Summer time is blackberry time. The tart-sweet harvest time extends from July to October. Of course, this is subject to the premise that you have devoted yourself to the care of the cut in a timely and competent manner. This tutorial will familiarize you with all aspects of pruning blackberry bushes.

Cutting blackberries is usually very quick

Table of Contents

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  1. Where do berries grow?
  2. Editing options and dates
  3. Plant pruning with espalier training
  4. Educate and cut alternately
  5. summer cut
  6. column cut
  7. frequently asked Questions

    8. Where do the berries appear?

    Pruning blackberries is easier to figure out once you understand their specific growing characteristics. We therefore invite you to take a short excursion into the botanical peculiarities of our oldest native berry bushes. How blackberries grow, flower and fruit:

    • Rods up to 5 meters long with and without thorns (botanically correct: spines)
    • The long tendrils grow in the first year
    • Slow-growing varieties with unbranched tendrils, fast-growing varieties with short side shoots in the first year
    • In the second year, long side shoots along the tendrils with terminal flowers from May to August
    • Blackberries from July to October

    Worn fruit canes die off in winter. This property simplifies the pruning of blackberry bushes. The biggest challenge for the gardener is the distinction between young, future fruit canes and worn tendrils. A single bush is enough for harvesting juicy blackberries, because the berry bushes self-fertile are.

    Editing options and dates

    Pruning blackberries has two purposes: removing worn canes and encouraging young tendrils for this year's harvest. Since even slow-growing, thornless varieties grow up to 100 centimeters a year, you cannot avoid consistent pruning every year. The scissors ensure order in the berry bush in the year of planting. In the years that follow, it is important to act boldly so that the growth rockets do not overwhelm you, shade each other and young fruit wood fails due to a lack of light. The following table summarizes all editing options with recommended dates:

    cut option goal/occasion best appointment
    plant cutting orderly education on the wire trellis after planting
    maintenance cut Thin out worn canes, promote young fruit wood February to early March
    summer cut Prune stinging shoots, remove excess tendrils end of July
    column cut Prune upright blackberries February to early March

    Plant pruning with espalier training

    Prickly blackberries have had their day in the home garden. American premium varieties such as 'Thornless Oregon' or 'Navaho', which do without scratchy thorns, are very popular. Instead, the new favorites in the orchard inspire with vigorous growth and large berries. Because cutting care largely depends on you being able to distinguish between annual and biennial tendrils, the following trellis training ensures order in the blackberry bush right from the start. How to do it:

    • The best time for planting is in spring (March to April)
    • Set up a wire trellis at the location with a length of 6 m and 3 tension wires at a height of 50 cm, 100 cm and 150 cm
    • Plant the young blackberry plant in the middle in front of the trellis so that you can later arrange the tendrils by age
    • Caution: cover buds close to the ground with at least 4 to 5 centimeters of soil
    • After planting, cut back all tendrils to 30 to 40 centimeters
    • Set the scissors at a short distance from a leaf or shoot bud
    • Select the best canes during the spring (2 to 3 on strong-growing, 5 to 10 on slow-growing varieties)
    • Cut off all remaining tendrils at ground level

    Less space-consuming varieties, such as the slender 'Navaho', are content with a shorter wire trellis of 3 to 4 metres. It is important to ensure that there is sufficient space on both sides so that you can use the long tendrils mutually connect to keep track.

    Tie the selected fruit canes parallel to the growth on the wire trellis horizontally to fan-shaped to the right or left. Your blackberry will bear its first fruit next year on these tendrils. The opposite side initially remains uncultivated in the year of planting. This place is reserved for the young tendrils, which grow in the second year and bear fruit in the third year.

    tips

    Thorny blackberries tend to grow heavily with runners. If you have decided on a classic blackberry variety, such as 'Theodor Reimers', as a precaution line the planting pit with pond liner as a root barrier. It is sufficient if the exclusion zone extends to a depth of 30 centimetres. Blackberries thrive as shallow roots.

    Mutual education and maintenance cut

    In the private cultivation of blackberries, the mutual education excellent because it does not raise questions about what to cut and what not to do in February. Therefore, continue the recommended training method as initiated in the year of planting. This is how easy it is to take care of cutting blackberries for a rich harvest:

    • The best time is in February when the sky is overcast and temperatures are above freezing
    • Cut off worn canes from the previous year
    • Cut back side shoots along last year's tendrils to two to three buds

    Now the mutual upbringing will benefit you. On one side of the trellis are the used, mostly dead tendrils that brought you delicious blackberries in the previous autumn. On the opposite side, the now two-year-old canes thrive, the side shoots of which will flower and bear fruit this year. Shorten these side shoots sharply, because until the beginning of the flowering period they show rapid growth in length.

