This thornless blackberry bush adds a beautiful and lustrously rich deep color to any garden. These shrubs are a perennial plant but will only produce new growth and fruit biennially. As a self-fertile specimen one plant can produce 10 to 15 pounds of fruit each growing season. Big Daddy Blackberry Bushes produce stiff short canes that grow from the crown of the roots up and into a hedgerow.

These winter-hardy shrubs grow well in zones 5-8.

When is the best time to plant Big Daddy Blackberry Bushes?

The canes should be planted in early spring following the last frost of the season.

How long before fruit is produced?

It takes 1-2 years depending on the age of the plant. Keep in mind that blackberry bushes only produce fruit every other year.

Should I worry about pruning my thornless blackberry bush?

Pruning is important to the health of any plant, especially blackberry bushes. Pruning keeps the wild canes tangle free and encourages larger crop harvests.

Once these thornless beauties are established they require very little additional care. If you plan to have multiple blackberry bushes in your garden they should be planted 3 to 4 feet apart in a location that receives full sun. Cultivate your new bramble away from soil where any other types of berries, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, or eggplants have been grown in the past 3 years. Fertilizer should be used in early spring prior to the appearance of new growth, and then applied again after the final harvest. A well-balanced fertilizer such as the Very Berry Fertilizer are nutrient rich and help plants produce more berries. Ensure the sandy loam soil is well draining, and maintains a pH of 5.5 to 6.5. Adding mulch a couple of times during the growing season leaves more moisture in the soil and releases nutrients as it degrades.

Planting

If well-draining sandy loam soil isn’t available, then a raised bed is an ideal location for this powerful tangle of canes. Place the bramble in a hole that is three times as wide as the root ball, but only deep enough to keep the thornless blackberry bush level with the ground. Space your bushes 3 to 4 feet apart to allow ample sunlight. These black beauties thrive in climates with warm days and cool nights. Climate zones 5-8 are ideal growing zones for this iconic summertime treat.

Watering

Keep the soil moist especially in hotter climates and during the fruiting season. Adding about an inch of water on a weekly basis is sufficient in maintaining the health of the Big Daddy Blackberry Bush.

Fertilizing

After the first year, you should fertilize the Big Daddy Blackberry Bush in early spring prior to signs of new growth with an all-purpose formula. Apply 3 to 4 oz of fertilizer again after the final harvest in late September.

Maintenance

Keeping these tall woody canes manageable can seem daunting, but they are easily pruned. Once canes are at least 4 feet tall, the top 1 to 2 inches should be removed. Any canes that grow outside of the hedgerow should be removed on a regular basis. Blackberries will not continue to ripen once they are picked so check the ripeness prior to harvest. Once you see ripened berries they should be picked every couple of days. The cooler part of the day is an ideal time for harvesting these melt-in-your-mouth treats.