How to grow blackberry: Planting, requirements and care

Do you like blackberries? If so, growing blackberries at home is a great idea. This vegetable is not very demanding and tends to grow quite well in temperate regions. Depending on the variety, it can tolerate even warmer environments, including tropical ones. However, there are a number of aspects that we must take into account if we want to have blackberries in our orchard or garden. To help you, we will explain in this article how to grow blackberry

In order for you to successfully harvest blackberries, we will not only explain how to plant blackberries step by step, but we will also comment the needs of this plant, when we should cultivate it and how long it takes to bear fruit. I hope this information is useful to you!

How to plant blackberry?

The first thing we must do if we want to grow blackberries is get the seedlings. The varieties that are usually used for cultivation can be classified into two groups:

• Prickly: Ashton Cross, Bailey, Bedford Giant, Cherokee, Dewberry, Himalaya, Loganberry, Runguer, Tupi, Youngberry, etc.
• Unarmed (without spines): Aurora, Black Diamond, Black Satin, Darrow, Dirksen, Evergreen, Loch Ness, Smoothstem, Thornfree, Thornless Evergreen, etc.

The type we choose will depend on the area in which we find ourselves, since its resistance to different environments and climates varies according to the characteristics of each variety. What they do have in common is the time of planting. This task must be carried out in the rainy season, They require abundant watering. This means that the most appropriate time is spring, if we live in areas where winters are very cold. On the other hand, if we are in regions with more moderate winters, we can plant these vegetables in the fall.

In addition, there are a series of aspects that we must take into account when cultivating blackberriesBecause basic needs must be met if we want them to develop and end up bearing fruit:

• Location: Although blackberries are sun lovers, too much can be bad for them. Therefore, if we live in a fairly hot region, it is best to place this vegetable in a semi-shaded place.
• Ground: It is also important to consider the land. This must be clayey and have good drainage. In this way the water is better retained but the excess is evacuated quite easily.
• Climate: Blackberries generally need sunny, cool weather. Optimum temperatures for this vegetable range between 16ºC and 25ºC. The ideal humidity is between 80% and 90%.
• Irrigation: As for irrigation, this should be short but frequent. This is of the utmost importance, especially in the flowering season.

plant blackberry step by step

Once we have acquired the type of blackberry we want, it is time to plant the seedlings. We can do it directly on the ground of the garden or orchard, or in a pot. Let’s see how it’s done step by step to plant blackberry in the ground:

1. Clear the ground: First we must clear the land. To do this we will eliminate the remains of previous crops, weeds and any other residue that may be. In this way we will ensure that the blackberry receives enough nutrients to develop. Placing a layer of mulch will prevent weeds from growing.
2. Preparing the terrain: It is important to moisten the soil before sowing. In addition, it is highly recommended to plow the land to aerate it. The minimum recommended by experts is 30 centimeters. Then we can fertilize the soil by spreading earthworm humus and peat. Another option would be to create a two-inch layer of a manure mix.
3. Introduce the seedling: At the time of introducing the seedling into the soil, the soil must be moist, but not waterlogged. To place the blackberries we must create furrows and leave a distance of approximately one and a half or two meters between each plant. If we want to make several furrows, the distance that we must respect between them is two meters.

How to grow blackberry: Care after planting

Now that we know how to plant blackberries, it’s time to talk about the care it requires. In the first place, irrigation must be highlighted. If we manage to do it right, the plant will give us more fruits that will also be bigger. It is of utmost importance that the soil is always moist, but without flooding so as not to kill the plant. This is because its root system is not deep, making it very sensitive to drought. It is best to use a drip irrigation system. A little trick to better conserve soil moisture, especially in the hottest seasons, is to apply a layer of mulch between three and five centimeters thick.

Another fundamental aspect is to fertilize the land. This must be done after winter by applying compost or manure. In this way we provide nutrients to the soil before the blackberry growing season begins. If we do this annually, the plant will continue to bear fruit for at least 20 more years.

Apart from watering and fertilizing, something we must also do is support the plant to prevent its stems from touching the ground and becoming entangled. If we don’t, harvesting the blackberries will be very difficult, especially if it is a variety with thorns. For this we can use a frame or box trellis, or a line trellis.

How to grow blackberry: Pruning

Finally, it remains to highlight the pruning of the blackberry. Through this process we can control the growth of the plant and the harvest. In addition, it will allow us to produce higher quality blackberries and help prevent diseases. These are the three fundamental pruning of the blackberry:

1. Training pruning: It is carried out when the blackberry is still growing, before the first harvest. All crooked and broken branches must be removed. It is best to cut between six and ten branches for each bush.
2. Fruiting pruning: This is done after the harvest to stimulate the formation of new and more productive branches and for the growth of the lateral ones. In addition, we can take the opportunity to prune the male branches, since they do not produce fruit. They are those that have the shape of a whip and whose tip is closed.
3. Renewal pruning: Every ten years it is time to prune all those stems that are ten centimeters from the ground.

Now that you know how to grow blackberries, all you have to do is get to work and enjoy some delicious blackberries from your own harvest.