Pruning Blackberry Plants | When and Why

[@FarmAlarm]

Be sure to watch all of our BLACKBERRY GROWING videos goo.gl/dtQLqB Also Check out our Amazon affiliate store! amazon.com/shop/farmalarm

[@michaelripperger5674]

How wide are your rows ? And how wide are the paths ?

[@josephmcgee8450]

Sound is Great! Thanks

[@josephmcgee8450]

Sound much Better

[@headshotsrus]

Dip the end of your cuttings in Rooting powder tap off the excess and place in vermiculite. I normally get 80% grow

[@elricofarmer1561]

THANKS for the great video on pruning. I just started growing blackberries and am really learning a lot with videos like this.

[@ArtbyJenG]

Thanks, I'm in Australia and they are prolific - out of control. With your helpful info I can now look after the ones we want to keep ... and you new camera is perfect :)

[@olds4558]

I fenced off the rabbits, and followed your pruning advice to a tee, and it appears there will be a bumper crop his year. Thanks

[@dianehopkins6127]

best pruning video and explanation I've seen...and I've watched a lot of them!

[@FarmAlarm]

Thanks. Be sure to watch our video titled 6 Tips for Successful Blackberry Growing. kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXOQm5WfidqYb68

[@carenharris863]

The foliage is so healthy and pretty!

[@dawnburns4609]

Sound and video were wonderful thank you so much for the information now I can work on our black berries

[@FarmAlarm]

Thanks! Glad you fount the information useful. Thanks for watching

[@ChickaWoofRanch]

Great info! the New camera looks great and the wind sock did a great job... it was obviously very windy during the shoot. Great job!

[@FarmAlarm]

HA it was soooooo windy that day. and Im still getting the camera and settings figured out, but i think it will work out great! Thanks for the comment Chick-a-Woof

[@smallblockfuelie]

Thank you for this. We have blackberries but my knowledge on them is limited to that I enjoy eating them. Pruning makes perfect sense to me. I do the same thing with tomatoes and force them to grow vertically with 9 inches of space between them. They grow tomatoes like mad.

[@josephmcgee8450]

Wind noise is perfecr

[@gardenlifelove9815]

The best way I've found to propagate blackberries is to put the upper end of a stock into the ground so it will grow roots and after a few weeks you cut the center of the now 2 rooted stock for 2 separate plants..

[@pattishelton3169]

I planted my blackberry bushes last year so this info is going to help greatly. Going to watch all of your videos. Thanks

[@FarmAlarm]

Thank you very much Patti. If there's anything that we can answer for you please let us know.

[@jacelandadventures1523]

Yes you can propagate those cuttings I do it all the time! It’s not hard at all! There is a process, once you understand that it becomes easy peasy!

[@OurSoVaLife]

LOVE the berry videos, learning so much,,sound is good

[@FarmAlarm]

Thanks! Glad you are learning, and thanks for the comment too.

[@kendolan6693]

cheered when I read your banner and I enjoyed his video as well

[@tinalevron5594]

The sound is excellent!

[@FarmAlarm]

Thanks Tina

[@guyh.4553]

To propagate new plants get a bucket of sand, get it wet (not drenched), cut a 1/3 of the lower leaf & stems off the shoot the stick them in the sand. Keep the sand moist & in a couple weeks you should have new root growth. Then plant them 1/2 of the total stem length.

[@brianmef71]

Thank you very much for this video. I now know why I had very little fruit production, and after 3+ years of having the plants. I didn't trim my plants so that is why.

[@FarmAlarm]

You are welcome/ Thanks for the comment!

[@PrattFamilyHomestead]

Excellent video. We are just starting with Blackberries (and others) this year and this video has great info! Thank you!! - Mike

[@FarmAlarm]

Thanks Mike! I appreciate You watching.

[@nancyfahey7518]

Wow, I have mine in a pot. Suprised it's not dead. Thanks for the info.

[@mysticamethyst]

I do too! Are we not supposed to?? I havent watched the video yet

[@Kaitlyn_B97]

My dad and found some wild blackberries in our backyard. We moved them in a row with t-posts. I can't wait till next year. We have 6 of them. We make our own compost, so they should do great. A little TLC should help them a lot.

