How to Grow Boysenberries in Your Back Yard

Select a site for planting tboysenberries that receives full sun and has well-draining soil. The berries need to climb, so a site up against a chain link fence or trellis is appropriate. Select the site in the early spring, after the last frost.

Dig a hole 3 to 4 feet wide and 1 foot deep at the base of the fence or trellis. Pile the soil to the side. Cover the pile with 2 inches of organic compost, then use the shovel to mix the compost into the soil.

Remove the boysenberry plant from its container and lower it into the hole. Backfill the hole so the top of the rootball is level with the top of the hole. Fill the hole with the compost and soil mixture, firming with your shovel as you go to remove any air pockets.

Water until the soil settles. Cover the soil with a 2-inch layer of wood chip mulch, but don't allow the mulch to touch the base of the plant. If you are planting more than one boysenberry, repeat the process, spacing the plants 3 feet apart.

Observe the plant as it begins to sprout leaves and then fruit. If plants are healthy and fruits are well-formed and full, do not fertilize. If fruit appears small or weak, then the following spring move the mulch away from the plant and apply 20-20-20 fertilizer over the soil at the rate of 4-6 lbs per 100 feet of boysenberry vines. Divide the application between spring and bloom if deserved. Replace the mulch and water it well to dissolve the fertilizer.

Water frequently enough to keep the soil moist to the touch. Always water close to the ground to avoid spraying the vines and berries with water, which can spread disease.

Secure the canes upright to the trellis or fence, as they grow and begin to reach the height where they start to topple over. Use a twist tie, plastic plant tie or cut-up pantyhose to loosely tie the canes to the fence.

Cut old fruiting canes back to the ground with pruning shears. This will encourage the growth of new fruiting canes. Perform this pruning in the late summer, after the harvest.