Tips for Pruning Blackberry Plants

Tips for pruning blackberry plants are crucial to their successful growth. While some people may decide to do this task in order to have the ability to enjoy the fruits of their labor, others prefer it as a stress-reliever. The truth is that any plant that you prune will end up hurting or not growing the way you want it too. If you are stressed out, however, it can help you relax and enjoy the fruits of your pruning.

1. Plan Before Pruning

The first thing that you should know before you attempt any pruning is that you need to know which plants you are planning to remove. If you have more than a few, you might want to get rid of all of them. They will all grow to some degree, but some of them will grow much faster than the others and they may cause the rest to grow unevenly.

2. Best Time for Pruning

The winter is almost upon us, so it is a great time to prune blackberry plants. The most important thing you need to do before winter comes is to thin out any overgrown bushes or dead branches that may be blocking the sunlight from your windows. This will prevent them from growing thicker in the winter and will allow you to keep them out of the way.

3. Pruning Dead and Weak Branches

One of the tips for pruning blackberry plants that you should perform in the fall season are all about pruning dead or weak branches. By removing these dead branches you are allowing more room for new growth. Since you want more growth, cut back any weak or dead branches that are causing your plants to take up too much space. You can use a pruning saw to remove the damaged or dead part, or you can use a pruning cane.

4. Pruning In Specific Growth Areas

Pruning blackberries in specific growth areas is very important. Certain parts of a plant’s stem can produce and release berries in only one growth zone. This means if the plant grows in a colder climate zone, then it may not be able to produce enough blackberries to feed its neighbors. By pruning the stems, you are telling your plants which zones they need to be providing enough food so other blackberries can grow in those zones.

5. Do Pruning In a Proper Way

If you are planning to do some pruning of your plants, you should be sure that you are doing it in the proper way. Any plant that is too thick and overbearing will prevent new growth, and it will actually hurt the health of your plant. It can even slow down growth, so you will want to make sure that you are only pruning the amount you need.

6. Trim the Plants Often

Another step that you should consider is making sure that you trim your plant often. The more times you trim your plant, the faster it grows. When it gets very tall, you should consider pruning it in the winter. This way it will be very small in the spring. If you haven’t noticed, blackberries are very fragile plants and can easily break if they are pruned too much.

7. Take a Cutting from Top and Root

If you want your blackberries to grow in the wild, one thing you can do is take a cutting from the top and root of the plant in the dirt. This can help the plant to produce more leaves in the wild, which is one of the reasons it grows so well indoors. Of course, you do need to make sure that you don’t hurt the plant by taking off too much of its branches. This can cause the plant to get weak and unhealthy. Another way to ensure healthy growth is to add manure to the soil.

8. Do Not Cut Too Far

When you are cutting down a blueberry bush, make sure you do not cut too far above the ground. The higher you go when cutting, the more likely you are to hurt or kill the berries on the vine. The best choice is usually to take about 5 inches off the top of the plant then pinch back to maintain the proper height. After pruning the branches that do not go too high, remove them.

9. Conclusion

Of course, some plants need more care than others. Some blackberries may actually need to be pruned each year because of their shape. The fuller and taller plants may actually need to have their roots pruned more often. Other plants may simply need to be trimmed away from the stand or trellis. No matter what way you choose to prune your blackberries, always make sure that you do it in the right way.