    Tie annual and biennial rods separately to the wire trellis. Cut off the worn canes of the previous year in February. Cut the side shoots on last year's tendrils to short stubs with two buds.

    Do not cut blackberries after harvest

    Please do not be tempted to prune your blackberries immediately after harvesting in the fall. Undoubtedly, this is the easiest time to tell which rods to trim and which not. As with all shrubs, your blackberry will sprout happily after pruning. So late in the year, the fresh shoots can no longer mature in time and have nothing to oppose the first frosts. In the worst case, the berry bush will freeze back completely and will no longer sprout next spring.

    Only exception for the autumn pruning applies to regions with mild winters, as on the Lower Rhine, along the Moselle, Ahr and Neckar. Where the thermometer does not drop below -10 degrees Celsius in winter, a blackberry bush can cope with the late cutting time.

    digression

    Cut blackberry rods contain valuable life

    Worn-out blackberry branches are not carelessly disposed of in the natural garden. Wild bees often use the long tendrils as a nursery for their larvae. Please do not dismember the shoots, but leave them as natural as possible. Bundle the clippings and store them in a sunny heap of dead wood. This allows the larvae to mature in peace and, as adult wild bees, to actively participate in the pollination of your ornamental and useful plants. If you take care of a Benje hedge, blackberry tendrils that have been thinned out are an ideal component. In the cottage garden, the flexible rods are simply woven into a picket or hunter's fence.

    Summer pruning - pinch out the blackberries

    A pruning in late winter is not enough for fast-growing blackberries to prevent the berry bushes from forming a confusing undergrowth. When this year's tendrils sprout from the rootstock, form in the summer side stings. These are sterile, lushly leafed shoots that cast shadows on flowers and fruits. By pinching a bramble bush in the summer, you will encourage blooming profusion and fruit yield. Surplus, noticeably weak bottom shoots should be removed on this occasion. How to complete a knowledgeable summer pruning:

    • The best time is the end of July
    • Tie this year's rods to the trellis
    • Remove weak bottom shoots that exceed the ideal number of canes
    • Cut back side shoots on this year's tendrils to one or two buds

    For side shoots that this year's rods grow, it is always about miserliness. There are several disadvantages associated with growth. Unless you train the bramble alternately, the leaves cast unnecessary shadows on flowers and fruits. This disadvantage does not apply to separate upbringing. Nevertheless, stingy shoots should be cut back even if they are reared alternately, because they compete with the main shoots for nutrients and water.

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    Cutting fruit wood on buds - this is how it works

    If the blackberry pruning is devoted to the side shoots, the focus is on the buds. A competent pruning always begins where a bud is directed outwards. A bud can be identified as a slight to distinctive thickening on the shoot. Leaf buds form alternately along the shoots in many places. Flower buds thrive terminally on the side shoots of the mighty tendrils. Side shoots sprout from the leaf axils of the side shoots during the summer. Place the scissors at a short distance of 0.5 to a maximum of 1.0 centimeters from a bud. If a cut in February or July leaves a stub that is too long, rot and pest infestation are inevitable at this point.

    Column pruning - cut upright blackberries

    In the small garden and on the balcony, blackberries were a rare guest for a long time. Modern, slow-growing and thornless varieties pave the way for home-grown blackberries where space is limited. When planting, tie the two strongest shoots to a bamboo stick. Cut off all other ground shoots at the base. As the summer and fall progress, the vines will guide you up the support pole. In February of each year, subject your columnar blackberry to a vigorous maintenance cut. How to do it right:

    • Cut off the ground shoots that have been removed
    • In exchange, fix one or two new ground shoots to the support post
    • Cut back all side shoots to one or two buds
    • Shorten both main shoots to the desired length
    • Important: always cut at a short distance from a bud

    What you do with the harvested canes is up to you when the blackberries are upright. In practice, cutting back to a 10 to 15 centimeter long stump after harvesting has proven effective. The next year the plant will grow new tendrils from its sleeping eyes, which you will guide up the stick. Alternatively, cut off worn-out canes to ground level in February and accompany the most promising specimens from this year's ground shoots upwards. Cut off all other shoots from the rootstock at the base.

    frequently asked Questions

    My three blackberry bushes are four years old and have grown a lot. The space is no longer sufficient. Can I transplant the blackberries without problems? When is the best time?

