I didn't kill them!

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WICKED_ZOEYGIRL Brooklyn, IA(Zone 5a) May 03, 2008

My blackberries! I didn't kill them! We moved into our house last spring and I was delighted to find four little blackberry bushes, didn't get too many berries, but enough to much on, anyway. I didn't prune at all during the summer, so that could be it. Well, when my husband and I cleaned up the yard in the fall I found a gigantic mass of spikey vines. The plants had doubled, if not tripled in size, and where the vines touched the ground they'd put out roots. I pulled them all out and pruned the plants back to what they looked like the spring before.

During the rest of the fall I would look out at my forlorn blackberry sticks with their brown leaves that never did drop and worry and worry that I'd killed them. Well, spring came, and the forlorn black sticks began turning a rich reddish brown, which my husband assured me was a good sign. I had no choice but to wait.

Then, finally, a week ago, I discovered why it's called an invasive weed! All along the ground there's baby blackberry bushes popping up! HURRAH! At this point I'm considering just cutting down the old stocks that bore fruit last year and allowing the new babies to grow, what do you all think? I'm also praying the neighbors don't get mad if the blackberries decide to migrate into their lawn... they were planted right on the property line to begin with.

I'll attach a picture a little later :)

Post #4901413
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eweed Everson, WA(Zone 8a) May 04, 2008

If they do grow into the lawn assuming they mow it regularly the berrie shoots will die because the continual loss of vegatation will rob them of strength to live with. Ernie

This message was edited May 4, 2008 4:17 AM

Post #4903793
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doccat5 Fredericksburg, VA(Zone 7b) May 04, 2008

Try this site for more information on cultivation for these yummies, blackberries are biennals so that's why you're getting what your getting.

http://usagardener.com/how_to_grow_fruits/how_to_grow_blackberries.php

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