How to Plant a Blackberry is Easy

How to plant a blackberry is easy to do and gives you fruit year over year. Blackberries are known to spread their roots quite easily. Given quality soil and consistent watering, in no time a little plant can become a patch of its own. Many people, myself included obtained their initial blackberry cuttings for free from other gardeners who’s patch has grown too big for its space.

Where to Plant

How to plant a blackberry is easy, but where do you plant one? Like most fruits they thrive in sunny locations. Blackberry, being so hardy will still grow well even in partially shaded areas. Rule of thumb number one is more sun equals more fruit. Blackberries prefer a well drained soil, sheltered from heavy winds. They shouldn’t be planted alongside tomatoes or in soil that previously grew other nightshades. The soil could contain pathogens. It is also not recommended to plant similar crops like raspberries along side the blackberry to prevent the spread of any soil borne fungal diseases.

How to Plant

Once your spot is chosen, to improve the soil add composted manure and worm castings. Dig a hole the depth of your potted blackberry and twice the size around. Place a layer of worm castings on the floor of the hole. Place your plant, then fill in the rest. One should choose the highest quality soil you have available to give your blackberries ample nutrients. The extra width of broken soil allows the roots of your new plant the ability to spread easily without competition like grass fighting for water and nutrients. Blackberries will spread quite easily on their own , so ensure you give them ample space to stretch (3 to 4′ between plants).

Suckers and Cuttings

Suckers are the new growth that starts away from the main plant. Remove these by digging around the base of the sucker and using a spade to cut through the stem under the soil. Keep the new cutting moist prior to transplant. This will aide in rooting. Many say resist propagating your raspberries from an existing patch. Since there is a risk of infected soil. I, however am not one of these people. To me, propagating your plants is the most logical way of starting your garden and increasing your self sufficiency while reducing the costs associated. Many experienced gardeners have massive blackberry bushes that have had years of growth and will freely give these cuttings away.

To avoid any danger or risk to existing plants, provide the new cuttings their own area. Any disease can be easily managed in its own area.