Planting Blackberries

A Rogue Blackberry

When I was pruning my blackberries recently I found several rogue blackberries. Blackberries replicate themselves by sending out runners under the soil and resprouting offsprings in a nearby location. Sometimes they are in a good location where they can just continue to grow happily and sometimes they are in my way. I found some near my laundry line recently and decided to find a new home for them.

I want to move them near a fence so they can grow with some support. To do this the only tool required was a shovel. About four inches from the root crown of the blackberry I carefully push my shovel into the ground working around the plant in a circular pattern. Every time I put the shovel in the ground around the plant I pull the shovel toward me to help loosen up the roots from the soil. I then carefully pull the plant from the ground keeping as much as the root as possible intact with the plant. I then dig a new hole in the new location that is twice as big as the blackberry root ball. Next, I place the blackberry plant into the hole making sure that the crown of the root is leveled to the same height as it was in its old location. Lastly, I water the plant thoroughly. I will keep an eye on it for the next couple of weeks, watering as needed to make sure it makes the transition to its new home.

Replanted Blackberry