[@FarmAlarm]

Hey thanks for watching. And congratulations on your 6 wild blackberry plants. I hope you don't get your hands cut up too much with all those Thorns LOL. Be sure to watch our six tips on BlackBerry growing video. Have a great day.

[@TheTrock121]

If you have a Willow Tree, you can cut several Willow Twigs to put in w/ the cuttings and they will root fairly easily.

[@FarmAlarm]

Yes I have heard that willow trees make good for propagating other plants

[@josephmcgee8450]

The Plant that Broke off the root can you cut it off and replant?

[@hiindandes]

Hello, I just watched your video. I noticed that you said that you had poor luck with starting those larger pruned pieces. I had bad luck as well. I tried everything from rooting in water to rooting hormones. No luck!! I couldn't understand why because when we bend the canes over and bury the tips they grow wonderfuly. They , in fact, produce our best new plants. Finally I tried taking most of the unnecessary leaves off the plant and leaving the smaller leaves on the growing tip. I plant them about six to eight inches deep in the loose soil under the shade of the existing plants. I directly water them once and then the drip irrigation takes care of the rest. 5 weeks later the root system is adecuate to survive the stress of transplanting. I leave them at least 8 weeks before transplanting. The extra time before transplanting makes them super vigorous. I transplant to a prepared hole in a mix of half composted manure and half organic compost. Six months after transplanting they are producing fruit. We take out the canes that have fruited every week. This keeps our plants in continuous production. I liked your video and thought the additional info might help. Thank you.

[@jinanalani1848]

great video . thank you

[@TheSunnites]

Blackberry leaves and be dried and made into a very nutritious herbal tea (similar to red raspberry leaves). I have also been told you can use them in homemade fermented pickles to help them stay crunchy (because of the tannins) but I have yet to try it myself.

[@FarmAlarm]

That sounds like a fun experiment! Thanks for sharing!

[@Just-Nikki]

I love the commentary at the end. Be careful, I hear those North American house cats can be pretty ferocious 😋

[@CountryFamily]

Very good info. We planted some blackberry plants we bought and some we transplanted from a friend. They didn't get very tall last year, but I'm thinking they should get bigger this year.

[@FarmAlarm]

They will grow a bit this year. but you will have new shoots popping up off of your root system. and those plants will grow pretty big. Just be sure to prune them multiple times and dont let them get over 5 feet tall.

[@mrstn123]

I am in northwest Arkansas. Temp now is 50s-60s.

[@derrihanson9876]

Thank you, Very informative!

[@FarmAlarm]

Thanks for the feedback Derri

[@charlottepatterson4576]

Video was a little dark but I still liked your video👍

[@martinbrenmann4639]

The best time to prune your blackberry plants is in autumn.

[@belindacharpentier628]

Good sound and vid. I appreciate pruning help. My plants were put in last year and pruning is my weakness. Lost one cause it wasn't done right but new shoots are coming up. No sure when to transplant. I'm s of houston and much hotter here.

[@FarmAlarm]

Thanks! Well be sure to prune before they get too tall. and just be sure they get plenty of water if it is really hot where you live, I have many videos on blackberry plants as far as how and when to transplant and taking care of them. Thanks for watching, and let me know if you have any further questions.

[@tarad5547]

Nipping tips pretty much any tree or shrub makes branches grow. The reason is a plant hormone in the tip giving it instructions to grow top out. When you pinch off the tip, those instructions are gone. But the other remains tips (branches) shift into high gear. Voila bushy plant

[@poodledaddles1091]

good video

[@FarmAlarm]

Thank you.

[@angiekrajewski6419]

Thank you for the explanation very interesting...

[@FarmAlarm]

Thanks for the feedback. Glad it helped

[@christal2641]

Does discarding canes onto ground encourage cane borers?

[@FarmAlarm]

It can if you leave them there.

[@bradwelch6534]

Bout to cut back plants for the winter. Any tips? its the second year for the plant and it had a great productive summer.

