Woodwidow blackberries also transplant well. I've given plants from our patch to others, and they are doing well, nothing special done just dug them up and planted in a new spot. We are thinking of adding another raised bed to move all the blackberries in.
Our wild patch started from our daughter bringing home a couple of shoots from another wild blackberry patch and sticking them in the ground. they went over the fence at the bottom of the property and set off for the wilds below our property. We then eliminated them from our property and harvest them from the property below which is essentially abandoned. If there is any construction below us, we will have to rethink our own property and decide if we want to incorporate a blackberry garden. Off the patch below, Campinspecter harvested 60 lbs of berries last Sept. If we get the occasional rain to keep the berries plump, we could end up with that much this year.
Mostly I make blackberry crisp for our potlucks which happen two weekends a month. the down side is that nothing is left over to come home so occasionally I make one just for us. I have about 10 lbs left to stretch out until the new ones are ripe. edit: I experimented and came up with a black bottom pie that was delic. blackberries instead of chocolate which is a hardship but it was good.
If you have good sized blackberry patch(from the sounds of it you do) Work a 3-year rotation of pruning in 3 segments, optimal berry production will be year 2-3. It may give you the ability to sort of train them into rows as well, just select the ones you want and chop the rest down in late fall early winter, I use a brushcutter and whack them down. New growth the following year will produce minimal/small berries fertilize a little if you want in early spring before a rain - I just use a plastic cup and fling it over my patches
OMG I'm not even 100% sure what a "black bottom" pies is, but I want one.... I love blackberries in almost anything... Local gas station has "blackberry" soft serve ice cream right now, tastes nothing like blackberries! GREAT idea on the 3 year rotation! I wondered if they took a few years to produce, I will have to try this!
It's more about pushing yields off the plants, the long stems take more nutrients & water than a 2-3yr shoot(provided you are getting rain when needed) Most berry producers plant year 1 remove blossoms and allow plants to establish year 2-3 is harvest then cut or replant, if you are rotating crops, 4th year on a cutover can yield but will show diminishing production - again rain dependent
When we bought our place the blackberry patch was three years old, had an awesome crop, as was the following year, then last spring Lovely Wife wanted to clean up the patch, she got a little over zealous on trimming, we had no berries last year. If the rains keep up the way it has been this year should be a good year... If not the water hose can reach the patch!
A small patch can be worked the same way but as you've realized will yield mixed results. Selectively removing large older canes will help the 2yrs produce better, but letting the whole bed "rest" and fertilizing will out yield nature - but we're all a bunch of regular folks with jobs and blackberry jams pies etc. are a delicacy we all enjoy
Had a great go nowhere other than a couple trips to the compost site weekend. The garden was in real rough shape when we started but is coming together after the mow/till/topdress/till cycle. The lower terrace is getting an overhaul this year for a new bramble bed and blueberries. Also planning a gabion basket wall between the terraces. As I keep adding compost to the top terrace it has gotten so high above the existing wall that it has turned into a slope that is a royal pain to keep maintained. Didn't really think about that when I originally built the terraces.
Potatoes are doing great. They never grew like this in the garden. Should be twice this size in a few weeks.
I knew I started the green bean seeds too early. Supposed to get down around freezing the next 3 days and the plants are sitting in the starter rack getting VERY leggy. Well, at least I get to make fire.
Despite a big lack of rain things are growing well here. Calling for a couple really wet days after today so gonna do some weeding before it starts tonight.
as I usually do my garden went in only a week ago. by far the biggest threat to my plants revolves around my summer squash and cukes. the DREADED SQUASH BORER!!!!!!!and a lesser one with cuke beetle. anybody got any good defensive strategies.
I wish I could help but I gave up on growing squash. I've tried the organics and the little foil tricks...none of them worked. I would get a few squash and then bam! I hate to say it but maybe pesticides?
