blackberries

Tree Dude · Joined: 08 Jan 2005 Posts: 262 Location: Saginaw,TX

My family just bought some little blackberries. We already have healthy organic soil that we bought from Harvest Landscape Service. We dug up the grass and put the soil in the hole. Is there anything we need to do before we plant the blackberries? Any advice would help?

Tricky Grama · Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 8:09 am Post subject: blackberries

Dude-
I have lots of blackberries I started about 3 yrs ago from just a small cutting-a piece of a branch someone gave me. I didn't do much to the soil, I planted them at the side of my 'tomato garden'. They are flourishing! The last 2 seasons, however, some branches were so covered in blooms then in berries that the berries failed to ripen & those full branches died. Have no clue what happened there.
Patty

Tricky Grama · Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2005 8:36 am Post subject: blackberries

Dude-
I have blackberries I started about 3 yrs ago from just a small cutting-a piece of a branch someone gave me. I didn't do much to the soil, I planted them at the side of my 'tomato garden'. They are flourishing! The last 2 seasons, however, some branches were so covered in blooms, then in berries, that the berries failed to ripen & those full branches died. Have no clue why that happened-soil TOO fertile?
Patty

kbrew · Joined: 17 Mar 2003 Posts: 358 Location: Midlothian,TEXAS

Tree Dude wrote: Is there anything we need to do before we plant the blackberries? Any advice would help?
Dude,
You will probably want to provide support for them. I have a row of blackberries with a post on each end. Between the posts I have 3 seperate wires running horizontally from post to post spaced about 1' apart.
There are several ways to go about training them, but for best production you will want to keep them trained and cut out the "old canes" each year. Old canes are the 2nd year canes that have already produced. Once they have produced, they need to go.

Tree Dude · Joined: 08 Jan 2005 Posts: 262 Location: Saginaw,TX

We have planted blackberries when I was a kid. This was when we live south of Houston. Blackberries are native wild in the woods down there. So we already have experience with blackberries. I just thought to refresh our remembrance and do it organicly for the first time(we have never spread the plant with anything,just on other stuff). I esp. wish birds would leave the berries alone!! I guess the berries can grow as good as in Houston(they grow in Houston too well!! )

culdeus · Joined: 18 Mar 2004 Posts: 101 Location: Dallas TX

What sort of sun situation are they looking for? Up against an East fence will work?

flowerlover · Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 107 Location: Waxahachie,TEXAS

Where can I find blackberry plants in Ellis County area? What kind of soil do they need? Don't they need full sun? The wild ones we had in Missouri had full sun, and were wonderful.

kbrew · Joined: 17 Mar 2003 Posts: 358 Location: Midlothian,TEXAS

I ordered mine from Womack Nursery in Deleon, TX because I couldn't find the variety I wanted locally. They have a catalog and this is the time of year they ship. I bought the Womack variety (I think it's a coicidence that they have the same name).
They need full sun and I don't think they are that particular about soil. They will come up like a weed once they get established. You will want to train them on some type of support.

flowerlover · Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 107 Location: Waxahachie,TEXAS

Thanks a bunch! I'm looking them up...

kbrew · Joined: 17 Mar 2003 Posts: 358 Location: Midlothian,TEXAS

http://www.womacknursery.com/msg3.htm

Tree Dude · Joined: 08 Jan 2005 Posts: 262 Location: Saginaw,TX

culdeus wrote: What sort of sun situation are they looking for? Up against an East fence will work?

Very open. WE have square shaped little garden only for blackberries(maybe we will plant something else later, but not now).

Tree Dude