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jlem_gw

trellis for single blackberry plant?

JLem
9 years ago

My son was given a blackberry plant for his 10th birthday from an aunt. It is a thornless Chester variety (semi-erect, I think). Any tips on planting this? Do I need a trellis? If so, what sort should I use for this single plant? What sort of growth habit can I expect (how much room do I need to give it)?

Any insights would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Comments (5)

  • don555
    9 years ago

    Think BIG! Here's a Chester I planted in June 2010, and this photo was taken a little over a year later, in October 2011. The fence is just over 6 ft tall, so this plant from one end to the other is about 15' long. Remember that I'm only in zone 3 where these aren't hardy so I have to mulch it heavily thru the winter to keep it alive, so if anything yours will grow bigger.

    The good news is that it hasn't gotten any larger in the following few years, and it doesn't sucker like raspberries do -- last fall it put up one sucker about 4' from the main plant, but that's been all. And we all love the berries!

    The plant is tied to a wire trellis (basically just garden wire stretched between rebar) but it's hard to see that in the photo. The trellis just keeps the berries up off the ground, though since this was at the end of the season I've let it slip a bit.
    {{gwi:103928}}

  • princessgrace79
    9 years ago

    Fencelines are best for blackberries. It will tip root at the ends (grows up to 20 feet sometimes) so loop it up and allow it to hit the ground. Mine will send up new shoots from the base of the original plant and then also at the place where it tip rooted.

    Wild blacks are invasive, but cultivated varieties are pretty restrained in their growth....at least my experience has been like the last posters as well.

    If you don't have a fence line, just some simple posts with wire strung across (one at the top, one in the middle) will work great as well.

  • treehugger101
    9 years ago

    We started in pots but that did not work out at all. Then we went to raised beds. We have 4 Chesters and three Triple Crown Blacks. We made a simple wooden trellis out of 2 x 2s which seems to work best. I tie the canes to this with black zip ties. They are now HUGE after two years.

  • JLem
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    This is very good to know...thank you! I was not planning on that much space. I will reassess things and plant accordingly...with some sort of wire trellis most likely.

  • larry_gene
    9 years ago

    If you only need a gallon or so of berries, you can prune your eventual blackberry clump to small size (keep 2 or 3 new sprouts per year and prune laterals short) and use a single stake for support.

    If you want scads of berries, it will take space and structures.

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