Hi,
I am new to growing blackberries and did not wish to buy online as I am unsure of who is good and bad.
I saw them selling blackberry plants at Home Depot, figured it was worth a chance.
I took it home, dug the hole as per the instructions (very basic ones) and then tipped the plant onto my hand from the pot. It is then I see that all I bought was basically a stick (cane?). There is NO roots on this cane.
Not wishing to alert the husband to this issue, I just planted the cane in the ground, watered it and hope for the best.
Will this grow? Or was I sold just a stick in dirt? If so where should I go to buy blackberries online? I only need 2 plants and the few places I looked you had to buy $25 or more per order.
Thanks.
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!potatoes!
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- Joined: Tue Apr 14, 2009 2:13 pm
- Location: wnc - zones 6/7 line
Darn right they aren't popular. I'm one of the *very few* people I know who grows them on purpose around here. They're a menace on the highways; just drive around and take a couple of cuttings, plant them, and stand back.
When we lived in Berkeley, I took the various blackberry canes from around the house and planted them in "approved" locations. I was ruthless elsewhere. Then, each winter (late December/early to mid-January), I pruned the canes that had borne fruit all the way to the ground. The plants looked spindly, but they filled in very quickly.
When we moved to El Cerrito, same story: the things were growing in various parts of our lot (only 50' x 100', but blackberries are inventive). We moved them to one specific area. DH just pruned/whacked them on Saturday.
This annual pruning is essential if you don't want to have the thicket you see on the side of the highway. Better yet is if you can trellis-train them. There have been years when the roses haven't been touched, but I don't dare let the blackberries go uncut.
Just keep your eyes open as you drive around with your pruning shears, protective gloves, water spray gun, newspaper, and plastic bag handy. Cut off maybe 18" to 24" of a cane--you may need to cut both ends free from the thicket--no problem; these things will root on both ends! Keep it damp until you get it into the ground. Give it some support so that it doesn't root on both ends!
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
When we lived in Berkeley, I took the various blackberry canes from around the house and planted them in "approved" locations. I was ruthless elsewhere. Then, each winter (late December/early to mid-January), I pruned the canes that had borne fruit all the way to the ground. The plants looked spindly, but they filled in very quickly.
When we moved to El Cerrito, same story: the things were growing in various parts of our lot (only 50' x 100', but blackberries are inventive). We moved them to one specific area. DH just pruned/whacked them on Saturday.
This annual pruning is essential if you don't want to have the thicket you see on the side of the highway. Better yet is if you can trellis-train them. There have been years when the roses haven't been touched, but I don't dare let the blackberries go uncut.
Just keep your eyes open as you drive around with your pruning shears, protective gloves, water spray gun, newspaper, and plastic bag handy. Cut off maybe 18" to 24" of a cane--you may need to cut both ends free from the thicket--no problem; these things will root on both ends! Keep it damp until you get it into the ground. Give it some support so that it doesn't root on both ends!
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
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DoubleDogFarm
- Super Green Thumb
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- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm
Yes, you could do this, but most likely will end up with Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus or Rubus discolor)Just keep your eyes open as you drive around with your pruning shears, protective gloves, water spray gun, newspaper, and plastic bag handy. Cut off maybe 18" to 24" of a cane--you may need to cut both ends free from the thicket--no problem; these things will root on both ends! Keep it damp until you get it into the ground. Give it some support so that it doesn't root on both ends!
I perfer the 'Marion' cultivar (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus) or Marion blackberry.
Eric
And those restrictions are there for many good reasons. The top "industry" in our state is...agriculture. Some unauthorized hitch-hikers that have entered the state on/in/under plants and other ag products have been:
fuchsia mite, early 1980s
Mediterranean fruit fly
glassy-winged sharpshooter
zebra mussel (I think it's a mussel; I know it's a crustacean)
Yellow Star Thistle
Just as a starter list.
