Trellis Ideas for Blackberries

Site Preparation

• While blackberry bushes are more tolerant of different soil textures, pHs and water levels than are other berries, they do best with decent-to-excellent drainage, some wind protection and full to partial sun. Rooted cuttings or dormant plants are the easiest way to start blackberry bushes. They are available at home and garden stores starting in mid-January, depending on location. Give the canes room between them when planting. They quickly grow. Bushes that are too close together may form a mat of canes that is difficult to train or prune. If your soil is rich, fertilization is optional. Wait until the plants awaken from their dormancy, usually in midspring.

Wooden Trellis

• A wooden trellis constructed of wooden posts or dowels, sewn together with 10- or 12-gauge wires, much like a fence, is best for trailing blackberry cultivars. Stake and wire in either a straight line creating a wall of berries or in a circle around berry bushes for a more decorative round hedge. The round hedge is harder to harvest berries in the center. As the fruiting canes grow, weave them through and around the wires between the stakes. Washington State University horticulturalists recommend leaving room between canes allowing for air circulation.

Existing Structures

• If you have a fence, wall or existing wooden trellis, train your blackberry canes to climb and cover those structures. Plant the bushes 4 to 6 feet apart close to the structure. Pull the growing canes up and over the structure. Use ties or twine holding short canes in place until they grow. Training bushes to grow over a wall or fence is easier for novice growers or those with limited time. The bushes cover the structure rather than form a thicket, making pruning time consuming. Using a fence as a trellis adds a wild, English-garden look to a utilitarian structure.

Seasonal Care

• Once the bushes stop producing, cut all the canes back to the ground, leaving 10 to 15 inches of cane. Always use thick gloves when cutting and pruning the thorny canes. Dispose of the pruned vines and canes in your compost heap. Allow the bushes to become dormant for the fall and winter. Once the canes awaken the following spring, fertilize them lightly if necessary and begin the trellis training all again.