Blackberries

alan40 · Jul 19, 2001

Hi, thought I would post this here since it concerns rural living.
What is the best fertilizer for blackberry plants? I have left three goups of blackberries on my property during one of my saner (?) moments of brush hogging./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I've tried 10-10-10 and it seems not to have alot of effect. Stopped at several nurseries here and no one had a answer.
Have a great day!
Al

DFB · Jul 19, 2001

Al, check out this link on bramble production. A lot of info there.

High levels of nitrogen (N) early in the season are recommended for established plants.

http://ohioline.ag.ohio-state.edu/b782/b782_9.html

DFB

Bird · Jul 19, 2001

Al, I don't know anything about growing stuff in your part of the country, but I have a blackberry patch about 50 feet long and 4 feet wide. I got a lot of information through my county agent from Texas A&M, but of course, it's specifically for the south. It says they grow well in soil with a ph of 5.5 to 7.5, recommends 1/4 pound of 4-2-1 fertilizer per plant in Feb. or Mar. (which I've never done) and the same rate of "a nitrogen fertilizer immediately after fruiting and pruning." The recommendations include either hand pruning all of last years growth out, or mowing the whole thing down, after they quit producing each year. When mine are through producing (around mid-June in this area), I brush hog the whole thing as close to the ground as possible, broadcast about 5# of cheap fertilizer from Wal-Mart, and water it. That's all I've ever done. I guess you know that this years growth produces next year; next years growth won't produce until the following year. I can normally expect 40-50 quarts per year. I mowed mine down this year on 6/9/01, fertilized and watered on 6/10/01 and they're about 2' tall right now. I've watered them twice since then, including today./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

r0GuE · Jul 23, 2001

I'm just loving thisa site more and more every day. I had just been thinking about trying to get black berries to grow in the back of my property. Is this something i can plant from seeds or should I go somewhere and buy plants? Is shade better than direct sun for BBs?

Rogue

Boondox · Jul 23, 2001

A few years ago we had a major mistake at work (under roasted coffee), and since my meadow is short of organic material I spread all three tons out in a corner of the meadow and tilled it under. Now I have the mother of all blackberry patches in that spot! It seems that the coffee adjusted the pH to exactly what the berries crave! So if you have any bad coffee (Starbucks, Folgers, etc), dump it! /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Pete
Green Mountain Coffee

www.GatewayToVermont.com

treeboone · Jul 23, 2001

these are red rasberries we grow in Idaho. I mulch with wood chips, cut out the canes after they bear. The tall canes in the picture will bear next year. I cut them off halfway in the fall so the snow doesn't break them down. They fork at the cut in the spring and bear heavier. Sure make good eating. This picture taken this evening, my wife picking for desert. We have been picking for a week, should go on harvesting into mid august.

Bird · Jul 24, 2001

Rogue, I don't know (or remember?) what part of the country you're in, so I'd suggest you contact your county agent for information specific to your area. The literature I got from my county agent is for the south, and lists 10 varieties of blackberry that do well, and 5 to avoid (don't ask which I have because I don't know; just big juicy berries). But I'll give you the instructions for starting a patch (and it works because a neighbor wanted some like mine so I gave him the clippings to do it and he now has his own patch).

"Simply dig root cuttings the size of a ball-point pen (1/4" x 6") and transplant to a new location. The roots should be dug in late winter before growth begins and stored in cool, moist sawdust to prevent drying out. Cuttings are usually bundled in packs of 10 to 50 roots. They can also be stored moist in polyethylene bags and refrigerated at approximately 45 degrees. Plant cuttings horizontally about 2" below the surface in heavy clay soil and 4" in lighter sandy soil. Plant 3 feet apart in rows or 10 to 20 feet apart in hills. If you use the hill system plant at least 3 cuttings per hill."

Of course for the neighbor, I just dug up some roots in the very early Spring, and he planted them the next day.

Bird