How to Grow Blackberry
Blackberry At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Berry
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -23°C
Plant Family
Rosaceae
Growing Season
Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Plant a bare-root or potted blackberry in early spring, about 3 weeks before your last frost, 120 cm apart beside a sturdy trellis or wires. Choose a thornless variety: it is far easier to pick and keep tidy. After planting, cut the canes back to about 15 cm so the roots settle in first, and water well.
Blackberry canes fruit in their second year and then die, so each year you cut out the old canes and keep the new ones. The plants spread fast by roots and by rooting cane tips, so keep them tied up and dig out any that wander. Expect your first berries in about 2 years.
When To Start
Blackberry needs warmth. Wait until your last frost has passed and the soil has warmed before sowing.
We do not have exact sowing dates for this one yet.
When should you plant Blackberry?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Blackberry Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Blackberry Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Plant your blackberry beside a sturdy trellis
3 weeks before your last frost
Cut out old blackberry canes that fruited, tie in new ones
Around your first frost· every year
Look for ripe blackberries: dull black and soft
120 days after your last frost· every year
Water your new blackberry plants well while they settle in. Deep and slow is best.
About 1 days after you plant it
How is your blackberry settling in? Water deeply each week and tie new canes to the trellis as they grow.
About 30 days after you plant it
Your blackberry is building strong canes for next year's berries. Mulch around the base to hold moisture in.
About 90 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Blackberry's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Growing Tips
- 1Plant blackberries in full sun, at least 6 hours a day, for the sweetest berries.
- 2Mix compost into the soil at planting and spread a thick mulch of compost or wood chips around the plants each spring.
- 3Water deeply once a week, especially while the berries swell.
- 4Tie the new canes to the trellis as they grow so they stay off the ground.
- 5Right after harvest, cut the canes that fruited down to the ground, since they will not fruit again.
- 6Birds love ripe berries, so throw a net over the plants once the fruit starts to colour.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
180 cm
Mature Height
150 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
30 days
When to Pick
Pick when berries are dull-black and come away easily, mid-late summer
How to Harvest
- 1Pick blackberries when they are dull black, plump and slightly soft, since shiny ones are not ripe yet.
- 2A ripe berry comes away with a gentle pull, so leave any that hold on.
- 3Pick every 2 to 3 days, in the cool of the morning, because the berries ripen over several weeks.
- 4Handle them gently and do not wash them until you eat them.
- 5Keep them in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, or freeze them on a tray and then bag them.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
Seed Production
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