- 1). Choose a planting site that gets full sun for eight to 10 hours every day, and complete drainage. Although blackberries will grow in partial shade, they will not bloom or bear fruit. Plant wild blackberries in fall, after the first frost, to give them the winter for rooting and establishment. Gardeners in cold zones may choose to delay planting until the ground thaws in spring.
- 2). Amend the soil in your chosen planting site with a mixture of half quick-draining soil and half organic compost. Amend the soil to depth of 6 inches to ensure good drainage both around and under the bushes' roots. Eliminate any weeds, rocks or roots from the site. Add a dose of 5-10-5 fertilizer at planting to give the wild blackberries an additional boost of nutrition.
- 3). Plant wild blackberries deep enough to cover their root balls. If you purchased the blackberries from a nursery, use the depth at which they were previously planted. Space wild blackberries at 4 to 10 feet per plant, and 8 to 10 feet for rows. These bushes can become very large, and require adequate space for sunshine and air circulation.
- 4). Put up a stake or trellis system to support the vines of the plants when they grow large enough. Blackberry vines require full sunshine and air circulation, and will rot and fail if left to grow along the ground. Water blackberries with 2 inches of water immediately, and put them on a schedule of this much water every week.
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