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When to Plant Blackberry Bushes: Late Winter On

Bare-root canes go in while dormant, containers any time the ground works. Know whether yours fruits on floricanes or primocanes before you prune.

By Salma 4 min read Save to Pinterest — opens Pinterest in a new tab
Blackberry bush fruit
Photo: _Alicja_, Pixabay Content License, via Pixabay
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Late winter to early spring for bare-root, any time for containers. The decision that matters more than timing is whether your variety fruits on first-year or second-year canes.

Timing by plant type

When to get them in the ground
FormWindowNotes
Bare-rootLate winter–early springDormant, ground workable, not frozen or wet
Bare-root, mild areasAutumnGives a head start where winters are gentle
Container-grownMost of the growing seasonAutumn and early spring establish best
Container, midsummerPossibleNeeds committed watering

Avoid planting into frozen or waterlogged ground in either case — bare-root canes in cold wet soil simply rot rather than rooting.

Primocane or floricane — settle this first

This single distinction causes more lost blackberry crops than any pest.

Two completely different pruning regimes
Floricane-fruitingPrimocane-fruiting
Fruits onSecond-year canesFirst-year canes
SeasonMid to late summerLate summer to autumn
First-year cropNonePossible, if planted early
Winter pruningCut out canes that fruited; keep new onesCan cut everything to the ground
Typical varietiesMost traditional typesNewer autumn-fruiting selections

Cutting the wrong canes removes the crop

On a floricane variety, the new canes produced this summer are next summer’s fruit. Cut them in winter and you have thrown away the entire crop while leaving behind spent canes that will never fruit again.

Identify the variety before you prune anything. If you genuinely do not know, leave it a full season and watch which canes carry fruit.

Site and soil

  • Full sun — six hours minimum. Shade means fewer, smaller, later berries
  • Free-draining soil. Blackberries dislike waterlogging and are prone to root problems in it
  • Slightly acidic, around pH 5.5 to 6.5
  • Shelter from strong wind, which damages canes and deters pollinators
  • Not where brambles, raspberries or other Rubus have recently grown — replant disease and carried-over problems are real
  • Compost worked in before planting, generously

Planting

  1. Soak bare-root canes for an hour or two before planting
  2. Dig generously — wider than the roots, not deeper
  3. Plant at the same depth the cane grew. The old soil mark is usually visible
  4. Firm in and water thoroughly
  5. Cut the cane back to about 15–25 cm after planting. It looks brutal and it produces far stronger growth
  6. Mulch to hold moisture and suppress weeds, keeping it off the crown
  7. Put up the support at planting, not later when the canes are in the way

Spacing, which people always get wrong

  • Erect varieties: 90 cm–1.2 m
  • Semi-erect: 1.2–1.5 m
  • Trailing: 1.8–3 m
  • Rows: 2.5–3 m apart

Planting tighter than this gives a dense thicket within three years: poor air circulation, increased disease, and fruit you cannot reach. The spacing is not conservative.

The first year

A newly planted blackberry is building roots and canes, not fruit.

  • Water consistently through the first season — this matters more than anything else
  • Remove flowers on a floricane type if any appear, so energy goes into establishment
  • Tie in new canes as they grow
  • Do not feed heavily. A balanced feed in spring is enough; excess nitrogen gives soft growth and little fruit
  • Expect the first real crop in year two on floricane types

And one thing worth deciding at purchase: thornless varieties exist and are excellent. The flavour argument for thorned types is largely historical at this point, and anyone who has pruned an established thorny blackberry in January tends not to make it twice.

Common questions

When should you plant blackberry bushes?

Late winter to early spring for bare-root canes, while the plants are still dormant and the ground is workable but not frozen or waterlogged — typically February to April in temperate regions. Container-grown plants are more flexible and can go in at almost any point in the growing season, though autumn and early spring give the best establishment because the soil is moist and the plant is not trying to support growth while rooting. In mild areas with reliable winters, autumn bare-root planting also works well and gives a head start.

What is the difference between primocane and floricane blackberries?

It determines how and when you prune, and getting it wrong removes the crop. Floricane-fruiting types, which is most traditional varieties, produce canes one year and fruit on those same canes the following summer, so you cut out the canes that have fruited and keep the new ones. Primocane-fruiting varieties fruit on first-year canes in late summer and autumn, so they can be cut to the ground in winter for a single autumn crop, or managed for two lighter crops. Check the variety before pruning anything.

How far apart should blackberries be planted?

Erect and semi-erect varieties want 90 cm to 1.2 m between plants, and trailing varieties need 1.8 to 3 m because they produce much longer canes. Rows should be 2.5 to 3 m apart to leave access for picking and pruning. The temptation is always to plant closer than recommended, and it reliably produces a thicket that is difficult to pick, poorly ventilated, and far more prone to disease.

Do blackberries fruit the first year?

Floricane types do not — they spend the first year producing canes and fruit in their second summer, which is simply how the plant works and not a sign of a problem. Primocane-fruiting varieties can produce a light crop in their first autumn if planted early enough in spring. In both cases the first year is about establishing roots and strong canes, and removing any early flowers on a newly planted floricane type directs energy where it is needed.

Do blackberries need a trellis?

Trailing varieties need one and will sprawl across the ground without it, which makes picking miserable and increases rot and disease. Erect types can be grown freestanding but produce better fruit and are far easier to manage on a simple two-wire support, which also keeps canes off the soil and improves air movement. A pair of wires at about 90 cm and 1.5 m between sturdy end posts handles almost any garden planting.

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