For other resources in the Monterey area, maybe this page of Certified Green Gardeners will help. It's a publicly funded program, coordinated by the State Water Resources Control Board. https://www.green-gardener.org/listings/index.html#salinas]
One or some of these gardeners will no doubt be able to refer you to an independent garden-supply store off the beaten track that carries thornless blackberries. Mine are most definitely not thornless....
Cynthia
fuchsia mite, early 1980s
Mediterranean fruit fly
glassy-winged sharpshooter
zebra mussel (I think it's a mussel; I know it's a crustacean)
Yellow Star Thistle
Just as a starter list.
For other resources in the Monterey area, maybe this page of Certified Green Gardeners will help. It's a publicly funded program, coordinated by the State Water Resources Control Board. https://www.green-gardener.org/listings/index.html#salinas]
One or some of these gardeners will no doubt be able to refer you to an independent garden-supply store off the beaten track that carries thornless blackberries. Mine are most definitely not thornless....
Cynthia
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DoubleDogFarm
- Super Green Thumb
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- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm
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DoubleDogFarm
- Super Green Thumb
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- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm
The shape of the end of the cane was a I guess J shaped more like a P.
The cane itself was brown and the end was covered in dirt/mud which I did not wash off incase there was some fine hair like roots there. (wishful thinking I am sure).
I've just kept on lightly watering my stick in the dirt.
Oh and the container it was in says its "Ebony King Thornless" 2nd year
Now from what I saw, that type is not even recommended for my area.
I guess will try Stark brothers or raintree.
I only need 2 but will get 3.
OH I did find a place 2 hours south of me that sells plants but "ouch" the price $20 for one 4 inch plant. And shipping was $27 or pick up (which might be the same price in gas). Its my back up plan..
The cane itself was brown and the end was covered in dirt/mud which I did not wash off incase there was some fine hair like roots there. (wishful thinking I am sure).
I've just kept on lightly watering my stick in the dirt.
Oh and the container it was in says its "Ebony King Thornless" 2nd year
Now from what I saw, that type is not even recommended for my area.
I guess will try Stark brothers or raintree.
I only need 2 but will get 3.
OH I did find a place 2 hours south of me that sells plants but "ouch" the price $20 for one 4 inch plant. And shipping was $27 or pick up (which might be the same price in gas). Its my back up plan..
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DoubleDogFarm
- Super Green Thumb
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- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm
It doesn't sound good. 2nd year should be fully rooted.The shape of the end of the cane was a I guess J shaped more like a P.
The cane itself was brown and the end was covered in dirt/mud which I did not wash off in case there was some fine hair like roots there. (wishful thinking I am sure).
I've just kept on lightly watering my stick in the dirt.
Oh and the container it was in says its "Ebony King Thornless" 2nd year
Now from what I saw, that type is not even recommended for my area
I would take it back. Eric
So I had to go into OSH (Orchard supply Hardware) to get some weed killer.
And I saw this big stand for Raspberry and Blackberry plants for sale. I eyed them very warily. The garden assistant told me I was welcome to look through all they had and to only buy the plant if it had green cane.
So around fifteen plants later I managed to find one that did have a cane that still looked alive! I told her if this did not have roots I was bringing it back the next day. She told me it had a lifetime guarantee, so figured that was fine.
So I got up early this morning and planted my blackberry plant in the ground, it did have roots YAY!
Oh and Home Depot claims that I must have broken all the roots off and will not refund my money.. um I may not be some experienced gardener but I know how to carefully take a plant from a pot and soak it in water as per the instructions. So lesson learned from them, NEVER buying anything from there again that is alive.
And I saw this big stand for Raspberry and Blackberry plants for sale. I eyed them very warily. The garden assistant told me I was welcome to look through all they had and to only buy the plant if it had green cane.
So around fifteen plants later I managed to find one that did have a cane that still looked alive! I told her if this did not have roots I was bringing it back the next day. She told me it had a lifetime guarantee, so figured that was fine.
So I got up early this morning and planted my blackberry plant in the ground, it did have roots YAY!
Oh and Home Depot claims that I must have broken all the roots off and will not refund my money.. um I may not be some experienced gardener but I know how to carefully take a plant from a pot and soak it in water as per the instructions. So lesson learned from them, NEVER buying anything from there again that is alive.
