3-in-1 Blackberry Bush

1. Planting: Blackberries prefer full sun but can tolerate partial shade. For the best berry production, make sure that your bushes get at least 6 hours of sunlight each day and are planted in well-drained soil.

Once you have the location for your bushes selected, dig a hole three times as wide as the root ball and just as deep. When it’s clear of debris, place your blackberry bush in the hole and make sure that it’s level with the ground and backfill the hole. Once you’ve finished this process, give your bush a long drink of water and mulch around the base to conserve soil moisture.

2. Watering: Keep the soil moist, but not over-saturated. Blackberries need about an inch of water of week and more during times of drought. Typically, this will mean watering when the surrounding soil is dry about 2 or 3 inches down.

3. Fertilizing: You’ll know when your blackberry bush needs fertilizing because it’s leaves will show some signs of discoloration. It’s best to fertilize early in the spring before new growth starts to emerge, then again after your berry harvest. Use a well-balanced, general all-purpose fertilizer like formula 10-10-10.

4. Pruning: After a year of growth in the early spring, take a sterile pair of sharp hand pruners and remove the tips of each woody blackberry cane. If they’re shorter than 24 inches long, only remove the tip back to about an inch. This will cause the bush to branch out wider and produce more berries.

After your berry harvest, it’s time to clean your Blackberry Bushes up. Blackberries will only produce on canes that are two years old, meaning once the cane has produced berries, it won’t produce more. Prune spent canes back to promote the growth of new ones.