How to Trim Boysenberry Bushes

Boysenberry bushes produce juicy, red-black berries.

Boysenberry bushes are blackberry hybrids classified as trailing blackberries. Boysenberry plants produce very large and juicy berries that have reddish-black coloring and a strong sweet-tart flavor. Boysenberries taste and smell similar to raspberries. Boysenberry bushes need trimming in the late winter and early spring to keep the plants healthy and productive.

Things You'll Need

• Mulch
• Trellis
• Bypass pruners

Instructions

1. Don't trim your boysenberry bushes during their first year of growth. Boysenberry plants primarily produce fruit on the 2-year old wood, so let the branches grow on the ground for the first year. Apply a layer of mulch over the plants before winter arrives to protect them from damaging cold temperatures.

2. Trim any weak or dead wood from your boysenberry bushes in the spring. The University of Missouri Extension recommends tying the stronger branches, called canes, to a trellis that ranges between 36 and 40 inches in height. This support helps the bush produce optimum boysenberry crops.

3. Prune your boysenberry bushes in the late winter after they finish producing fruit. Use bypass pruners to cut the old fruiting wood to about 1 inch above the soil line. Allow any new wood to remain on the ground. Mulch the new growth during the winter, and tie it to the trellis the following spring.

4. Trim your boysenberry bush in early spring. Prune out any dead or weak wood. Shorten the healthy branches to about 1 foot in length. This shorter length promotes a larger fruit size and makes it easier for you to harvest the berries.

Tips & Warnings

• Boysenberry bushes can produce fruit for 4 to 6 years if you take care of them.

• Trimming boysenberry bushes also helps prevent disease growth by increasing air circulation.

• Discard any diseased or dead wood immediately to avoid spreading boysenberry diseases.

• Watch for weeds around your boysenberry bush. Weeds take nutrients and moisture from the bushes, which can result in smaller berry crops. Use mulch if you have a weed infestation.

References

• University of Missouri Extension: Pruning Raspberries, Blackberries and Gooseberries
• Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service: Blackberry and Raspberry Culture for the Home Garden

Resources

• Oregon State University Extension Service: Late Winter to Early Spring Care Will Help Caneberries Thrive
• Berry Health Benefits Network: Blackberries