Blackberry Bushes for Sale Online

Choosing the best location for your Blackberry Bushes

Successful cultivation of Blackberries in your garden starts with choosing the proper location. If you choose the right location, the plants will need very little assistance to thrive and provide you with many years of fruit production.

Soil: Blackberries prefer soil that is fertile and well-drained. Choose a site where water does not sit after rain for extended periods. Blackberry Plants should also not be planted in extremely dry soil as this can cause drought stress and require frequent watering on the gardener's part. If you live in an area where heavy clay soil or poor drainage is a problem, it is recommended that you amend your existing soil with locally sourced compost.

Proper preparation of the soil will improve your blackberry bushes' performance and promote healthy new growth every year, which will provide you with an ample crop of blackberry bushes. If you're concerned about your native soil, we suggest working with your county or state extension service. They will be able to test your soil and make recommendations based on the findings.

Sunlight: Blackberries need full sun to grow and produce their best harvest. By definition, full sun is a location that gets at least six to eight hours of sunlight. Proper sunlight is vital for the tree to produce a heavy crop of fruit.

Full sun also has the added benefit of helping to control fungal diseases that can affect blackberry Bushes. Leaf fungus is a problem with leaves remaining wet after extended periods of rain and damp spring weather.

Planting Blackberry Bushes

After you've chosen the best location for your blackberry bushes, there are a few easy steps to follow for planting your bushes. Blackberries can be planted at any time of the year as long as the soil can be worked.

Step 1: Water the plant thoroughly while it is in the pot. Water until you see the water running out of the bottom of the pot.

Step 2: Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot the plant is growing in. The depth of the hole should be as deep as the root ball, but not deeper. After the Blackberry is planted, you should still be able to see the original nursery soil. Planting the bush too deep is the leading cause of poor growth and death of newly planted bushes.

Step 3: If your existing soil is of poor quality, you should amend the soil with local compost or peat moss at a 50/50 rate. This is also the time to mix in an organic starter fertilizer such as Bio-tone by Espoma.

Step 4: Place the Blackberry bush in the prepared hole, careful not to overly disturb the roots. It is ok to fluff the roots if the plant is rootbound lightly. This will cause the plants' roots to begin to grow out and down rather than circle the root ball.

Step 5: Begin back-filling with the amended soil in 3 to 4-inch layers being careful to tamp the soil between layers. This will remove air pockets and voids created by larger chunks of soil. Be cautious not to damage the existing roots of the blackberry during this process.

Step 6: Use the leftover soil to create a 3 to 4-inch rim around the planting hole's edges. This will allow water to pool around the newly planted bush and slowly seep into the root zone. Proper watering is essential to the survival of the blackberry.

We also recommended to mulch the newly planted blackberry plants. This helps prevent the sun from drying out the soil and damage from mowing equipment such as string-trimmers.

Watering Blackberries

Newly planted blackberries should be watered every 2 to 3 days for the first 4 weeks. After that, begin to cut back on the watering frequency but not the amount of water. When watering, be sure to soak the entire root system. Remember that the root system is usually 12 inches deep on a newly planted blackberry plant, and water should soak all the way through the bottom.

Two of the easiest ways to water newly planted bushes is to lay the end of the hose at the base of the bush inside the rim and allow it to trickle at the base for 10 to 15 minutes or until you see the water begin to pool.

The second way and our favorite way is to use a Dewitt Dew Right watering donut. Install the bag at the base of the tree and fill it with water. Water is allowed to slowly drain from the bag providing the perfect amount of water to the root zone.

Pruning of blackberry bushes

Pruning Blackberry bushes can seem like a daunting task, but you will find it an enjoyable and fulfilling task once you do it the first time.

Pruning blackberry bushes should take place during the dormant season. The ideal time is in the late winter before the bush begins to wake up and begin growing. Pruning stimulates the bush and will make it stronger and more fruitful.

Pruning blackberries varies depending on the blackberry variety. Most blackberry bushes bear only once on 2-year-old canes. After the canes have produced fruit, you should prune them back to the ground to leave room for the stronger, 1-year-old canes. This will also stimulate the one-year canes to grow stronger.

If you intend to grow blackberry bushes for many years in your garden. You may want to stake or trellis-train your berry plants to keep them more compact and upright. This also makes fruit harvesting easier,

Controlling pests and diseases on Blackberry Bushes

Breeders of blackberry plants are continually working to create new disease-resistant varieties. However, Blackberries do need to be sprayed occasionally to help control pests and diseases. Control is effortless and, in most cases, can be done organically and with minimal effort.

Bonide Copper Fungicide is an easy to use and safe tool for the blackberry growers' toolbox. Copper is a natural way to control most diseases on fruiting plants.

Bonide Citrus and Orchard Spray is a good choice for insect pests with the added benefit of controlling some diseases.

Remember that Your main goal is to grow Blackberries for your family to eat, so try to find disease control products that are organic. 

If your planning to start planting your own orchard at home Garden Goods Direct is your one-stop-shop for fertilizers, insect and disease control products, and various types of fruit plants including Blueberries, Citrus Trees, Pear Trees, and many more!