| My desire is to have a blackberry bramble on the unused, little seen, side of our house. My husband has heard horror stories of berries gone wild; a nightmare to contain, like mint. I want berries, what's the best way to plant? |
| Blackberries can, and do, get out of control, if neglected. You can have well-behaved blackberry plants by faithfully pruning to keep the brambles under control. Since berries are produced on new canes, simply cut the canes back at the end of each seasonto keep them from getting out of hand. Shoots will grow from roots at the base of the plant; sometimes several feet from the plant, so be on the lookout for errant shoots and just cut them off. Or, dig them out, roots and all, and plant them elsewhere. Blackberry plants don't need a lot of encouragement to grow. Choose a sunny site and plant. Once established, they're reasonably drought tolerant, so summer watering isn't necessary. The wonderful, fresh, and tasty berries are worth the effort required to contain your blackberry canes. |
