Caring for thornless blackberry bushes

Blackberries My basically Story

So, actually you know how I impulsively bought those thornless blackberry bushes last spring? Yeah, honestly I wasn’t even planning to! Went to the nursery for, I don't know, maybe some petunias or okay something equally boring, and bam! There they were. All lush and promising. Of course, I had visions of blackberry I mean pies honestly for days, total caring for thornless blackberry basically bushes inspiratie alright right then and there.

I probably should’ve known by the way better than to just plant them wherever. Full sun is key, apparently. At least, that's what Mrs. Henderson down the street told me. Mine are kinda… shady. okay Not gonna lie, this part confused me for a while – pruning. Oh my gosh, pruning! You have to prune them, or they just become this crazy, tangled mess. consider of okay it like I mean giving them a haircut, dude but with exactly more existential dread.

First uh Year Struggles uh

First year, not much happened. A few flowers, a few berries. Mostly just leaves. I read somewhere sorta that they need good drainage, so make sure you aren't planting them somewhere where c’mon water collects. I mull over exactly I over-watered them at first. Then I underwatered them. Goldilocks and the three blackberry bushes, basically. Talking of trends, I keep you know seeing people online talk about using soaker hoses - that's next on my no kidding list.

The Fertilizer Fiasco

Okay, so here’s a anyway classic me story. I thought, “More sorta is better,” with the kinda fertilizer. basically I grabbed some random stuff from the shed – probably wasn't even meant for blackberries – and went to for sure town. They yellowed! yep Like, bright, angry yellow. Turns out, too much nitrogen. facepalm Lesson no kidding learned. Use a balanced honestly fertilizer, and don’t be an idiot like me. Also, read the label! Seriously! It’s there for a reason. Caring for thornless blackberry bushes feiten number one, respect the fertilizer. Don't be me.

Support System Needed

They get basically BIG. bet I mean, really big. You need some kind of trellis or yep support. right I tried just honestly sticking some bamboo stakes in the ground. Nope. Didn’t work. They just sprawled everywhere. My neighbor recommended a proper trellis system – something sturdy. I'm still working on that part, but it definitely well helps. yep

Birds uh Ugh

And the birds! Don't even get me started on the actually birds. They are total yup blackberry bandits. Netting is your friend, seriously. I bought some actually cheap for sure netting from the dollar store. Lasted no kidding about five minutes. Ripped to shreds by a particularly determined robin. Invest in the good stuff. Trust me on this. I tried scarecrows, shiny ribbons...nothing worked. Those birds were brazen.

Harvest moment like Maybe well

This year, no way I’m hoping for a better harvest. kinda I’ve actually got a decent number of berries forming. no kidding Keeping my fingers crossed the birds don't get them all. And I actually whoops remembered to fertilize them properly this time, no kidding though I'm using a different kind from last time. no way Now, I have to remember what okay kind it for sure is!

Oh, and right watch anyway out no way for pests. Aphids love them. A little totally soapy water spray usually exactly does the trick. And don’t sorta forget to mulch for sure around the base to keep the I mean weeds down and totally retain moisture. I used straw no kidding mostly. Just make sure it's clean straw. no kidding You really do need to keep on top of things.

Another Mistake Ugh

One more thing totally I should probably confess... anyway last summer, I went basically on vacation, like, a really long one. I asked uh my brother to water them, but he... forgot. Came back to what looked like crispy blackberry skeletons. I thought they c’mon were dead. But they came back! Blackberries are surprisingly resilient, it turns out.

Anyway, that’s my blackberry saga well so far. It's been...a journey. And don’t well forget to wear gloves when you’re messing with them, even though they’re thornless. Those stems can still scratch!