Blackberry Pruning and Fertilizing

Retired Extension Agent Mike Dennison takes a look at some blackberry plants that were planted last year. One plant looks to be doing well while the other plant looks like it’s dead. The first order of business is to prune out the dead branches. Mike tests the top of the dead looking plant and finds live tissue so he leaves the live branches in place but prunes the dead ones away. He does the same for the healthy plant. Then he fertilizes the plants with a balanced fertilizer. The recommended amount is 5.5 pounds of 8-8-8 per 100-foot row. Mike has 13-13-13 fertilizer and adjusts the rate to match the strength of the fertilizer and the length of the row. The same amount of fertilizer will need to be applied again after the fruit has been picked. Mike also recommends building a trellis for the blackberries because they will be growing quickly this year.

Related Video:
Blackberry Cane Dieback
​Pruning Dead Floricanes from Blackberries

Related Resources:
Pruning and Training Caneberries (Blackberries and Raspberries)
Pruning Raspberries, Blackberries, Gooseberries, Currants, and Elderberries
Pruning Raspberries and Blackberries