How to Grow a Himalayan Blackberry

Plant Himalayan blackberry vines in spring when the frost lifts. Choose a large, open site with full to partial sun and adequate drainage. Blackberries grow, bloom and produce best with bright, full sunshine and air circulation.

Prepare individual planting sites for each blackberry bush. Mark sites at every 2 to 3 feet in the row, with 7 feet between multiple rows, and dig into the top 12 inches of soil. Mix the soil well to break it up and incorporate 4 to 5 inches of organic compost for better nutrition and drainage.

Plant Himalayan blackberry vines with their roots just below the soil surface to give them access to air and water. Water the blackberries with 4 to 5 inches of water to settle the soil, and start them on 2 inches of water every week. Lay 2 inches of organic mulch on the soil between the vines to maintain moisture and warmth and restrict weed growth.

Erect a trellis system behind each row of Himalayan blackberries to train and control them. Tie the blackberry vines to the trellis as they grow, using cord ties.

Prune the Himalayan blackberries during the first summer to control them. Remove suckers growing between the plants and rows, and cut off diseased or broken canes.

Feed Himalayan blackberries with balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer and new compost amendments in the spring. Mix water and the fertilizer granules into the top 4 to 6 inches of soil, at least 6 inches from the bases of the vines.

Prune the blackberries through the summer, as before, and again at the end of their second year after fruit harvest. Pull out suckers and cut away lateral canes that bore fruit as they will not fruit again. Trim the remaining erect canes down to 7 feet in height. Repeat this process every fall to keep the blackberry bushes under control. Throw the litter away to keep it from rooting.