Growing Blackberry in Australia: The Complete Guide
Blackberry is an easy (can be vigorous) berry to grow, needing full–part sun with regular watering.
Blackberry is one of the easy (can be vigorous) additions to a home garden, and this article walks through everything behind our one-page printable guide in a bit more depth.
Choose a thornless variety
Modern thornless varieties make blackberry a far more manageable homestead crop than wild forms — trained on wires, it's vigorous but not unruly.
How to Plant Blackberry
Method — plant canes against a wire support system. Soil — rich, well-drained. Timing — plant in winter while dormant.
Day-to-Day Care
Worth paying attention to:
- Train new canes onto wires as they grow.
- Water regularly through fruit development.
- Prune out spent canes after fruiting.
- Contain the planting — even thornless varieties spread via tip-rooting canes.
What Can Go Wrong
Keep these points in mind:
- Vigorous spread — the main management task; prune and contain regularly.
- Birds — net as fruit ripens.
- Cane blight — remove and destroy affected canes.
- Fruit fly — pick promptly once ripe.
When and How to Harvest
Signs — fully black, plump, comes away easily. Method — pick gently by hand. Curing — none needed. Storage — fridge a couple of days; freezes very well.
For the condensed, printable version of everything above, head to the main blackberry guide page.