transplanting blackberries

[RobS.]

I have a bed full of blackberry plants that have spread out of the bed and into the grass. They are first year canes with no blooms. I need them moved but don't want to kill them. Anyone know how deep the roots are? If they are shallow I can slide the flat shovel under them and get them up in clumps which means a lot less work moving them. If they are deep rooted I'll have quite a job. I'd wait til fall/winter but I need to cut the grass where they are growing.
Thanks.

 

[CarvedTones]

I have moved wild ones before without being too careful (shoveled a fairly small clump) and they all survived. YMMV...

 

[Glennbear]

I cannot give you definitive advice about how to move them but along the lines of what Andy said I have found them to be very resilient as evidenced by my constant battle using a machete and bladed weed trimmer lately as I clear sections of my property. :wsmile:

 

[CaptnA]

Pretty spur of the moment. I said to a friend that I'd like some blackberries some day as we were looking at his and off we went. It was early spring although I'd always heard to move canes in the fall. He didn't care if they lived as he just wanted them gone, and I hoped but had nothing to lose but a little time and effort.
We got a shovel and several trash bags. We shoveled about a spade's depth in a circle maybe 12"-18" and lifted the canes into a bag. I drove them home and made holes that size and dropped a clump in each. All but one clump lived. These were first year canes that had spread as well. The first year I got no blooms but since they've done well.

 

[JackLeg]

Pretty spur of the moment. I said to a friend that I'd like some blackberries some day as we were looking at his and off we went. It was early spring although I'd always heard to move canes in the fall. He didn't care if they lived as he just wanted them gone, and I hoped but had nothing to lose but a little time and effort.
We got a shovel and several trash bags. We shoveled about a spade's depth in a circle maybe 12"-18" and lifted the canes into a bag. I drove them home and made holes that size and dropped a clump in each. All but one clump lived. These were first year canes that had spread as well. The first year I got no blooms but since they've done well.

Aye, Cap'n! That's the ticket!! :wsmile:

 

[RobS.]

Guess I'll just give it a shot. These are Darrow blackberries with thorns from a catalog order. I started with about 8 out of 20 plants that survived shipping and handling. They are in a bed that's about 3 1/2 feet wide and about 20 feet long. They've been there 3 years and now I have at least 30 plants growing out of the bed, which is full. I'm going to move them to the edge of a field behind my house where they can spread all they want.

 

[eyekode]

I have a similar question: how can I kill blackberries when "transplanting" them? Seriously those things are weeds. I think you will be fine .
Salem

 

[Jeff]

Guess I'll just give it a shot. These are Darrow blackberries with thorns from a catalog order. I started with about 8 out of 20 plants that survived shipping and handling. They are in a bed that's about 3 1/2 feet wide and about 20 feet long. They've been there 3 years and now I have at least 30 plants growing out of the bed, which is full. I'm going to move them to the edge of a field behind my house where they can spread all they want.

You might try eradicating them entirely with healthy doses of glyphosate (i.e., Roundup or a generic version). Lots of thornless varieties are now available that yield large berries (Google Apache, Navajo, Kiowa, etc.). Your Ag Extension agent can give your some tips on varieties that do well in your area.

 

[RobS.]

I actually did some research before buying these. Thornless blackberries are for wimps :gar-La;. It's no fun picking them unless you get scratches to go along with the purple finger tips. Besides thorns keep the cats and dogs out of the berry patch. Really I'm just too old fashioned. One of the joys of visiting my grandparents in eastern Kentucky was picking berries with my grandad followed by a cobbler from my grandmother. Took about a week for the scratches to heal and the stains to dissapate.

I wouldn't think of spraying them with roundup. Where I plan to move them they can spread to their heart's content and I'll have berries to sell at the local farmer's market. Big fat berries!!