Blackberrys

[RedYelBlu]

We bought and planted a thorn less Blackberry plant last year, so this year we have had our first crop.I have strung some steel wires along the fence and tied the branches along them.

Can anyone give me some advice on what I should do to the plant so that we have a good crop next year?
I know that the new growth that has been produced this year will bear next years berries, but should I cut out the tips to make the new branches bush up?

Also should I feed the plant in the Autumn or Spring, and what should I feed it with?
Many thanks.

[RedYelBlu]

[saddad]

Welcome to A4A Red/yel/blu... a general feed like growmore in March is recommended...  :)

[Tee Gee]

This link might help; http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Blackberries/Blackberries.htm

[RedYelBlu]

Thank you both, that's the info I needed.

[qahtan]

Gerry (husband) just cuts back any dead wood or straggly bits each year.
They don't grow wild in hedgerows here in Ontario. We have 3 plants , one I think is Black Darwin, can't remember the other two. all fruit well. Qahtan, Niagara Peninsula. Ontario, Canada



Bramble Jelly.

[saddad]

Looks good... do they really not grow wild? I would have thought they would be spread in the bird poo...  :-\

[macmac]

I've picked pounds and pounds this year 2 gallons of wine and loads in the freezer. I thought of bramble jelly but the straining seems like a lot of fuss  ::)

[Digeroo]

thorn less Blackberry

That sounds a great idea, birds brought mine - lovely flavour, huge berries, 80+ fruit per trussle, but it is a terrible brute.  Spreads like crazy have to cut off all the divers (my name for the rooting tips, which seem to dive down to earth from any height). 

They don't grow wild in hedgerows here in Ontario

They are everywhere round here, it is a particularly good year they are dripping off the hedgerows.  The sunshine early on got them flowering and the rain later fattened up the fruit.

[allaboutliverpool]

I have followed the instructions that came with my thornless blackberry.

"Cut the branches back to about 50cm in March to encourage new growth of strong fruit bearing wood in the same year".

Whilst the fruit emanates from last years wood, it is borne on long branches that grow from it, unlike gooseberries and blackcurrants which grow directly from last years wood.

Whilst it would make sense to expect that leaving long shoots from last year would produce more fruit bearing side shoots, it appears that those from 50cm ones are more robust, longer and produce side shoots themselves.

http://allaboutallotments.com/index.html

[qahtan]

 No, no blackberry's grow wild  at least not in southern Ontario.
Also we do not grow sloes, shame because sloe gin is really good, I have a friend in Rustington Sussex, and when we take a trip back to UK, she gives me a bottle of her home made sloe gin and I give her a bottle of gin, she does all the work :-)))))

[Flighty]

When I took my plot on, two years ago, there were only two plants on it which weren't weeds one of which is a very prickly blackberry which this year has produced masses of delicious fruit!

[Plot69]

I have a blackberry growing over the shed in my garden. It's absolutely evil! The thorns are the biggest, nastiest, sharpest I've ever seen and I have no idea how it got there...

But then again, the berries are the biggest juiciest, blackberries I've ever seen in all my years of autumn blackberrying. They are huge so I'll be keeping it and nurturing it... And trying to avoid it when possible.

Not sure how the thornless one down the plot with compare,  only planted it this year.