[@FarmAlarm]

Here is our Tips! kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXOQm5WfidqYb68 Hope this helps. Thanks for the comment.

[@marshallhknopf]

Hey sir. Great video. Question. Our blackberries last year weren’t sweet. What am I doing wrong? Thanks mk

[@cindythomas681]

Can you plant just 1 blackberry bush? Or do you need more and more variety? Is there any other difference in the thornless to regular? Would that still be heirloom or is it hybrid and does that matter with blackberries? Like it does with vegetables. The sound is great. No wind. Thanks

[@FarmAlarm]

Yes you can plant just one blackberry plant. But just know that you will get more than one next year because a plant only last 2 years then it dies, but it constantly brings up new plants from the root system every year. Usually the thornless variety has bigger berries, and you don't get your hands cut up LOL

[@fullTimeVeganinOhio]

@@FarmAlarm i dont think the plant dies. Just that flowering cane in the second year

[@johnvaughn3489]

I had 50% success rate propagating my cuttings last year. Even 10% is 10% more plants than you had last year. Never throw them away if you can afford a few hours to care for them

[@christal2641]

Poor man's rooting hormone: cut WILLOW BRANCHES 6-18" long. Remove leaves below water line. After a week you may start to see roots form. If not, change & replace water. Once roots are visible, change the water once or twice a week, but USE the water for rooting in a case or as a soil drench to encourage rooting of transplants/seedlings.

[@sistermaide]

Just found your videos, I like how you are short and sweet with the information. Some people expound so long on the details that I am more annoyed than educated. THANKS! I also have a question, which is why I found you in the search....I am in process of starting a food forest, (I hope) and because my ground is rather gravelly, and floods when the rains come, but only long enough to drown the grasses, then it dries, and the plant matter blows away. I have procured fresh brush trimmings, to spread over the area. That said, I also had some young wild berry plants, (raspberry and blackberry) that I dug out to save them. Because of the weather that day, and soil type that they came from, they are bare roots, like the ones I get from the seed catalogs, but with the whole small plants, still attached. What should I do to store them till I can plant them out, and when would be best for this.

[@FarmAlarm]

The company's who sell bare roots plants will make their plants Dormant by putting them in some sort of refrigeration. But I dont remember the temperature. Look into Indiana Berry Company. I know I have seen a video of how they do that. So no need to reinvent the wheel, just do what they do. Good luck. Thanks for watching and thanks for the comment.

[@angelavalero9589]

Thanks for great information on Blackberry plants. I’ve a vine in my yard that is thorny, your plants don’t have any thorns. Is it a different type of Berry ?

[@melinda506]

There are thornless varieties. I have both thorny and thornless varieties learning towards the thornless.

[@debraperks6933]

I stuck my cuttings just straight in pots when I trimmed them in the fall and all but 1 survived

[@FarmAlarm]

That's is AWESOME. Thanks for sharing. I will try that too

[@eugeneshafer7157]

I planted new berrys this year all I got was lateral off the base that are four to five feet long and are rooting on the tips.Can these be transferred to a pot and replanted in Feb.How and when should I prune

[@FarmAlarm]

I would just let your berry plants be where they are because new shoots will pop up this spring. Your first year plants are not always good growers. But just wait till spring and you will get more new plants off of your roots

[@StephRenee812]

Silly question probably, but we have bird seed everywhere, we feed the birds and I have some things growing i have not a clue to what it is. Should I just cut it down or dig it up. And I guess it wouldn't be wise to do my flower bed around that. I seen another person comment about berrie bush growing thanks to the birds..

[@audioalt]

How deep should a transplant plant be?

