Improving Garden Soil? Blackberries

I planted 10 blackberries back at the beginning of May at a house we’re buying. I negotiated it in so that I could plant them before we close. The house is 400 miles from where we were living so I made a day trip to plant them. Long story short I just tilled up the ground and didn’t add any organic matter or anything to improve the soil. The ground is a hard medium clay and id like to improve it. The problem is I can’t really work new soil in because the berries are already in place. I know if I just keep adding organic matter to the top it’ll eventually get better but im looking for a way to speed things up. Ideas? This is where I come for random advice because we have someone in every profession on here seems like haha.

Can throw some cover crop seeds in there like clover, buckwheat, sorhgum

Shredded leaves .

I have been doing compost piles the last few years using dry leaves for my brown matter with grass clippings and other vegetables/fruit scraps for green matter. I built a 3x3’ square pen out of 1/4” square wire. I keep layering green/brown matter weekly and turn it with a pitch fork every few weeks. I lightly spade the compost in around plants, bushes, young trees etc seems to be working good. I have also been incorporating into my main garden as well.

Apply a fertilizer with an analysis near 4-2-4. 1/4 cup per plant. Two applications, early spring before new growth starts and when they are blooming. (you can probably benefit from another round of fertilizer after all/most of the fruit is gone.)

Understand this will have more effect on vegetative growth than reproductive growth (fruit.)

Late fall/winter application of manure (I prefer turkey) will work wonders in regards to the organic matter issue. Less is more.



What variety of berries did you plant?

Are you going to have a trellis system?

How are you planning on handling weed control?

Black berries and Raspberries don't mind a little disturbed soil, in fall or spring. I use my dirt hole auger as much in the yard an garden as much as trapping. Bore some holes around them and add whatever. Peat is good. A garden fork or better a broad fork, dump whatever you want on top and crack the soil and it falls in. In no time you will incorporate stuff into the root zone. I really like a broad fork for breaking up the soil in spring and fall.

Am currently reading book titled "Humanure Handbook", Joseph Jenkins, about the different ways to compost human waste, and what can be done with it, and one listed was to side dress wild berry cane. Supposedly really gives them "a kick in the can" to increase production.

I would think you could pull em up in late fall and add whatever you want to the soil and replant them. Blackberries are hard to kill I think.

I’ve got 5 Ponca and 5 Quachita. Plan on making a V type trellis. I’ve got them planted in a 40 ft row that is 3ft wide and using mulch for weeds.

I thought about doing this but wasn’t sure how close to get. Thought about just drilling a bunch of holes and using a soil conditioner with peat and what not

I managed to kill 27 I planted. But planting them under a walnut and not having any way to water them there at the time may have been the culprit. I found out later they don't Handel get dry the first 2 years. I figured thsy were a plant mulch and forget it kind of plant. I was wrong.

Black walnuts kill blackberries.And a lot of other stuff. I believe you can plant black raspberries and some other stuff under them but do the research first

I top dress mine with 15-15-15 every spring.Then mulch heavily.

Wild berries do pretty well inn poor soil. Check with your state ag office.
When I was a kid in the 50s, we picked dew berries on the bank of the railroad track. Soil was about as poor as could be.

I agree with Charles. You don't need fertilizer for blackberries unless you are growing them to sell.

Especially if you want to build soil. Chemical fertilizers kill soil. I think it's more important to keep em watered when the berries are coming on to keep the berries from burning up.

Watching.

MoosetRot

I agree with you also.

Keeping them weed free and watered good will go a long ways to your success. Gypsum will supply both sulfur and calcium and supposedly helps to create a crumble structure in heavy soils.

Walnut tree roots produce a mild herbicide that can be hard on a lot of stuff. You don't want to try to establish them near a walnut.

Our himalaya wild blackberries thrive under every soil condition known to man. Our whole farm is infested with them.