When Can Blackberries & Raspberries Be Transplanted?

Transplanting Times

• Berry bushes go into dormancy late in the fall of the year after the berries have ripened and been harvested. The second-year canes -- those with brown bark on them -- die off, but the first-year canes, which are green, go dormant until the following spring. The ideal time for transplant is in the fall or before bud break in the spring. The dormant plants are unharmed by handling at this time and will come out of dormancy and break bud in their new location.

Choosing Transplants

• If selecting canes for transplanting from a wild berry patch or from an existing domestic patch, look for suckers. Suckers make ideal transplant candidates. They are new growth shoots that pop up from the crown at the base of the plant. Dig the sucker with a sharp spade, cutting off a small portion of the crown and keeping some of its original dirt on the root ball. Keep it moist until you are ready to transplant.

Planting

• Place the moist root ball of the new bramble in a prepared hole that allows the transplant to be settled 1 inch deeper than it previously was growing. Firmly but gently pack moist soil around the roots. Prepare a support for your new berry bush, such as a trellis. T-shaped and V-shaped trellises work well for berries, as does the hill system. With the latter, sink a post into the ground next to the planting so that there is about 5 feet of post above the ground. Loosely secure the canes with soft ties to the post when they have grown tall enough to do so.

Pruning

• It is important to prune out spent canes after they fruit to keep your berry patch manageable. Before fruiting, cut back raspberry cane growing tips to 4 feet to encourage lateral growth. Regularly thin the patch by removing any new canes that grow outside the desired perimeter. If using the hill system, leave only five to seven of the strongest canes at the end of the season.