[RCog15]

I hope I’m in the right place and someone can help me.
I purchased a blackberry bush (more like a stick) from Home Depot 2 summers ago and planted it in my back yard. There wasn’t much information on the packaging, and I have never grown any fruit before. This past summer, 2020, it grew like crazy and vined out all across my back yard, but it yielded so many blackberries, I was giving them away to neighbors and friends. Fast forward to now, it is out of control and has rerooted everywhere and I have no idea what to do.
Do I cut it back now or wait until early spring? If I do cut it back now, how do I cut it back and how much? How do I keep it under control in the future? I live in a residential neighborhood and it’s now vined into my neighbors yard.I was clearly way over my head in purchasing a blackberry bush, but I’m trying my hardest to garden and grow as much as I can.
I appreciate any help anyone can give me. I’ve included pictures for reference. Thank you!

 

[Rodeo's Bud]

That's nothing. We cleared 3 acres of them on our place. They are weeds around here. Tasty weeds.

The easiest way to control them is with a good hand bypass pruner. Just get in there and clip them back.

You don't have enough to worry about power tools.

We used a tractor and brush hog on most of ours. Now I just use the clippers to keep them in check.

Now is the time to do it.

 

[RCog15]

That's nothing. We cleared 3 acres of them on our place. They are weeds around here. Tasty weeds.

The easiest way to control them is with a good hand bypass pruner. Just get in there and clip them back.

You don't have enough to worry about power tools.

We used a tractor and brush hog on most of ours. Now I just use the clippers to keep them in check.

Now is the time to do it.

Thank you so much! 3 acres is a ton!
Do I cut them back to where they’ve rerooted? Or can pull some of them up?

 

[Rodeo's Bud]

You can pull them, but I just keep them clipped or mowed. They leave a small rootball where they pop up.

If they are where there is grass, juat keep them mowed and they will stop coming up.

Grass is actually stronger than the blackberries as long as they can't put out leaves.

 

[RCog15]

You can pull them, but I just keep them clipped or mowed. They leave a small rootball where they pop up.

If they are where there is grass, juat keep them mowed and they will stop coming up.

Grass is actually stronger than the blackberries as long as they can't put out leaves.

Thank you again so so much!

 

[NEAlabama]

The birds eat them and spread their seeds so they explode pretty quickly. Pull up the ones you don’t want and prune them down, they will come back. We also have acres of them and constantly fight them, but most of ours are really thorny.

 

[RCog15]

The birds eat them and spread their seeds so they explode pretty quickly. Pull up the ones you don’t want and prune them down, they will come back. We also have acres of them and constantly fight them, but most of ours are really thorny.

Thank you!!

 

[altair]

I'm so happy yours bears fruit. My jungle is all green, no berries

 

[GTX63]

Cutting them once won't be the end; they will sprout again. Cutting them twice works for us, or we just send in the pigs.

 

[Rodeo's Bud]

I'm so happy yours bears fruit. My jungle is all green, no berries View attachment 93454

Do you cut them back every year. Only second year growth will bear fruit.

 

[altair]

Do you cut them back every year. Only second year growth will bear fruit.

The first summer I cut only dead ones. The second year I cut all but the best 4-5 canes on each. Last summer I did nothing thinking I was doing something wrong and still no berries (just on one small branch out of all those plants). I might ask our local extension or an experienced berry owner for help troubleshooting.

 

[Danaus29]

altair, did you get a late freeze after the plants produced buds? We lost all our raspberries to a late freeze which zapped the flower buds. The blackberries produced less then half of their usual crop and I got 3 grapes when I usually get a couple gallons.

 

[altair]

altair, did you get a late freeze after the plants produced buds? We lost all our raspberries to a late freeze which zapped the flower buds. The blackberries produced less then half of their usual crop and I got 3 grapes when I usually get a couple gallons.

I don't believe so. We live in a valley and it seems like it takes the blackberries longer to bud out/react to spring than my raspberries-- and they produced well merely a few feet away.

 

[Leech]

Completely remove the canes that produced. They are done. To keep it productive, remove all but 2 new canes that popped out of the ground. These are what will produce fruit next year.

Thats blackberry 101. For 102 you can trim 1 of the canes at 24" and the other one at 48". This will create lateral branching, but you probably want lateral wiring at those levels to support those branches. Not neccessary at all but can make it easier to pick them.

 

[Paulag]

Cut it near the root (but above the soil). It will grow again. Cut it again... repeat 3 times. Everytime it grows it grows weaker, and will "learn" that's not a place to grow and eventually will not be a problem for you.

My website

 

[randy in central missouri]

Stop. These are thornless blackberries? Different animal than wild crazy thorny ones.