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shelleyinmichigan
- Cool Member
- Posts: 65
- Joined: Sat Sep 11, 2010 11:45 am
- Location: Ossineke, Michigan
I have to laugh a little and just tell ya not to feel bad about receiving what amounted to a stick. My first attempt at growing blueberries was a total disappointment, but that was my fault since I was not studious enough and was trying to do it on the cheap.
I mail ordered from a well known company and eagerly awaited my new plant. It arrived in a rather long box and I was sooooo excited!!! Until I actually unwrapped it and found a dirty little twig with n'ary a wisp of a root showing.
But I was willing to try and stuck it in the ground. A few weeks later the thing showed new leaves popping up randomly. What a relief, I was almost convinced I knew what I was doing
Then the summer heat hit and the thing just dried up into kindling. When I pulled it out of the ground in an attempt to pot it up and nurse it back to health I saw that it HAD started growing roots......but stopped. And that was that.
A season went by and I decided to try again, only this time I ordered from a different company and received two healthy and **well rooted** potted blueberry plants.
It was an intensive scientific process when I put them in the ground. Each and every layer of backfill I put around those roots was tested for the exact pH, and there was about 8 batches of it I mixed by hand for each plant.
Spring will tell me if my mad scientist planting method was successful. We had a freak thaw at the beginning of winter and a cold snap soon after, so the snow that would normally insulate them was gone and my precious foam cones blew away during a windstorm. But I mulched the living daylights out of them when I planted, hopefully that helped.
But I digress. I was given two Doyle thornless blackberry bushes last year and they went great guns as soon as I put them in the ground. They are supported by heavy gauge wire strung between two metal T posts driven into the ground. They ramble and need to be trained, but I was given a nice surprise in late summer........3 berries, ripe and delicious!!
I mail ordered from a well known company and eagerly awaited my new plant. It arrived in a rather long box and I was sooooo excited!!! Until I actually unwrapped it and found a dirty little twig with n'ary a wisp of a root showing.
But I was willing to try and stuck it in the ground. A few weeks later the thing showed new leaves popping up randomly. What a relief, I was almost convinced I knew what I was doing
Then the summer heat hit and the thing just dried up into kindling. When I pulled it out of the ground in an attempt to pot it up and nurse it back to health I saw that it HAD started growing roots......but stopped. And that was that.
A season went by and I decided to try again, only this time I ordered from a different company and received two healthy and **well rooted** potted blueberry plants.
It was an intensive scientific process when I put them in the ground. Each and every layer of backfill I put around those roots was tested for the exact pH, and there was about 8 batches of it I mixed by hand for each plant.
Spring will tell me if my mad scientist planting method was successful. We had a freak thaw at the beginning of winter and a cold snap soon after, so the snow that would normally insulate them was gone and my precious foam cones blew away during a windstorm. But I mulched the living daylights out of them when I planted, hopefully that helped.
But I digress. I was given two Doyle thornless blackberry bushes last year and they went great guns as soon as I put them in the ground. They are supported by heavy gauge wire strung between two metal T posts driven into the ground. They ramble and need to be trained, but I was given a nice surprise in late summer........3 berries, ripe and delicious!!
Thanks Shelley. I read your response and have just kept checking my sticks.
And good news, one of them (the green one) has this little shoot coming out of the side. Maybe 3/8 of an inche long. So I am happy
I have seen some nice trellis that I can get to tame the bush if it ever decides to grow big.
So my stick is now a plant, YAY! I was surprised since we'd just had snow for the first time in 35 years. Didn't want the cold to make it go back to being dormant. But seems to be ok.
And good news, one of them (the green one) has this little shoot coming out of the side. Maybe 3/8 of an inche long. So I am happy
I have seen some nice trellis that I can get to tame the bush if it ever decides to grow big.
So my stick is now a plant, YAY! I was surprised since we'd just had snow for the first time in 35 years. Didn't want the cold to make it go back to being dormant. But seems to be ok.