Blackberry vines – Weeds

Q: I have planted several blackberry vines. Now sprouts are popping up all over the yard. They look like blackberries but the more they grow the less they seem to be. How can I identify what is the real blackberry and not just another weed with thorns?

A: Blackberries are famous for the prolific suckers (root sprouts) they send up near the original plant. If sprouts are popping up within six feet of an existing blackberry, they are root clones of that plant. You can dig them up and put them nearer the original plants or give them away to friends.