So I just finished transplanting Blackberries

[KristyDi]

I'm dreaming of cobblers and jams in the future!

Does anyone have any tips or words of blackberry growing wisdom? How long before I get fruit? What can I expect this year?

[HeatherAtHome]

I don't have an answer to your question but I have a question for you.

Were the blackberries hard to transplant? Do they have deep roots or fairly shallow?

I have some that were going to get chopped, but if they're easy enough to move (and I'm in a good mood-stupid pickers!) I might try that instead.

[JamieCatheryn]

Each blackberry cane starts as a short little plant, grows up the first year, goes dormant for winter, then has fruit the second year (July-ish, varies by region?). Mark the sticks of them that fruit with a bright ribbon or something so you know which are done and will need cutting off come fall. If the kind you have spread out and lay down all over the place you may want to put tomato cages around them or tie them to a fence or stakes or something for neatness.

[KristyDi]

Originally Posted by HeatherAtHome

I don't have an answer to your question but I have a question for you.

Were the blackberries hard to transplant? Do they have deep roots or fairly shallow?

I have some that were going to get chopped, but if they're easy enough to move (and I'm in a good mood-stupid pickers!) I might try that instead.

I wasn't the one who dug them so I don't know. Sorry. The roots of the ones I got were not deep, maybe 7-8 inches.

Originally Posted by JamieCatheryn

Each blackberry cane starts as a short little plant, grows up the first year, goes dormant for winter, then has fruit the second year (July-ish, varies by region?). Mark the sticks of them that fruit with a bright ribbon or something so you know which are done and will need cutting off come fall. If the kind you have spread out and lay down all over the place you may want to put tomato cages around them or tie them to a fence or stakes or something for neatness.

So once they're fruited once they don't fruit again and need to be pruned? I knew pruning was necessary, but wasn't too sure on the details.

[Pepper44]

Blackberries are really easy--I don't touch mine and they make tons of berries each year. They also reproduce and spread like weeds.

I've never pruned mine except to reign in stray shoots because otherwise they'll turn my yard into an entire forest of thorny berry bushes!

[HeatherAtHome]

Thanks! Digging them up sounds doable. The more I think about it though, I might just scale way back on it but keep a little section in the corner.