How to Trim Blackberry Plants

Almost all edible blackberry varieties available are from species indigenous to North America, according to the 2001 edition of “Sunset Western Garden Book.” The book also classifies the blackberry as a vine that sometimes trails and sometimes grows upright with stiff stems, depending on the cultivar. Regardless of the type, blackberry plants need regular care to produce abundant fruit year after year, from the right amount of nutrients and moisture to the annual pruning of canes.

Shears
Trellis
String

Instructions

Upright Blackberries
- 1
  Trim the ends of new canes to a length of 24 to 30 inches, using pruning shears, to encourage branching
- 2
  Remove dead, diseased and broken canes at the beginning and end of every growing season.
- 3
  Crop the branches back to 12 to 15 inches in early spring.
- 4
  Prune 2-year-old wood after harvest to stimulate the development of new fruiting canes.
Trailing Blackberries
- 5
  Tie 1-year-old blackberry plants loosely to a trellis, using string or strips of soft cloth, as new growth begins in spring.
- 6
  Remove dead, diseased and weak canes.
- 7
  Trim the remaining canes back to a height of 36 to 40 inches.
- 8
  Prune the fruiting wood after harvest. Allow any new canes that sprout this growing season to remain on the ground. Tie them to the trellis the next spring.

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Growing Berries

How to Trim Blackberry Plants

Instructions

Upright Blackberries

Trailing Blackberries