Prime-Jim Blackberries`

[Paquebot]

Anyone know what I need to do next? These are a blackberry which produces on first-year canes. They were planted late last fall and each produced 3 or 4 canes but only a few produced fruit. I suspect that this year was mainly spent establishing a root system. There appears to be no Internet information of what to do next to get berries next year. There must be a time to cut back this year's canes and I suspect about now in my cold 4b zone.

Martin

[MissS]

Your hunch is correct. It's time to prune the canes now.

[pondgardener]

[mention]Paquebot[/mention] Did you run across this article?

https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/1 ... an2005.pdf

[Paquebot]

George, hadn't read that one until now but it seams to be lacking care instructions. Since most of th canes did not bear fruit this year, I am going to assume that they will live to bear next year. Pruning is mentioned for dead canes and all of mine are still alive. What I find in that report was that plants were planted in fall 1997 and fruit began in 1999. According t that, it explains why I got very few berries this year. If that is so, I'll leave everything as is and hope for berries next year.

Martin

[Paquebot]

Update is that I didn't prune them back last fall. Instead, the rabbits did it for me. Those canes were only about 3' long and I suspected that the root systems were not fully established. I was right as each plant has 3 or 4 new canes and some are 5' tall.

Martin