How to Garden Plants: Thornless Blackberries

Thornless blackberries bring the taste of a wild berry together with the ease of a cultivated yard plant. Wild blackberries have strong thorns, and their canes form dense thickets. The thornless blackberry is a hardy plant that will send out runners, forming new plants that you can transplant as new plants, but without the hassle of the thorny canes.

Well-rotted leaves
Mulch
Garden shovel
Blackberry plant
Pruning shears

Instructions

- 1
  Plant your thornless blackberries in a spot where they can get full sun for at least six hours a day. Amend the soil with organic matter like well-rotted leaves or mulch. Dig a hole that's twice as wide as the root ball and place the plant so that the crown sits even with the surrounding soil line.
- 2
  Water the newly planted thornless blackberry bush immediately after planting and then only during long periods without rain.
- 3
  Add 6 inches of well-rotted compost or mulch around the base of the plants every spring when the plant starts to bud.
- 4
  Allow new runners to grow out from the base of the plant, but keep them in line with the row. Cut off any that extend beyond 12 inches using sharp pruning shears.
- 5
  Trim canes after they reach 36 inches in height by cutting off their growing tip, forcing the plant's energy into producing stronger canes and lateral growth.
- 6
  Cut back canes to the ground after they have fruited, during winter when the vines are dormant.

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