How to Plant Blackberry Bushes

For best results, plant your blackberry bushes in early spring. Once your plants arrive, plant them immediately. If you cannot plant immediately, keep new arrivals cool and roots moist. To keep cool, it is recommended that you store it in a refrigerator or cool place.

1. Unpack and Soak: Unpack blackberry and soak in water for 3 to 6 hours just before planting.
2. Cut Broken Roots.
3. Cover Roots: Cover roots from sunlight when planting. Blackberries have a high mortality rate when roots are exposed to sunlight while planting.
4. Dig Hole(s): The width of the hole should allow you to spread roots. If you are planting multiple blackberries dig holes 2′-4′ apart. If you are creating several rows, dig holes 6’12’ apart.
5. Spread Roots in Hole.
6. Shovel Dirt Back in Hole and Add Amend Soil.
7. Water: Give each plant 1″-2″ of water. The plants are rather shallow rooted, so moisture needs to be at the surface. Do not let soil become dry to a depth of 6″.
8. Add Fertilizer: A weak liquid nitrogen fertilizer may be applied at planting. Keep fertilizer 3″-4″ away from the base of the plant to avoid burning the roots.
9. Mulch: Mulch the first year to keep the weeds down and increase the crop yield, but do not mulch after that unless the soil is very sandy.