Thornless Blackberry

[Debs]

I have a thornless blackberry which produced lots of fruit last year, however, I have not pruned it & a couple of branches are about 8' long.

Is it too late to cut back?

If so, I am thinking about layering it along the ground to produce more plants. I have already propogated plants last year by this method.

If I do this, will it effect the fruit production for this year

Advice anyone?

Debs

[Debs]

[artichoke]

My blackberries are "wild" within high hedges, though older plotholders tell me they started off as "cultivated plants". I find that the harder I cut them back in the autumn or spring, the better they produce the berries over the late summer. Very thorny, but I believe the principle remains correct.

[Debs]

thanks artichoke. I wasn't sure whether I could cut them hard back now.
I'd read that this should have been done after fruiting so would have been late autumn.
Am in two minds whether to cut back the branches that fruited last year, or try to layer them to produce more plants.
Would be interested to hear if anyone has pruned at this stage & effect upon fruit production

Debs

[ed dibbles]

While they will fruit again on last years fruiting canes it is usually better to train in new shoots formed the previous year for fruiting the following year.

If they are too long you can shorten them unless you want to propagte from the tips which, being such strong growing plants, I wouldn't think it would affect fruiting at all.

Think of them as huge raspberry plants - remove last years fruiting canes and tie in selected new replacements for this years fruit, cutting everything else off close to the ground.

Being tough british natives I doubt you will kill them easily by pruning.

[Robert_Brenchley]

 You definitely won't kill it by pruning; the stuff's a nightmare to get rid of.