blackberry

[Ken the Chef]

I have a thornless blackberry that is just in its third year.
I know it should grow a few new canes ready for next year, so far it has only put up one strong cane about four feet long which I am taking up a single support away from the main fruiting canes. [only two last year but loaded with fruit]
Should it put up more canes ready for next year; how many should I expect?

[Two_Sheds]

I train the canes horizontally, that way you get more fruiting branches

[Ken the Chef]

The current fruiting canes are trained horizontally [only two from last year]
The single cane that has grown so far this year is held away from the fruiting canes until I tie them along the wire after removing the old fruited canes.
I have always believed that I should get about three or four new canes each year; this is what I was querying!
Are you saying I should train the new canes along the wires as they grow [in this case just the one cane]

[Ken the Chef]

I have just had a quick look at tha RHS site and tying the new canes up a set of canes seems to be the acceptd way and tying onto the wires after removing the old canes.

[Rabidbun]

Mine (also a thornless variety) did exactly the same last year - I've a nine foot or so single cane tied up across the back fence! On the plus side it's not going quite as nuts this year and is producing some canes from the centre of it (I waited till it sprouted this year to prune it to see which bits were deadish, so hopefully all will be well! ) along with tonnes and tonnes of flowers along the long one.

[Ken the Chef]

This years two canes are loaded with fruits and even more flowers.
Last year was the first real year and the fruits did not all rippen.

[Alison]

I have horizontal wires either side of the main plant and currently have last years growth trained to the right and am tying in this years growth to the left. After fruiting last year's growth will get cut back and I'll repeat the process the other way round next year. Simples . Never had just one stem though, usually get about 3.