Gardens Alive! & Supplies
Blackberry Plants
How to Grow Blackberries
Blackberry Plants for Sale from Gurney's
Choosing the Right Blackberry Plant
When selecting blackberry plants for your garden, make sure the variety is suitable for your grow zone. Most grow in zones 5-9, but some may be better suited for warmer or cooler climates. Next, consider whether you want a floricane or primocane. Floricanes ripen first and yield one berry crop while primocanes ripen later and yield two crops. The other consideration is the plant's habit. Those with a trailing habit can be left to grow on the ground or tied to a trellis while erect canes do not require a support. Other considerations are whether you want a thornless variety. Gurney's offers several thornless blackberry plants for sale. Also consider flavor, berry size and yields. For a more comprehensive guide, visit Gurney's Growing Blackberry Plants.
Getting Started with Blackberry Plants
Blackberries are some of the easiest and most popular fruits to grow. They're long-lived perennial plants that produce new canes or stems year after year.
When to Grow Blackberry Bushes
Blackberry bushes can be planted in the spring or the fall. When ordering from a mail-order catalog, they may be bareroot or potted plants.
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How to Plant Blackberry Bushes
If planting a bareroot, dig a hole that is large enough to accommodate the roots when they are spread out. The blackberry plants should be planted 3-4 inches deep and 3-4 feet apart.
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Where to Plant Blackberry Bushes
Blackberry bushes should be planted in an area that receives full sun (at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily) and in well-drained soil. Many gardeners also plant the berries near a trellis. When selecting where to plant the blackberry bushes, keep in mind that blackberries often live 15 years or longer.
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How to Care for a Blackberry Plant
Feeding your plants with Gurney's Raspberry and Blackberry Food will produce bigger yields of flavorful berries. With this slow-release fertilizer, you can fertilize in the spring and when the fruits start to form. Mulching conserves water and suppresses weeds. Erect and semi-erect blackberries are usually pruned during the dormant season.
