If you're considering pruning blackberries, perhaps this article will help you with what can be a confusing snarl of thorny canes.
Anyone who’s ever viewed a profusion of blackberry canes knows they can become so tangled and dense it’s nearly impossible to pick the luscious fruit without suffering grievous injury.
Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, I am particularly familiar with not only the delectable fruit but also the multitude of wounds one receives when procuring it. Pruning blackberries will not only serve to tame their wild habit and prevent further maiming but has another purpose as well. Keep reading to learn how and when to prune blackberry bushes.
Pruning blackberry bushes is not absolutely necessary; they seem to thrive under adverse conditions. However, pruning will not only make it easier to get at the fruit but less dangerous to your delicate skin as well.
Also, pruning blackberries allows you to separate the first and second years of growth. Canes from the first year are called “primocanes”. They do not produce either blooms or fruit. The second-year canes, called “floricanes” are the producers.
If you don’t cut back the canes, both the primocanes and floricanes mix together into a snarl of canes that harbors diseases and pests and reduces productivity.