How to Grow Blackberries From Home

Test your soil with a soil pH testing kit. Blackberries grow best in soil with a pH between 5.5 and 7.0. If your soil is above 7.0, amend it with elemental sulfur. Use a chart -- such as the one on Michigan State University Extension's website -- to determine how much sulfur you need depending on current pH level and soil type (see Resources). Add the correct amount of sulfur to your soil, and mix with a garden rake.

Pull out any perennial weeds or grass with your hands.

Spread a 3-inch layer of manure over the garden soil. Work the manure into the top 6 inches of soil with a garden rake. Allow the soil to sit for at least one year. Waiting will allow the pH level to stabilize, and the fertility level of the soil to rise. Remove any vegetation that begins to grow.

Rake the area immediately before planting. Use the rake to break up any clumps of soil. The best time to plant blackberries is in the early spring, before new growth emerges on the brambles.

Add a 10-10-10 fertilizer to the soil prior to planting. Use 1.5 lbs for every 100 square feet of garden area. Work the fertilizer into the soil using the garden rake.

Dig a hole using a garden shovel to the same depth as the blackberry bramble is planted in its container, or just deep enough to cover the root system. Place the bramble into the hole and backfill with dirt. Plant additional brambles a minimum of 6 feet apart.

Push a 6- to 8-foot stake 12 inches down into the soil near the blackberry bramble. Use 2-inch strips of pantyhose to tie the bramble onto the stake. The pantyhose stretches as the brambles grow and will not damage the stems.

Add a 3-inch layer of organic mulch around the blackberry bramble. Use an organic mulch made from grass clipping, hay or rotting leaves.

Fertilize the brambles every subsequent spring with a 28-3-3 fertilizer. Use a small garden shovel to mix 3.5 lbs. of fertilizer into the soil for every 100 feet of rows.

Prune the blackberry brambles in the spring with pruning shears. Cut off any dead, dying or weak canes. In the summer pinch off the top 3 inches of each cane after harvest. Remove any canes with fruit at this time.