How to Grow Blackberries in Louisiana

Blackberries can be grown in Louisiana backyards.

Growing blackberries in a backyard will provide a tasty summer treat for Louisiana gardeners. Feel free to eat blackberries right off the bush, mixed with other foods or preserved as jams or jellies. Because they are native to Louisiana, blackberries grow very well in the soils and temperatures of the state. Growing blackberries is fairly simple and the fruits healthy.

Things You'll Need

• Blackberry plants
• Garden tiller
• Nitrogen-rich fertilizer
• Trellis
• Water hose
• Tulle
• Clippers

Instructions

1. Purchase blackberry plants from a local grower or garden shop that are about 2 years old. Buy types of blackberries such as Cheyenne or Kiowa that grow well throughout Louisiana.

2. Plant the blackberries as soon as possible after purchase. Till a section of the yard where the blackberries will be planted. Remove all weeds and debris from the area.

3. Mix about 5 lbs. nitrogen-rich fertilizer into 100 feet of row soil. A 10-10-10 formula should be sufficient.

4. Situate a trellis or fence in the soil near the blackberry plants to give them support something to climb on.

5. Plant blackberries in a row along the trellis about 2 feet apart. Plant subsequent rows of blackberries about 6 feet apart.

6. Water the newly planted blackberries well, until the soil is moist but not flooded. Water about 1 inch per week afterward. Keep the area free of weeds and debris.

7. Cover the berry bushes with tulle or other mesh fabric when the berries begin to appear. The cover will protect the plants against hungry birds. Pick the berries early in the morning as they ripen. Store the berries in a refrigerator or preserve them by freezing or making jams or jellies as soon as possible to capture their flavor.

8. Prune second-year canes during the winter months, when the plant is dormant, using hand-help clippers.

Tips & Warnings

• Plant blackberry canes in February for harvest the next year, depending on the weather and the age of the canes

• Each cane lives for approximately two years. Develop a system of marking new canes each year, such as tying a specific color of ribbon or tape around them. Once the canes finish producing fruit the second year, they can be pruned back to make the plant more productive and prevent disease.

References

• Louisiana State University Agriculture Center: Growing Blackberries for Pleasure and Profit

Resources

• Plant Answers: Blackberries