive in groups and you will get more fruit.

Soil and sun requirements: Blackberries need full sun, well-drained soil, and a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. They like rich soil, so mix them in plenty of well-aged compost.

Bare root planting: Plant bare roots in spring, when the danger of severe frost has passed. Soak the roots for an hour before planting.

Raised beds: Raised beds are a smart way to grow blackberries because they allow you to provide the perfect soil.

Spacing: The spacing depends on the type of blackberry you are growing. For semi-erect cultivars, place plants five feet apart and upright varieties one meter apart. Tracking varieties should be 6 to 8 feet apart. Rows of plants separated by 2.5 meters.

3.Taking care of the blackberries:

Mulch

Blackberries do not like competition from weeds or grass. A thick layer of mulch helps keep them free of weeds and the soil cool. A thick layer of straw or wood chips will also work.

Take care when weeding or growing around your plants to remove weeds. Blackberries have shallow roots and can be easily damaged.

Water

Keep blackberries moist because they don't like to stay dry. One inch of water a week is important during the blackberry growing season. Add even more water during extreme heat.

Trellis

If you have a blackberry or semi-upright varieties, you will need to place them on a trellis. Those with one or two plants can survive with a "tomato" cage.

If you have multiple plants, it is easier to operate a wire trellis system. The best time to set up your bed and build a trellis is in the fall, before planting.

If you have multiple shrubs, you can build a wire trellis by placing 4-foot-tall, 4-inch square posts every 12 feet. Run several cables between the posts. The cable should be placed 2, 3, 4, and 5 feet above ground level.

Pruning

Don't let the pruning of your bushes intimidate you. Blackberries are easy to control. You simply need to remove the dead canes at the end of the blackberry growing season. It is these canes that bear fruit during the season.

For right-hand varieties, cut old canes to ground level after harvest is complete. For upright varieties, prune in late summer after you finish picking the delicious wild berries.

In addition to cutting the old reed, trim four inches from the top of the raw (first-year reed). This makes them branch out and be more productive the following season.

For the first-born varieties, pruning is very easy. Just cut the canes after harvesting. Therefore, they will produce more canes from the first year to make berries next year.

Fertilizer

Your growing blackberries will do best when you fertilize them in the spring. Start by putting a good dose of old compost around it. When they start to grow buds, spray them with fish emulsion or other organic fertilizer.