- Buy blackberry plants or propagate them yourself
- The right time to plant blackberries
- The perfect location for planting blackberries
- The right way to plant blackberries
- Can you plant blackberries and raspberries together?
- Planting blackberries in pots
- Proper care of blackberries after planting
Help the development of the site, sharing the article with friends!
Planting is also the cornerstone for a successful harvest of blackberries. We'll show you what to consider when planting blackberries.
The blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) is a popular climbing shrub in domestic gardens. Even our ancestors from the early Stone Age knew about the culinary benefits of these sweet fruits. However, the wild blackberries literally make the harvest a "doom" with their many spikes. Thanks to thornless breeds, however, the fruits invite you to nibble in many gardens from June to October.
The blackberry is relatively easy to cultivate. If you pay attention to a few aspects when planting, you can enjoy a he althy blackberry plant with plenty of fruit for a long time. We have summarized the most important points for you.
Buy blackberry plants or propagate them yourself
Planting wild blackberries in the garden should be well thought out, because later removal is often only possible with great effort. Buying specially bred blackberry varieties tends to be the better option here, as the cultivars are far less self-replicating than their wild relatives. You can almost always buy blackberries in rootballs from the garden supply store, so they can be planted out practically all year round.
If there are already blackberry plants in the garden, you can propagate them yourself with relatively little effort using cuttings, layering or runners. There are now even excellent thornless varieties that make care and harvesting easier.
The right time to plant blackberries
Blackberries are best planted in autumn from September to October, as the bushes sprout in early spring. If planting is not planned until spring, this should be done as early as possible, but no later than March or April.
The perfect location for planting blackberries
Once you have grown enough blackberry plants, thecorrect location can be found. Fortunately, the blackberry makes only minor demands on the soil. In its natural environment, the blackberry grows on heavy, nutrient-rich soil. The pH of the soil should be around 5 and thus tend towards a slightly acidic environment. The blackberry also prefers a rather sunny and sheltered spot. Winter protection is recommended in cold winter areas (below -15 °C).
The right way to plant blackberries
Blackberries are basically self-fertile. However, the fruit set is better if several shrubs of different varieties are planted next to each other and cross-pollination of the plants is thus possible. Different varieties also offer a variety of flavors and slightly staggered harvest dates.
In most cases, one or two bushes of a high-yielding variety are enough to cover the daily need for fresh blackberries over the summer months. In good harvest years, it should even be enough for a jar of jam or a bottle of syrup. In addition to the fruits, the leaves of the young shoots can also be collected from May to September. A wonderful tea can be prepared from this.
You need this to plant blackberries
The following materials are needed to plant a blackberry in the garden:
- Blackberry bush
- A spade
- Secateurs
- Planting substrate
- A coconut mat
- A piece of string
Prepare planting hole for blackberry
Before the blackberry moves in, its new home should be well prepared. Once you have decided on a suitable location, it is time to dig the planting hole. This should be at least twice the volume of the plant's root ball. The bottom of the hole is then first loosened and then enriched with a little fresh plant substrate and soil activator. We recommend special soil for berry plants, our Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soil has the optimal nutrient ratio for blackberries.
If you want to plant several blackberries, you should dig the planting holes at the right distance. Depending on the variety, this should be around 2 to 4 meters for climbing blackberry plants. The optimal planting distance for upright blackberry varieties is only about 60 to 80 centimeters.
Preparing blackberries before planting
Before the plant is used, it is advisable to remove the root ball, which has spent a lot of time in thecramped pot to loosen up. To do this, cut the roots with garden shears all the way around and then knead the ball a little loosely. This avoids spiral growth and also promotes the formation of new roots. If the root ball seems a bit dry, soak it in a bucket of water before planting to soak it.
Plant blackberry
The plant is now placed in the hole, then it is filled with soil and the surface is lightly stepped on. If you want, you can add some more soil activator, for example the Plantura organic soil activator. Now the blackberry is watered vigorously and a coconut mat is placed around the trunk to protect the young plant from weeds.
Attach trellis support for blackberries
Climbing blackberry varieties need a support or trellis. So-called trellises are also suitable as holders for blackberry bushes - these are strong frames made of solid wires that are stretched between two posts at a distance of 20 to 30 centimeters. The bottom wire should not be stretched more than half a meter above the ground so that the tendrils of the blackberry can quickly find a connection. It is best to tie the strongest shoots to the wires of the trellis at the beginning to give them the direction of growth. If you want to make it easier for yourself, you can pull the blackberry plants along a robust chain link fence, for example.
Can you plant blackberries and raspberries together?
There is no reason why raspberries (Rubus idaeus) and blackberries cannot be planted next to each other. Both plants belong to the rose family (Rosaceae) and prefer similar site conditions. As with the blackberry, most raspberry varieties grow better with a climbing aid. But what should be considered: The optimal planting distance for the climbing blackberry varieties is significantly larger than for raspberries.
Planting blackberries in pots
As already mentioned, blackberries do well on walls or free-standing structures and are therefore usually cultivated in the garden. However, upright growing blackberry varieties such as 'Navaho' or 'Loch Ness' also thrive in planters on the balcony. Special plant boxes with an integrated wooden (wicker) wall also offer optimal climbing aids for creeping plantsVariety. The blackberry can serve as a wonderful natural screen or windbreak for the terrace or balcony. However, the planter should definitely offer sufficient volume for pot culture in order to do justice to the growth of the blackberry.
The following aspects should be considered when growing in pots:
- Choose a sufficiently large planter
- Put this in a sheltered place
- Water regularly and provide fertilizer
- Remove overripe and moldy fruit
- Pruning back and topping long brambles
Proper care of blackberries after planting
The blackberry is fertilized in early spring (March) with a nutrient mixture suitable for berry bushes. To mimic the forest conditions of the blackberry's natural environment, the soil around the plant is covered with a layer of mulch. This not only protects against drying out, but also improves the humus supply and suppresses weed growth. Since the mulch layer gradually decomposes, it should be renewed regularly.
To keep the brambles from getting out of hand, annual pruning is best done in the fall or early spring. During the year, regular pruning and removing stinging shoots also promotes fruit development.
Here you will find detailed instructions on how to cut the blackberry bushes.