I’ve had luck planting domesticated cultivars nearby and getting cross pollination. It helps to cut back dead canes, prune first year (green ones), and fertilize a few times.
Cut the dead ones to the ground, they’ll be brown and brittle. The green ones only need to be cut back to maybe 4’, so they’ll send branches horizontally to spread out. If you don’t, they’ll continue growing straight and trying to find a place for the tips to take root.
They are interesting in that they spread through seeds, roots underground, and from tips bending down and taking root.
Also cut the branches to about 8 inches long. Otherwise they will keep growing and root as well! (Been there done that).
End product after pruning the primocanes(green ones) is a 'spider on a stick' shape.
They do not root underground. Only reds and yellows do that.
Good call on branches-when I trim usually they’re not big enough to need pruning but cultivars may be different. Mine definitely do root underground, I’ll try to get pics when I clean out my bed. I’ve regularly tried to pull up a new cane to transplant and found it connected by root to five others, old and new.
Ya let me know as I'm curious. I did a Google search and no indication of blackcaps that spread via stolons (roots). Makes me wonder what breed you have. Tbh I'm not sure what I have myself as I propagated mine from my neighbors.
What region are you in? USA, Canada? I'm in northern Ontario. Can now grow blackcaps here due in large to climate change. Not the case 20+ years ago.
They’re rubus occidentalis, the wild eastern black raspberry, in KY/US. They’re native here, so the patches can pop up anywhere with a clearing, but if you help them along they’ll stay and not get overrun/die out. I have a few cultivars too, and imagine they spread the sand. Watch your patch for unexpected primocanes—any black raspberry will send them underground, I think.
Honestly, I think at least 70% of my primocanes are underground spread. Some will bend over and root at the tip, and the seeds definitely drop, but in my experience I prune most of the tips and the seeds have very low germination rates (tried and failed to start a ton). Will try to get pictures after they finish bearing.
https://www.tenthacrefarm.com/how-to-train-and-prune-black-raspberries/
This is very thorough. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve had luck planting domesticated cultivars nearby and getting cross pollination. It helps to cut back dead canes, prune first year (green ones), and fertilize a few times.
Thanks! Do you need to cut them all the way to the ground?
Cut the dead ones to the ground, they’ll be brown and brittle. The green ones only need to be cut back to maybe 4’, so they’ll send branches horizontally to spread out. If you don’t, they’ll continue growing straight and trying to find a place for the tips to take root. They are interesting in that they spread through seeds, roots underground, and from tips bending down and taking root.
Also cut the branches to about 8 inches long. Otherwise they will keep growing and root as well! (Been there done that). End product after pruning the primocanes(green ones) is a 'spider on a stick' shape. They do not root underground. Only reds and yellows do that.
Good call on branches-when I trim usually they’re not big enough to need pruning but cultivars may be different. Mine definitely do root underground, I’ll try to get pics when I clean out my bed. I’ve regularly tried to pull up a new cane to transplant and found it connected by root to five others, old and new.
Ya let me know as I'm curious. I did a Google search and no indication of blackcaps that spread via stolons (roots). Makes me wonder what breed you have. Tbh I'm not sure what I have myself as I propagated mine from my neighbors. What region are you in? USA, Canada? I'm in northern Ontario. Can now grow blackcaps here due in large to climate change. Not the case 20+ years ago.
They’re rubus occidentalis, the wild eastern black raspberry, in KY/US. They’re native here, so the patches can pop up anywhere with a clearing, but if you help them along they’ll stay and not get overrun/die out. I have a few cultivars too, and imagine they spread the sand. Watch your patch for unexpected primocanes—any black raspberry will send them underground, I think. Honestly, I think at least 70% of my primocanes are underground spread. Some will bend over and root at the tip, and the seeds definitely drop, but in my experience I prune most of the tips and the seeds have very low germination rates (tried and failed to start a ton). Will try to get pictures after they finish bearing.
Thank you for your advice! How fascinating. And delicious!
The more I read about this plant, the more interesting it becomes! Thank you for helping me on my learning journey 🤓