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I have both tame and wild blackberry plants. All the wild ones produced nothing this year because of drought. And I keep forgetting to tend the tame ones, so they didn't produce anything either. I really shouldn't have planted them behind the chicken house. I always forget they are even there, much less that I should weed and water them.

I did plant some new blackberry plants in my main vegetable garden this year. The squash plants overran them, though. They are still there, but not doing as well as they should have by now. It's hard to prioritize a perennial that will bear fruit in a year or two over a squash plant that is producing squashes NOW.

I'll know to give the squashes a lot more room next time.

What's involved in tending a blackberry plant?

In my experience, mostly whacking it back so it doesn't take over.

Who doesn't want blackberries to take over? I, for one, welcome our new blackberry overlords.

I have fond memories of blackberrying as a child up on the South Downs, whilst my mum and grandmother both grew loganberries in their gardens and mum also had raspberries, boysenberries, red and blackcurrants and strawberries!

I'm also fortunate that blackberries grow wild in the alleyway at the end of my road so can grab some every summer for free and don't have the maintenance!

Jude wrote: *

Mon 07 Aug , 2023 4:00 pm

What's involved in tending a blackberry plant?

Oh.... weeding, watering.... tying the canes up to some kind of support.
That kind of thing.

I haven't killed them yet, but only because they are quite forgiving of negligence.

So far I've planted boysenberry, blackberry, and blueberry. Even when I plant the raspberry, I'll have more room left over. And I even planted them far enough apart! Now wondering whether I should plant smaller things between them, or expect them to spread out.

I've got room in the corner for something else. That area doesn't get much direct sunlight, but it's right next to an area that does, so it's not exactly shady. I might put something ornamental or flowery there instead of more food

I've picked up the lilac and the Saskatoon / Serviceberry plant, but the two spots for trees aren't quite ready yet so they're still in pots.

Maybe some pretty plants that grow food? My neighbors planted a pomegranate, and the flowers are beautiful. Although it's probably a warm-climate plant.

Your new yard sounds wonderful. And the blueberry bushes I've seen also look very nice.

I doubt I could plant a pomegranate here. Although with the new climate, who knows?

More pictures will follow when it's all finished and everything is in place, but here is the main garden area: from left to right (ignore the pots) there is Boysenberry, Blackberry, Blueberry, and Raspberry (which I planted just now). As you can see, there is space on the right for more.

I might even leave that space until next spring, when I have an idea of how my plants did over the winter.

It looks nice! I suspect your plants will spread out more than you are expecting, though. Ours always do.

Oh, good point. My raspberry is a clumping kind, not the brambles kind, but it already has a nice little row of babies.

Good point. I guess I'll just wait and see before I plant anything in that spot.

Maria's advice is solid.

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I agree with Maria! And you'll need to be able to train the other berries along the wall behind for support. You could always plant a few bedding annuals if you want some instant colour, whilst seeing how the fruit bushes fill out...

So I picked up some "blood and bone meal" to fertilize the new garden. That may have been a mistake - now Willow and Loki want to dig it all up!

Was it River who said that fertilizing is just trying to recreate decomposing corpses in the ground without the actual murder?

I don't remember that quote, but it sounds pretty accurate.

So here are where the two trees are going to go, and here are the two trees. I think the final work will be done when the shed arrives, which should be sometime during the first week of September. Will that give the plants enough time to get established before the winter comes? Or should I just plan on keeping them inside during the winter, and plant them in the spring?

Looks great!

Planting trees in September would be the best time of year to do it where I live, but I don't know how different your climate is.

So turns out there's an anthill with an aphid farm in my tomato bed. What do I do?