Tips for Planting Blackberries

Looking to plant a fruit plant on your property but not sure which to choose? May we suggest blackberries! Blackberries are among the easiest fruit plants to grow, and they produce tasty berries that are perfect for baking!

If you want to plant blackberries this year, here are a few things to consider:  

When should you plant blackberries? 

Late February or early March is the recommended time to plant these plants or root cuttings. Take your root cuttings from healthy blackberry plants during their dormant season. When taking your cuttings, cut them 4 to 7 inches long and about the width of a pencil.

Where is the best place to plant blackberries? 

When choosing a planting site, it’s important to remember they grow best in full sun and well-drained soil, as their root systems do not tolerate wet soil beds. The soil pH should be between 6.0 and 6.5. You can have a soil test done to determine the pH of your soil. What do you do if you want to plant your blackberries in a certain spot, but the area is prone to flooding? The answer is raised beds! Raised beds can be used to plant blackberry plants in areas where the soil is poorly drained. You can also plant them in large containers. http://extension.msstate.edu/content/submitting-soil-test-the-lab

How do you plant blackberries? 

It’s recommended to plant your root cuttings or plants 2 feet apart within rows that are 10 to 12 feet apart. Plant your root cuttings 1 to 2 inches deep in well-prepared soil. 

Fertilize the plants with 10-10-10 or 13-13-13 fertilizer one month after planting and again in late June. 

What kind of blackberries should you plant? 

There are two types of cultivars: thorny and thornless. Many people choose to plant thornless because of their lack of painful thorns and their longevity. Some of the plants are upright, while others have trailing tendencies that require trellising. Most people in Mississippi tend to grow upright plants. To get a complete list of cultivars, check out our publication, Fruit and Nut Review – Blackberries (IS1444). 

If you have questions on your quest of planting and growing blackberries, research-based information is one call away. Your local Extension agent would love to help!