Inspired by a helpful YouTube guide. We based this walk-through on the Huw Richards video "How to Train Blackberries and other Trailing Berries for Maximum Yields". Huw grows on a smallholding in Wales and his approach is practical and unpretentious - well worth watching for the bit about separating this year's canes from next year's.
1. Put up a proper support structure first
Blackberries need horizontal wires to grow along. Fix three or four wires between solid posts - heavy-duty galvanised wire, tensioned with straining bolts, at roughly 45 cm intervals from about 60 cm off the ground up to 1.8 m.
Garden canes and string are not enough. Blackberry canes get heavy when loaded with fruit and they pull hard in autumn winds. Get the structure right before you plant and you will not be re-doing it in two years.
2. Choose the right variety for your space
Wild blackberries are vigorous to the point of being invasive. Cultivated varieties like Loch Ness or Natchez are more manageable and produce better fruit. Thornless varieties are worth considering if the plants are near a path - standard types draw blood.
Allow at least 2.5 to 3 metres per plant along the wire. They need room.
3. Plant bare-root canes in winter or early spring
Plant bare-root canes between November and March while the ground is workable. Dig in plenty of compost and plant at the same depth the cane was in the nursery - the soil mark on the stem is the guide.
After planting, cut the cane down to about 25 cm to encourage strong new growth from the base. It will seem like you are going backwards. You are not.
4. Train new canes to one side as they grow
This is the key to an easy life with blackberries. As the new canes grow through summer, tie them to one side of the wires - all going the same direction. Keep the centre of the plant relatively clear.
The canes you are training this year will fruit next year. The canes that fruited this year get cut out at the base in autumn, which frees up the wires for the new ones to spread into. Once you see the pattern, it is very logical.
5. Feed and water well during fruiting
A general fertiliser in early spring gives the plant a good start. Blackberries are not particularly fussy, but a mulch of compost around the base in spring helps retain moisture and suppresses weeds.
In dry spells, water at the roots. Inconsistent watering during fruit development causes the berries to dry out before they are ripe.
6. Cut out old canes after harvest
Once harvesting is done - usually September or October in the UK - cut all the canes that fruited right back to ground level. Use loppers or thick gloves and secateurs. Dispose of the old canes rather than composting them, as they can carry disease.
Untie the new canes and spread them along the wires evenly. Tie them in securely so winter winds do not damage them. That is the pruning done for another year.
7. Pick regularly once the fruit ripens
Blackberries ripen over several weeks rather than all at once. Pick every few days - ripe fruit left on the cane will go mushy and attract wasps. A ripe blackberry comes away cleanly with a gentle tug. If it pulls hard, leave it another day.
Morning picking, before the heat of the day, gives you the firmest fruit and the longest fridge life.
When to call a handyman
Call Richard if you need posts and wire structures putting up, raised beds building, or general garden groundwork done before planting. The framework for soft fruit takes an afternoon to do properly and is worth getting right.
Need help setting up your garden?
The Sandwich Handyman can help with fencing, raised beds, post-and-wire structures, and general garden preparation around Sandwich, Kent.
Contact Richard