Summer Tipping Erect Blackberry Primocanes With Bypass Hand Pruners: Top at 36 to 40 Inches, Then Shorten Laterals in Late Winter
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Erect blackberry canes left alone shoot past head height, flop over, and fruit only at the tips. Two short pruning visits, one in summer and one in late winter, turn each cane into a stiff, branched bush that fruits at picking height. When and where do you tip erect blackberry canes? Tip new primocanes in summer once they reach about 36 to 40 inches, or 48 to 60 inches on vigorous varieties, removing just the soft tip. Go back through the row several times as canes reach height. In late winter, shorten the side branches to about 12 to 18 inches. University of Missouri Extension's guide to pruning raspberries, blackberries, and gooseberries says to summer tip erect blackberries at 36 to 40 inches . It says tipping encourages branching and increases fruit set, and that winter laterals go back to 12 to 15 inches . University of Tennessee E...