How to grow blackberry bushes?

Answer #1 · Maple Tree's Answer · Hi Clint-Never have grown Blackberries myself and wanting to someday I did a search of the Blackberry plant in Gardenality's plant search. These are comments I found regarding planting Blackberries that will hopefully get you started.

Plant blackberries in a site that provides full sun (a little shade is okay), near a convenient water source, and with good air circulation. A great place to plant blackberries is along a fence that will act as support. Blackberries can thrive in most soils, but prefer deep and well-drained soil. They prefer a soil pH somewhere between 5.5 and 6.5 if possible.

If you are planting blackberries in rows till or turn the soil thoroughly mixing in a good amount of organic matter. If you are planting just a few blackberry plants and have purchased them in containers, dig a hole 2 to 3 times the width and a little deeper than the rootball. If your soil is heavy clay or dense soil, add in enough compost to the soil removed from the planting hole to soften it. Set the root ball in the hole and plant with the top edge level with the ground. Backfill with your soil mixture tamping lightly as you go to remove air pockets. Water deeply and apply a 2-inch layer of shredded wood mulch or pine straw around plants to help control weeds and hold in moisture.

If you need more information to get started let us know.

You can also contact you county Cooperative Extention Service Office for more information regarding Blackberries in your area. You county office will have a search tool you can use, type in Blackberry, or call them and they are usually happy to help you with any information you need. Below is the USDA site where you can find your county Extension Service. Just click on it to go directly to this site. On the Home page and to the right you will see Quick Links. Click on the Local Extension Service. Click on your state then enter your county.

http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/

Hope this has helped-John)