[@marymacdonald4080]

Hi, so all stems( canes?) should be cut back to four ft in the spring? I live in 🇨🇦. Last year I think we trimmed them late and had fruit into the fall. Thanks

[@FarmAlarm]

There are actually many times to trim them back. But it really depends on which breed of blackberry plant you have. But we like to keep them around 4 to 5 foot. Anything over that is just wasting energy into making a big plant, and taking the chance of the plant falling over from high wind. Thank you for the comment

[@lykri3350]

It is June 25. Is it too late to prune the tall ones now? I am picking berries in the last week. I never thought about caring for blackberries, but I am an adult now and have to consider this. There is a black raspberry bush growing against my shed, (thank you birdies), and that one I am trying to care for, pulling excess grass and trying to prop up branches that are on the ground. There are many more edging the fields on this farm. I have to take tools to trim weeds and brush around those bushes. I do think there is a blackberry bush somewhere around here. That is where I need to step in a and cut down brush to find it. There is alot to do.

[@FarmAlarm]

Hey I made a video response for you kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4OwmXqVj8mpadU Thanks for the great question.

[@pattishelton3169]

great video, love the info, i have three p;ants.

[@FarmAlarm]

Thanks for watching and the comment!

[@BushImports]

Why don't you tie them up to the fence there to keep the wind from blowing them around so bad or if that won't work grow or create some sort of a wind break so the wind force is not so strong on them.

[@VWFamilyFarm]

Can you prune flowering ones or just first year plants? I have done the same and let mine go.

[@FarmAlarm]

No you can go ahead and prune the second-year plants even if they are flowering.

[@mikesimmons1012]

Newbie here, thanks for the video. I randomly planted a blackberry bush a year or two ago, we got a great amount of blackberries over the summer this year. But I have never prune back my blackberry bush, now that we are going into fall is there anything that I need to do to that blackberry bush to get it ready for next year is right now it is huge? Also I would like to plant a few more blackberry bushes for future, and also transplant the blackberry bush that I have now to a better location that I can put more blackberry bushes with it. When is the best time to transplant?

[@FarmAlarm]

Glad you posted this question. Many people have this same misconception about blackberry plants, as they are not a Bush. They are a Cane. a bush will produce from the same plant year after year. a cane will die off after it produces fruit, and will need to be cut down. But dont worry, a new cane shoot will grow up off of the roots from the last plant. So you will have new plants every year. So basically you need to prune that one all the way off at the ground, if not it will rot and could disease. but if any canes that popped up last year that DID NOT produce fruit, be sure not to cut them back, because they will produce fruit the year after they grew. Thanks

[@urokim]

video fine, no background music necessary - imo

[@TheMidnitemel]

Thank you!! I've let my blackberries grow wild. Never pruned them. Is it too late to clean them up?

[@FarmAlarm]

Go for it. They will still grow berries and you will get a better crop once pruned.

[@toriwolf5978]

Ohhh wow so happy to have found this I need help my blackberries are getting out of control haven’t pruned them for 3 years lol now I know what to do thank you for sharing, I have wild ones as well as thornless black berries , two different plants lol one has thorns one has none.is there different pruning for the different black berry bushes ? Subbed you

[@FarmAlarm]

Thanks for the great comment. I hope we can help you with your blackberry Adventure. We actually have another video that does a really good straight to the point, of everything you need to know about Blackberry growing and pruning. Here is the link kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXOQm5WfidqYb68 Let us know what you think.

[@toriwolf5978]

Farm Alarm thank you so much I will take a look at your other video to getting my snippers ready lol can you prune in January it’s been so warm out here in Ontario this year

[@FarmAlarm]

Now is the perfect time to prune :-)

[@toriwolf5978]

Farm Alarm thank you soooo much going to go prune lol

[@FarmAlarm]

You are welcome. Good luck and if you have any more questions, let me know. If you get time to look at that other video, it is a wealth of knowledge. It is put together a little bit better than this video. And it covers a wide amount of points on BlackBerry growing :-) Thanks again for your great questions

[@AutumnOaksFarm]

Been suffering the same problem with wind and videos. Question on the Blackberries you just doing a straight cut?

[@FarmAlarm]

A straight cur for pruning? Yes. if the plants are not over grown I dont even use pruning sheers. i just tear the top off.

[@sandylang2024]

how to prune the side branches so they would not stagger with others?

[@josephgustitus3661]

I wish I knew. Looking for the same info on the side shoots. (Laterals).

[@jodymontez693]

When I first plant a plant, what is a good fertilizer? Acid soil? PH?

