Planting blackberries many ?????s

[Renfred]

I was just curious if anyone else raises black berries. I am fixing to purchase a few plants from the arapaho thornless breed of blackerries. I am trying to research if it is a bad idea to plant near my vegetable garden. How do you all do it if you do? I was thinking about planting the plants all in one row about 5-6' feet apart and just staking them with a t post.by (sooner)

 

[oberhaslikid]

Yes what this does is gives you more tips.More tips more blooms.More bloom more berries.

A neighbor got me started with BB when I move in and he saw I was planting everything I could get in the ground.
I planted mine in rows in a raised bed we had made for pumpkins the year before.I added barn waste and leaves in the fall .We mulched with grass clippings in the Summer. Then the next Fall I planted my BB.
We staked a metal post at each end of the bed and ran heavy wire we found from post to post.As the berries grew up we wove the branches through the wires.
as new canes appeared then I trimmed in the Fall,dead woody looking ones.I add compost and leaves in the fall and a little lime. The canes grew taller then I was and fell over to the ground ad attached themselves to the soil.When I pullled them loose they had roots.I then started the second bed of BB.
I planted Blk Rasp berries and was taught that if you wanted more berries to trim them at 4 foot and the your side laterals will begin to grow and then trim them at 20 inches.So I did the same with the BB and it works.I have berries galore .We fill a 7 Cubic freezer with just our berries each year.

Thank you for the pruning tips it will be a big help for us. Do you mean to trim lateral growth at 20", thats after cutting back to 4' verticle growth?

 

[Ridgerunner]

You've been getting some good advice here. I got a pamphlet from my county extension agent about planting and growing blackberries, so I'll pass on some information from that.

1. What is a start : Is it a cutting, or a twig with roots attached?

You can do it 2 ways. You can transplant a rooted plant if you want. The other way is to take a piece of root, say 6" long, and bury it 2" to 3" deep. It should be about pencil sized in diameter or larger. Do not let them dry out, whichever way you go. They say you usually use plants for the thornless varieties since they do not send up that many sprouts, but with the thorny varieties root cuttings are as good as plants.

2.When is the best time to plant the, fall or spring?

They recommend anytime after the plant goes dormant but definitely before the soil warms up in the spring.

3. Where is the best place to plant ; sun shade 50/50?

As others said, full sunlight.

4. What would be the proper spacing do you think?

The pamphlet says 2 feet apart in the row.

5. How would be the best way to plant A start?

2' apart the same depth as it was. They need to be in soils with good drainage. Standing water is not good.

6. Do you get a crop the first season.

No. As others said, you get berries on canes that grew the previous year. After they have produced berries, you need to cut out the canes that produced berries and leave the canes that have not yet produced. This helps open them up to keep disease down and makes it easier to pick the berries if the old canes are not in the way.

Hope this helps.