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To grow trailing blackberries, you need a sunny spot, well-drained soil, and a sturdy trellis to support their sprawling canes.
Unlike upright blackberry varieties that stand on their own, trailing blackberries send out long, flexible canes that need guidance to grow properly.
These canes will wander along the ground if you let them, and they won’t produce the clean, abundant harvest you’re hoping for.
But with the right setup and a little patience, growing trailing blackberries can reward you with buckets of sweet, juicy fruit every summer.
In this post, we’ll walk through how to grow trailing blackberries step by step, from choosing the right spot to training those canes and keeping your plants healthy season after season.
Let’s dig in.
How to Grow Trailing Blackberries: The Basics You Need to Know
Growing trailing blackberries successfully starts with understanding what makes them different from other bramble fruits.
Trailing blackberries produce long, vine-like canes that can reach 10 to 20 feet in a single season, and those canes need support to stay off the ground.
Here’s what matters most when you grow trailing blackberries:
1. Sunlight Is Non-Negotiable
Trailing blackberries need at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily to grow well and produce sweet fruit.
If you plant them in partial shade, you’ll still get some growth, but the harvest will be smaller and the berries less flavorful.
So pick the sunniest spot in your yard when you grow trailing blackberries.
2. Soil That Drains Well
Trailing blackberries hate soggy roots.
They grow best in loose, well-drained soil rich in organic matter, with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5.
If your soil holds water, amend it with compost or plant trailing blackberries on a raised mound so excess moisture can escape.
3. A Trellis or Support System
Since trailing blackberries can’t hold themselves up, you’ll need a trellis, fence, or wire system to train the canes.
A simple two-wire trellis with posts about six feet apart works beautifully for growing trailing blackberries at home.
Trust me, setting this up before you plant saves you a massive headache later.
How to Plant Trailing Blackberries the Right Way
Once you’ve picked your spot and built your trellis, it’s time to plant.
The best time to grow trailing blackberries is in early spring or late fall when the plant is dormant.
Here’s how to get it right:
1. Space Plants Properly
Give each trailing blackberry plant three to five feet of space in the row, and keep rows eight to ten feet apart.
Crowding leads to poor airflow, which invites disease when you grow trailing blackberries.
2. Plant at the Right Depth
Dig a hole wide enough to spread the roots, then set the plant so the crown sits just at or slightly below soil level.
Cover the roots, firm the soil, and water deeply.
3. Water Consistently in the First Year
New trailing blackberries need regular watering to establish strong roots.
Aim for about one to two inches of water per week, and don’t let the soil dry out completely during that first growing season.
Training and Pruning Trailing Blackberries
This is where growing trailing blackberries gets interesting, and where a lot of gardeners get confused.
Trailing blackberries produce two types of canes: primocanes (first-year growth) and floricanes (second-year growth that bears fruit).
Here’s how to manage them:
1. Train Primocanes as They Grow
Throughout the growing season, gently weave new canes along your trellis wires.
Don’t let them sprawl on the ground, since that invites pests and rot when you grow trailing blackberries.
2. Prune After Harvest
Once floricanes finish fruiting, cut them to the ground.
They won’t produce again, and removing them frees up energy for the new canes.
3. Tip New Canes in Late Summer
Pinching the tips of primocanes encourages side branching, which means more fruiting sites next year.
This single step can dramatically boost your harvest when you grow trailing blackberries.
Common Mistakes When You Grow Trailing Blackberries
Even experienced gardeners trip up on a few things.
Here’s what to avoid:
1. Skipping the Trellis
Trying to grow trailing blackberries without support leads to tangled, diseased canes and a messy patch.
2. Overwatering
Trailing blackberries are tough, but root rot will kill them fast, so never let them sit in standing water.
3. Ignoring Birds and Pests
Birds love ripe blackberries, so netting your trellis as fruit ripens protects your crop.
So, How Do You Grow Trailing Blackberries?
To grow trailing blackberries, give them full sun, well-drained soil, a sturdy trellis, and consistent training and pruning.
These plants aren’t difficult, but they do need structure and attention to thrive.
Plant them at the right depth and spacing, water them well in year one, and stay on top of pruning so your canes stay productive.
Do that, and you’ll be picking bowls of homegrown trailing blackberries every summer for years to come.