[@FarmAlarm]

We use natural fertilizers, such as composted chicken manure or horse manure. Blackberries, like most fruits and vegetables, prefer neutral or mildly acidic soil, with an ideal pH range between 5.5 and 7.0.

[@anonz975]

I have a large wild blackberry plant (Georgia here). Will prune it for the first time this year, would also like to fertilize it a bit. What would you suggest? I have chickens so chicken poop tea or raw/composted poop is an option. What can I give it to provide more fruit?

[@FarmAlarm]

Great question, i put chicken poop on our plants at times. Last few years we have been fencing the chickens inside the blackberry rows, and they love to fertilize and clean out the rows in the winter. We take them off of the BB-rows before spring.

[@mrstn123]

I have thornless blackberries that I planted last Fall, 2016. They have long, loppy stems, no fruit yet. Now, it is approaching winter of 2017. Should I prune them now? Wait till they fruit in Spring of 2018? Help!!

[@FarmAlarm]

You can prune them now, or wait a few weeks until the temp drops a bit more. But definitely prune the lateral branches to 18 inches and prune the height to 5 feet or shorter Before you get any ICE Storms. But you will might have to prune them in the spring/summer season too because they might grow in height then too, and you dont want them to get too tall or the windy days will wreck havoc on your plants! Thanks for watching.

[@Apostolos-UK]

So let me get it straight. You prune once when shoots reach 4 ft. All good. Then laterals appear. Do you prune them back again at 18 inch while they grow or next spring before the plant wakes up? If you prune it while is grows a second generation of laterals will appear. Is this what we want?

[@FarmAlarm]

Prune many times if you want.

[@sdh0kbh]

How many new shoots do you let grow per plant?

[@FarmAlarm]

As many pop up in the row. If they are outside of the row, mow them over or transplant them.

[@jhnny321]

Hi, I had a question about blackberries. I planted a blackberry plant in at one location. And we got some berries from it for a year or two. And now, we just seem to get is colorful looking flowers, and no berries. I’m wondering if this is even the same plant. Do you have any information to shed some light on this?

[@FarmAlarm]

Flowers turn into berries. So just mKe sure they are properly watered. Other than that, perhaps you have a pest problem that is eating the berries before you notice

[@lajohnson1967]

Obviously those are thornless...

[@bonniebeaver33]

I have one blackberry plant should I get another

[@FarmAlarm]

You should definitely have more. They will also pop up new plants from the root system. kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXOQm5WfidqYb68

[@almalugo9911]

Is it normal I have a cane on my bushes that is very wide at least 2 inches?

[@FarmAlarm]

Yep, older root systems can grow nice sized stalks.

[@michellefurst4985]

Should I wait until the spring to prune my tall canes or can I do that now if they are already growing taller than I want?

[@FarmAlarm]

Funny that you should ask that question, I actually made a video on the exact topic yesterday. Here's the link kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4OwmXqVj8mpadU

[@christal2641]

Short answer: Prune in fall if there's a chance of strong winds or snow! When you cut the tip of any cane fruit cane, you encourage lateral growth but the canes get stockier, so they stand up. This applies to erect and semi-erect raspberries and blackberries. The sooner you prune, the more buds form for next year's fruiting laterals.

[@edelweissstamaria5838]

When do you think I can prune my blackberry I live in Southern California

[@FarmAlarm]

Prune when you want. The goal is to not let the get overgrown.

[@rockmyers8246]

Do you have any problems with birds eating the berries? If so, do you use netting?

[@FarmAlarm]

None to speak of. are you having bird issues?

[@XxScArEcRoWxX1]

Get bird of prey statues. Hawk. Crow. Eagle

[@nccherokee1]

What time of the year are you pruning the blackberry plants?

[@FarmAlarm]

Depends, prune the berry producing canes (floricanes) in the late fall before any ice storms. and maybe again in the growing season if they get out of hand. the new shoots (primocanes) get pruned once they reach 4-5 feet in height. then throught the season if they get too tall. Hopes this helps

[@nccherokee1]

Thanks

[@carbon1298]

I would like to know what type of blackberry do you have.

