Blackberry rooting query!

[chris]

My blackberry "bush" (i.e. one 12foot long cane/branch, and 4/5 1foot long stubbly bits ) is rubbing ont he floor now, and I've noticed roots starting to form.

Reading on another post, I see this is how you can take cuttings - which is great, as I was planning on buying another blackberry bush.

This 12' long cane didn't fruit this summer - I've put some MPC around it now (where it's touching the floor). If this roots sucessfully, can I just snip off a couple foot of this and plant on elsewhere (whens the best time to do this - this 'bareroot' season?). Following on from that, can I then bend down the branch that was snipped off and stick that back in the ground to try and root it again - or should I wait for that wound to heal?

thanks!

[Two_Sheds]

You should train your 12' cane horizontally if possible: it will then throw out lots more fruiting branches.

Let the tip take root for now, then sever from the mother plant and replant the cutting in the spring

[chris]

Thanks TS - I'd planned to do similar - up over a fence, then aross the top of a window (then down, and back around).. but I recently asked about this and would need to prune it each year which which mean effort for nowt

so to confirm, I can cut off from main plant as soon as roots have taken hold?

TIA!

[Two_Sheds]

Yes, but make sure it's well rooted, not just showing roots

[rustylady]

Chris, blackberries are like raspberries in that they bear fruit on canes (or stems) formed the year before. TwoSheds advice about the cutting is spot on, but you should really cut out the fruited stem next Autumn after it has born fruit.

[chris]

Thanks RL/TS.

I'd not pruned it this year as I'd only had about 8 blackberries.. probably 1 off each tiny branch at the bottom - no other leaves so I left them on it. I'll get rid of them now though, they're looking a bit tired.