So there's a hyooooooge (by which I mean at least 4m tall and it spans about 30m) wild blackberry growing next to a sport field in Hastings. I don't think it's sprayed, and people pick piles of blackberries from it every year.
Do you think it would be possible to take a cutting from it to grow my own 'wild' blackberries? If so, how in the world would I do it, and is it the right time of year, etc?
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Awesome, thanks Janet! I'll give it a try when I get over there next!
Janet Luke said:
Hi Sonya, it is the perfect time of the year to take semi-hardwood cuttings. cut a peice about 15cm long, cut stem on an angle at the juction where leaves grow out of the stem. Pot it is some well drained soil in a pot and place in sunny warm spot and keep soil damp.. Growing in a large pot is a really good idea or else in a few years you may need a goat to prune growth!!!
Hi Sonya, it is the perfect time of the year to take semi-hardwood cuttings. cut a peice about 15cm long, cut stem on an angle at the juction where leaves grow out of the stem. Pot it is some well drained soil in a pot and place in sunny warm spot and keep soil damp.. Growing in a large pot is a really good idea or else in a few years you may need a goat to prune growth!!!
Thanks so much Christy! I'll give it a try when I have time. Do you think it would be okay to keep it in a big pot for a while (maybe it'll just control the size?)? We've living in a real and I'd like to put berries in the ground when we buy a house (in a year or so) but probably shouldn't here.
Christy Ralphs said:
Blackberries helpfully propagate themselves, by bending over their long wavy vines to touch the ground, and then rooting there. It's called 'tip-rooting'. I deliberately do this with my berries if I want more plants, otherwise I make sure they are tied up off the ground so they don't spread.
So all you need to do is a have poke around (preferably with some thick leather gloves), and dig up a pice or two that has roots on - and cut off the branch where it's attached to the bigger bush. I'm not an expert, but I would probably leave about 30cm of stem above the roots. It will probably survive if you plonk straight into ground, but you could also plant into a largish pot first, let the roots get established in that over winter, then plant into garden in spring. The most important thing to do then is keep under control yourself - blackberries are hard to get rid of once they have had a bit of freedom.
Blackberries helpfully propagate themselves, by bending over their long wavy vines to touch the ground, and then rooting there. It's called 'tip-rooting'. I deliberately do this with my berries if I want more plants, otherwise I make sure they are tied up off the ground so they don't spread.
So all you need to do is a have poke around (preferably with some thick leather gloves), and dig up a pice or two that has roots on - and cut off the branch where it's attached to the bigger bush. I'm not an expert, but I would probably leave about 30cm of stem above the roots. It will probably survive if you plonk straight into ground, but you could also plant into a largish pot first, let the roots get established in that over winter, then plant into garden in spring. The most important thing to do then is keep under control yourself - blackberries are hard to get rid of once they have had a bit of freedom.
Replies
Janet Luke said:
Christy Ralphs said:
So all you need to do is a have poke around (preferably with some thick leather gloves), and dig up a pice or two that has roots on - and cut off the branch where it's attached to the bigger bush. I'm not an expert, but I would probably leave about 30cm of stem above the roots. It will probably survive if you plonk straight into ground, but you could also plant into a largish pot first, let the roots get established in that over winter, then plant into garden in spring. The most important thing to do then is keep under control yourself - blackberries are hard to get rid of once they have had a bit of freedom.