Blackberry advice please.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Last year I needed something to grow along the bottom trellis of my garden preferably with thorns. Having never grown a blackberry before my choice was blackberry Black Butte.

Last year I followed the advice leaflet that came with the plant and even had a few berries. I then trained 3 runners along the trellis and let the plant over winter.

As can be seen from the pic I now have shoots all along the runners. My question is do I now need to do anything else or is it just a question of feeding/watering and waiting for the crop? Can it be that simple?

Thanks Colin.

[Flummery]

I'd leave them to it now. Mine, along our back fence, get munched by the foal and his mum in the paddock behind! They eat the prickly shoots, never mind the berries!

[gojiberry]

Yep enjoy the fruit when it comes. You should get new shoots forming from the base which will give you next years crop. The briars growing on your framework now need pruning back to ground zero once they have finished fruiting.

Ian

[rustylady]

Yes, it's that simple. You should get fruit this year on the canes you have now, and you should fine new stems (canes) growing that you need to keep for fruiting next year.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Thanks for all your help, I just couldn't believe it would be that easy. The berry's on this variety are huge about as big as my thumb and very sweet so heres hoping.

Once again many thanks.

Colin

[Two_Sheds]

Isn't it nice when gardening is that obliging?

You've done just the right thing by training the branches horizontally: you get more fruit. Same goes for roses, clematis and stuff: train them horizontally, not straight up

[Potstubsdustbins]

2 Sheds purely by accident I assure you. The main point of that exercise was to spread the lovely long thorns along the trellis. Scallywags tend to avoid thorny hedges.

Colin