    You can transplant blackberries without any problems within the first five years. The best time is after the leaves have fallen between October and November. Cut out the root ball in a large radius with a spade. The fewer roots that are torn off when lifting out, the better for rooting. Prepare the new location with fresh compost and water generously so that the berry bushes grow well. A pruning in February should compensate for the lost root volume.

    Do blackberry bushes form many stolons? Should I plant with a root barrier?

    Root barriers are not needed for popular varieties such as the thornless 'Navaho'. Wild species with thorns and the varieties derived from them are characterized by strong growth with offshoots. Plant these blackberries with an impenetrable geotextile lining the planting pit about 12 inches deep. In order to control the above-ground, long tendrils, we recommend fixing them to a trellis.

    Our thornless blackberry bush produced only a few fruits in the second year. Is this normal for a young blackberry or is a pollinator missing?

    Blackberries depend on a good supply of nutrients. Compost and horn shavings (32.93€) should already be added to the soil during planting. If you don't fertilize in the second year, the yield and fruit size will suffer. Furthermore, the berries leave a lot to be desired if the bush is not regularly thinned out and trimmed. Basically, blackberries are self-pollinating. However, a second variety nearby always optimizes the crop yield.

    Are blackberries hardy?

    Blackberries are sufficiently hardy in the Central European climate. This applies on the condition that you no longer fertilize from the beginning of August. The worn, two-year-old rods usually die during the winter. You can cut the shoots back to the ground after the harvest or in February. Under certain circumstances, blackberry bushes dry back over the winter. Simply cut out dried shoots in the spring. Experience has shown that winter protection is not necessary. We only recommend covering the root area with fleece in the event of long-lasting frosts.

    Are blackberries suitable for keeping in buckets? Which variety is particularly recommended?

    In principle, all blackberries can be cultivated in tubs. However, the strong growth of classic species is accompanied by extensive and frequent pruning. The rather weak and thornless variety 'Navaho' is recommended for pot-keeping. The berry bush grows naturally and does not require a space-consuming wire trellis. Caring for and harvesting is easier if you raise a potted bramble in the form of a column on a single support stake.

    I have been tending two blackberry bushes of the thornless variety 'Loch Ness' in the garden for 6 years. After growing the plants with thick neural branches each year, the current tendrils remain thin and weak. The blackberries are fertilized with Blaukorn/Entec. Can the berry bushes still be saved?

    A nutrient supply with mineral blue grain can be seen as the cause here. The concentrated nitrogen load ensures increased growth of numerous and thin new shoots. Our advice: switch to an organic fertilizer, such as mature compost and horn shavings, or apply Oscorna's berry fertilizer (€3.94). Cut off all thin tendrils at ground level, as fruiting wood will no longer develop from them. As a result of the change in fertilization, the blackberry bushes regain their balance and henceforth thrive with strong canes.

    Is there an evergreen blackberry that can be grown as a privacy screen for my chicken coop?

    Unfortunately, there are no blackberries that are evergreen in the true sense of the word. The classic 'Theodor Reimers' variety has winter-green foliage that lasts into late winter in mild locations. Only as a result of severe frost does the shedding of leaves begin. However, it is a distinctive prickly blackberry. If you want a thornless blackberry that keeps its leaves for a long time, we recommend 'Thornless Evergreen'.

    The 3 most common cutting mistakes

    Without a pruning, you'll be struggling with impenetrable blackberries in no time, spreading unbridled in the garden. If the gardener fails to train properly, valuable fruit canes fall victim to the cut. The following overview shows you the three most common pruning errors on blackberries and gives tips for prevention:

    cutting error damage picture prevention
    never cut impenetrable network of meter-long tendrils Thin out and cut at least once a year
    no mutual trellis training difficult distinction between worn and young fruit canes Raise blackberries alternately on the wire trellis
    not exhausted Shadows cast on flowers and fruits, yield reduction At the end of July, cut back stinging shoots vigorously

    Gardeners make another common pruning mistake during the preparatory phase. If unclean shears are used, diseases and pests will spread to blackberry bushes. Do not prune berry bushes or any other plants in your garden until you have thoroughly used the cutters, blades or saw blades cleaned and with alcohol or Sagrotan disinfected to have.

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    tips

    Clever blackberry gardeners use the cut in early spring for propagation.Just sting some young canes. Then cut the shoots to a length of 20 to 30 centimeters. Put the offshoots 2 meters apart in the nutrient-rich, loose soil in a partially shaded location. At this point, the cuttings grow into high-yielding blackberry bushes within a short time.

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Vegetable garden