Thursday, February 28, 2013

Pruning Blackberries

Pruning blackberries can be tricky because you have floricanes and primocanes, mechanical damage and even insect damage.  This time of year it is faily simple to tell wich canes are alive and wich are dead.  Remove the dead canes first (this will be the ones that had fruit on them last year).  Next remove the spindly canes and anything broken or crossed.  Tip back branches on the extrememly long shoots and continue to the next plant.  For a more detailed description of bramble pruning see Growing Blackberries and Raspberries in Kentucky
Before Pruning
After old cane removal and tipping back
Before Pruning


After Pruning