What to Feed Blackberries

Season and Site

• Plant blackberry bushes, or canes, in late winter to early spring around the last frost. Choose sites with bright all-day sun, quick year-round drainage, good air circulation and at least 10 feet of space per plant. Blackberries cannot bloom or produce fruit without adequate sunshine or air, and rot in standing water.

Planting Soil

• Give blackberries rich, crumbly and deep soil at planting for best nutrition and drainage. The North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension suggests tilling the planting site several times to loosen the soil. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension goes on to suggest organic compost and rotted manure amendments for nutrition, soil quality and moisture retention.

Compost and Fertilizer

• Fruit plants like blackberries require consistent soil nutrition for growth and fruiting. Give blackberries 10-10-10 granular fertilizer after planting to ensure initial growth. Supplement this feeding with monthly compost additions through the summer. Compost helps maintain soil quality and adds long-lasting organic nutrition. Repeat this fertilizer schedule every year for continued growth and fruiting.

Care and Maintenance

• Water blackberries with 2 inches of water every week, and always water the soil around the plants after feeding. Keep the soil healthy with frequent cultivation and mulching. Tie blackberry bushes to a trellis for training and control, and prune them every year in the spring. Blackberry canes produce fruit for one year and then die, so responsible pruning encourages controlled growth and best fruit harvest. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension suggests mulching and fertilizing the soil with cover crops in between berry rows, starting in the spring of the second year. Use plants like spring oats as a cover crop with blackberries.