Fruits & Nuts - Blackberry
(January) This past summer was my second season for the Apache thornless blackberries you recommended.
They bore quite a good number of large, sweet berries. I realize now they should have been
pruned right after all the berries were picked, however I have done not squat to them. They
are planted along a fence row. I am guessing I should prune them pretty close to the ground
now and train them as they grow again this Spring, but I will wait for you reply.
I would definitely not prune them back to the ground now, or you won't have any fruit next
season. Fruiting blackberry canes normally die after they produce their crop. Instead of
waiting for this natural occurrence, we normally prune out the fruiting canes, immediately
after fruiting to make way for the new growth to become stronger, and prevent a mess of
living and dead canes. New canes start growing in the spring, set flower and fruit buds in
the fall, and then you harvest that crop of fruit the following summer. If you can, clean
up the vines by removing last years canes. With the thornless varieties, it isn't nearly as
bad as thinning those with thorns. If your beds are a tangle of canes, and you can't remove
the old without damaging this years canes, then wait until after next seasons harvest. As
soon after harvesting next season, take out the fruiting canes. You can cut the new canes
back lightly throughout the season to encourage branching, and to keep them at a manageable
height for picking. You can also thin the rows some now if they have really spread to ensure
larger fruit.
(January) I am redoing my blackberry beds. I need to transplant some to a different
location. When can I transplant and is there addition care that needs to be
taken in doing so? I did not prune them back enough last summer. When can I
prune them again so I can transplant them easier?
Blackberries are fairly resilient as I'm sure you know. They could be easily
moved this winter, but if you prune them much, you are removing fruit.
Blackberries produce their fruit on the canes that grew the previous season.
Once the canes bear fruit, those canes die, and new ones take their place.
Keeping those canes pruned to a manageable size of four to five feet, should
keep the fruit within easy picking height. Fertilization usually occurs
lightly as growth begins in the spring, and again after production. When can
I fertilize them? What kind should I use?
(September) I have about nine azalea bushes and I want to trim them back. I
would like to know when is the best time to do this. I've trimmed them back
before but it seemed to cause them not to bloom. This year they were beautiful
and I would like them to be again next spring. Also the leaves are greener than
before, usually they are browner. What could cause that?? I also have a
blueberry bush, do they need trimming too? And when?
Now is definitely not the time to trim azaleas. Plants that bloom in the
spring -- which azaleas are, are setting flower buds now. Pruning now would
cut off the new flower buds. Any pruning that is needed should be done
immediately following bloom in the spring or no later than mid June. Azalea
foliage can get discolored from lacebug feeding or even
nutritional deficiencies. If you notice a problem next season, take a sample in to your
local county extension office and try to pinpoint the problem. Pruning at the wrong time
usually won't kill a plant, but it can reduce or eliminate the number of flowers -- the
main reason most of us grow them. Blueberries do need annual pruning in the winter, when
they are dormant. The goal is to leave a variety of different aged stems -- 1 year old,
2 year old, etc. up to about age five or six. This variety of aged stems should give you
good production over the long term.
(November) I have "tame" blackberry bushes which are so happy that they are taking
over the garden. I cut them back each fall to about 5 feet tall and try to
remove all the old canes that I can. (Whew! What a job!) Could I cut them back
more? This year they grew so tall, I fed most of the birds in the area because I
couldn't reach the tops.
Blackberries can be kept pruned to a height of 4 to 5 feet to keep them in a
more manageable height to pick. You may need to prune several times
throughout the growing season to keep them in range.
(December) We bought our
house in May and I have a question pertaining to some grape vines which were
here. The type is "Catawba", and my question deals with pruning. What is the
best time to prune, and how much should I prune them back. I also have a lot of
blackberry vines -- does the same apply to them?
Actually
pruning of grapes differs tremendously from blackberries. For your grape
vines, prune in late February. Hold old the vines are will determine how much
to prune. You start by counting buds on the existing vines, starting where the
vines begin to branch out -- (we call these the arms). Each bud on the vines that
are on your trellis should be a cluster of grapes. On young vines, we only
leave about 10 to 15 buds. You will be removing more than 50% of the vines, and
think you are hurting the plant, but if you leave too many buds, the vines
won't have enough energy to ripen that many grapes. A mature grape vine can
handle up to 60 buds. Depending on your trellising system, you can leave 2 or
4 arms on the vines, and divide the buds between them.
For blackberries, the main pruning is to keep them in bounds for picking.
After you harvest the berries in the summer, thin out the old canes, since
they die after harvest, but slowly. Then head the new canes back to a height
of 4 to 5 feet, so the canes will branch but keep the fruit within easy picking
reach the next summer.
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