Winter may feel like a time to stay cozy indoors, but it’s actually a great season to plant bare-root blackberries. Getting them in the ground while they’re dormant allows roots to settle before spring, setting the stage for a juicy summer harvest. With a little preparation and care, your backyard can soon be full of sweet, sun-ripened berries.
Choosing the Best Blackberry Variety
Start by picking a variety that fits your goals. Summer-bearing blackberries, like ‘Arapaho,’ ‘Navaho,’ or ‘Ouachita,’ produce once a year on canes that grew the previous season. Everbearing cultivars such as ‘Prime-Ark Freedom, Prime-Ark Traveler,’ or ‘Prime-Ark 45,’ once established, fruit on current-year and second-year canes. This allows for two crops in one year. Check your local extension office to find which varieties thrive best in your climate. While thorny blackberry varieties tend to produce the largest and sweetest berries, thornless options tend to be the most popular for avoiding thorns.
Finding the Right Site and Soil
Blackberries love full sun and well-drained soil. If your garden tends to stay soggy, consider planting on raised rows or mounds. Before planting, mix compost or aged manure into the soil to add organic matter. Aim for a slightly acidic pH between 5.5 and 6.5—adjust with lime or sulfur if needed.
How to Plant Bare-Root Blackberries
Soak bare roots in cool water for a few hours before planting to wake them up. Space plants about 4 to 6 feet apart in rows 8 to 10 feet wide. Spread out the roots in a shallow hole, cover them with soil, and gently but firmly press down on the topsoil. Water deeply to settle them in, then add a 2- to 4-inch layer of organic mulch. Ensure the mulch is a couple of inches away from the crown to prevent rot.
Protecting and Pruning Your Blackberry Plants
In colder regions, a light layer of mulch or straw helps protect young roots from freezing. As spring arrives and new green shoots appear, prune to shape and encourage vigorous canes. Summer-bearing types fruit on second-year canes, so don’t cut those back too early. You can top off tall canes so berries will be easier to reach and also to encourage more side shoots. More side shoots result in a greater berry yield. Everbearing varieties can be pruned more liberally, since they produce fruit on new growth each year.
Caring for Blackberries in Their First Year
Throughout the first summer, water consistently to keep the soil moist but not soggy, and feed plants with a balanced, organic fertilizer in early spring. Training canes onto a trellis keeps fruit cleaner and makes picking easier.
When to Expect Blackberries to Fruit
So, when can you expect fruit? Summer-bearing blackberries will treat you to their first harvest in the second year, typically from late spring through mid-summer. Everbearing cultivars can surprise you with berries their very first fall. Either way, your winter planting will reward you with years of lush growth and baskets full of tangy-sweet berries.
