Care of Blackberry Vines

Follow light requirements. Blackberry vines do best when they are exposed to full sunlight. Partial shade will not harm the plant, but it is less beneficial.

Trim them back. Blackberry vines have a habit of spreading rapidly and consuming entire yards. To guard against this, make sure you prune them twice yearly. Do your first pruning in the early spring by only cutting back the tips of each blackberry cane. This type of pruning will cause the blackberry branches to spread out and will result in a higher fruit yield. To prune, use a large pair of sharp pruning shears and cut the canes down to no more than 24-inches long. If they are already shorter than 24 inches, simply cut off the tips. Blackberry vines should also be pruned in late summer after they are done fruiting. Each blackberry cane only produces fruit once and will never do so again. By cutting the canes off, the plant will be encouraged to produce new canes that will yield fruit the following year. To do this, cut off to ground level any cane that grew fruit that year.

Fertilize and water your vines. Blackberry vines come out of dormancy in the late winter or early spring. At this time, fertilize your vines with about a ¼ lb. of nitrogen to keep them growing strong. Water your blackberries frequently when they are fruiting and surround them with a high-quality mulch to help them retain moisture.