[@FarmAlarm]

We grow Apache thornless Blackberry plants

[@mycozygardencottage]

Thank you for the nice video. A friend gave me a couple of blackberry bushes this spring. They are still pretty small but have grown a lot. I read that I should prune them down pretty severely when first planting them, which I did. Do they die down in them winter? Or are you supposed to cut them way back in late winter?

[@FarmAlarm]

sounds like you did everything the way you were suppose to, Just wait till this spring and you will have new plants popping up from those old existing roots and they will get big. prune back and keep them at 4-5 feet tall

[@olds4558]

Thanks for the info. My plants are currently up to as long as 7 to 8 feet.at this time in October. The way I understand your video, there may be no wrong time to cut them back when they get to that length. Especially with snow this winter on the way We currently are are erecting a 4' fence around the row due to rabbit damage last winter that ruined our production, so figure might as well cut them back now to prevent heavy snow damage.

[@FarmAlarm]

Hey here is another video we did that may clear some things up. kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXOQm5WfidqYb68 You are correct, there is no real wrong time to cut them back. The most important thing is keeping them cut back so you do not get any wind or snow or ice damage. Man those rabbits sure can be pesky.

[@shuki713]

Hi there, we just bought a new home with a back hill full of black berries bushes. I just want to know is it a good time to clean them up now? Like pruning them back to 3ft. Its getting cold here sometimes below 0 at night, or should I wait still spring time? Thanks.

[@FarmAlarm]

Now would be a Great time to clean them up. Don't wait until the start growing in the spring. Be sure to cut the old dead vines out, the can cause rot for the new vines.

[@Lily-Gardens28]

When is the best time to prune???

[@FarmAlarm]

Anytime that they are too tall ☺👍

[@Lily-Gardens28]

Farm Alarm thank you

[@FarmAlarm]

You're welcome

[@daviddove4851]

do you make Blackberry Homemade Wine if not have look at How To Make Easy Homemade Wine ~ Making Blackberry Wine TexasPrepper2 god bless

[@FarmAlarm]

Hey David. Years ago I use to make grape wine and blackberry wine, But I have since gave up drinking. So no need to Make wine anymore lol.

[@jeffgaming5382]

sassy will be a great Hunter when she is grown in to a Adult

[@daviddove4851]

hi how are you and the family hope all is good the video and sound hundred times better just wondering how much quantity do you get from the blackberry how many pounds God bless

[@FarmAlarm]

We are good Dave. Hope Yall are doing well Down Under! As far as Quantity from the berry plants, I will have to tell you in two months from now when season is over. But Waaaay to much lol

[@tateneaseshow8928]

Why did you have to cut them done

[@tateneaseshow8928]

Down

[@leannjackson5696]

I’m not sure you will even get this comment but do you ever prune your plants in the fall?

[@FarmAlarm]

Hey I sure do prune them in the fall. Check out these other videos... kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z4OwmXqVj8mpadU kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXOQm5WfidqYb68

[@cathleencaratan3373]

Save and dry some blackberry leaves to have on hand for treating scours in your livestock. Works for the humans too.

[@FarmAlarm]

Thank you for watching and thank you for the advice. - Ashley

[@GerardGibney3]

NO. The leaves are valuable for tea. The native americans cherished it for it's flavor and properties. Save them, dry, crumble, and mix with some other stuff you like and seep.

[@TheJosuetico]

I'm sorry you have a bad hand reproducing them. I have 3 varieties: 3 crowns, arapaho, oachita and without any hormones, I just stick the pieces in the ground when pruning and over 60% positive results. Also, after they produce their crop stick the tips in the ground and I get near 100% positive results. Maybe you need a semi-shady area like mine and ensure to water them.

[@FarmAlarm]

I will try that. Thanks

[@bullmasterlyle72]

dont say when generic info,, needed ballpark time ,,dec or sept ect. ect

[@FarmAlarm]

There are many "times" that you can prune your Blackberry Plants.. But as I stated, Keep the plants 4 to 5 feet tall and dont let the lateral branches get longer than 18 inches. I hope this helps you out.