How to Plant Dewberries
The dewberry is a trailing, shrub-like plant that produces purple-red berries that look similar to raspberries. Dewberries are naturally found growing throughout eastern Canada and the United States and are grown for ornamental purposes, as well as for fruit and the homeopathic use of the plant's leaves and roots. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Shovel Dewberry seedlings or cuttings Water Trellis or fence (optional) Twist ties or string Fertilizer (optional) Mulch (optional)
Instructions
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Prepare the soil in an area in your yard or garden that receives several hours of direct sunlight every day. Use a shovel to break up the dirt as deep as possible, at least 12 inches.
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Obtain dewberry seedlings or cuttings from your local plant nursery or the garden section at your local general retailer or home improvement store. You may also get dewberry seedlings from wild patches of dewberries. Seedlings and cuttings are preferable to planting dewberries from seeds, as the seeds are rarely commercially available and are much harder to grow.
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Dig a hole in the prepared soil plot that is large enough to accommodate the root ball of the dewberry seedling or cutting. Place the dewberry in the hole and fill it with dirt, patting gently around the base of the plant. If growing more than one dewberry shrub, set the plants 4 feet apart.
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Water the plants so that the soil is slightly moist. Consider adding a layer of mulch around the base of the dewberry plant to conserve moisture.
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Set up a trellis or train the dewberry plant onto a fence if you do not want the dewberry shrub to sprawl through your garden. Tie each branch of the shrub onto the trellis or fence using a small piece of string or a twist-tie. As the plant matures, it will naturally wrap itself around the trellis or fence.
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Tips & Warnings
Dewberries typically produce the most fruit through the summer months of July and August. Consider fertilizing the dewberry plant after it has become established in your soil and has grown several inches from its original size. However, this is optional as dewberries are hardy plants and do not require soil amendments.
It takes a newly planted dewberry plant approximately 4 to 5 years to mature and begin producing fruit.
References
- Danielle Makowski. "Swamp Dewberry (Rubus hispidus L.)". Michigan State University. 2004.
- Illustrated Flora of the United States and Adjacent Canada. Vol 2. H.A. Gleason, 1952.
- J.A. Ferrell and B.A. Sellers. "Blackberry and Dewberry: Biology and Control." University of Florida. U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2009.
