Blackberries – Trimming The Cane

Q: The six thornless blackberries I planted last year are yielding beautiful big blackberries but they also each put out a huge cane. Do I just let those go and train them on the wire or should they be cut back?

A: The big blackberry cane will eventually generate branches that will bloom and bear fruit next summer. To keep the new branches handy for picking fruit, clip the new cane a foot below your wire. The ensuing new limbs can then be tied to the wire as they appear. Canes that bore blackberries this summer can be cut to the ground after harvest, since they will die this fall.