Blackberry Season End 5 Steps

After a great season of harvesting blackberries here are the 5 steps that I take.  

1. Prune the floricanes.
2. Tip the canes to encourage laterals.
3. Add compost/fertilizer.
4. Cane management - attach to trellis.
5. Blackberry propagation - Tip Layering. 

Direct Composting - Trench Method

 

Two ways to compost - the direct method with trench composting and compost piles using bins.  Watch the video above to see both methods in action and see finished compost at the end!

Grow Blackberries Using Root Cuttings

 

 

How to grow more blackberry plants using root cuttings.  In the video above, I take 3 root cuttings from a tip layered blackberry plant that had grown roots thru the bottom drainage holes.  

Summer Garden Tour

Heatwave and lack of rain has made a difficult growing season this Summer in Texas. With a record temperature of 111 degrees and several weeks before and after of triple digit heat - it has been a tough growing season for my fruit. See the video above for a garden tour and talk of blackberry pests along with watermelon eaten by animals.   

Blackberry Propagation Made Easy with Suckers

 

How to easily propagate your blackberry plants using suckers.
Blackberry plants will send out roots under the soil that will spread out and send up suckers. These are new blackberry plants that will begin growing in that area. If they come up in an area that is good for your row or garden then you’re all set! If they pop up outside the row or garden then you have a few options.

1. Dig them up and transplant to another area of the row or garden.
2. Transplant them to a pot and grow them in containers.
3. Give them away to family, friends or neighbors.

I’ve found tip layering to be the most successful way for me to propagate blackberry plants.

Below listed in order are the ways I find to be most successful for propagating blackberries:

1. Tip layering also called tip rooting. I do this most often and it is very simple. Place the tip of a cane in a small cup or pot and cover it with soil. In 4 weeks you can cut it from the main plant and hand it to someone else to plant in their own garden.

2. Blackberry suckers. Dig up the suckers and move them to a pot. Try to keep as much of the roots as you can. Make sure they get sufficient water after transplanting so they can grow their roots.

3. Serpentine layering. This works with trailing varieties of blackberries as they are easy to bend down into pots and over again to several more pots with a single cane.

4. Root cuttings. I’ve had some success with root cuttings but not as much as the top 3.

5. Cane cuttings. I have tried this method several times but have not had any success. I’ve tried keeping the cuttings indoors and outdoors in the shade. I’ve also tried keeping moisture in soil and misting the leaves but have yet to find the right combo to keep them alive. Thankfully, the other 4 methods work well for me!

Plant Raspberries and Build a Trellis

Growing Raspberry Plants - Lessons learned:
1. Start bare root raspberries early in the season so they have time for the roots to get established.
Especially in hot climates. 
2. When building a trellis - use 12 or 16 gauge wire or at least strong nylon string.

Watch my video below on planting bare root raspberries and how to build a simple inexpensive V trellis.