Blackberry, bramble

How to grow Blackberry, bramble

Written by the GardenDecoded editorial team · Last reviewed 21 July 2026 · Written for UK gardens · How we research our guidance

Planting

Plant in autumn or late winter against wires strained between posts, or along a fence. Allow at least 2.5 m per plant for vigorous kinds; compact thornless cultivars need less. Cut the plant down to about 25 cm after planting to force strong new canes.

Pruning

Fruits on canes produced the previous year. After picking, cut every fruited cane out at ground level and tie in the new canes that grew this season. Keeping old and new canes on separate sides of the support, or fanning new growth up the middle, makes this much easier to do cleanly.

Propagation

Tip layering works almost too well: bend a cane tip to the ground in late summer, peg it down and cover with soil, then sever the rooted plant the following spring.

Pests and diseases

Raspberry beetle grubs affect blackberries too, showing as dried patches at the stalk end of the fruit. Purple blotch and cane spot mark the canes in wet seasons. Birds take ripe fruit.

Value to wildlife

Among the most valuable garden plants for wildlife — nectar for bees and hoverflies, berries for birds and mammals, and dense thorny cover for nesting and shelter.

Notes

The species name covers a very large aggregate of closely related wild brambles that vary in vigour and fruit quality. Garden cultivars are far better behaved than wild seedlings, and thornless kinds are worth the modest loss of flavour if space is tight.

This guidance was researched and written by GardenDecoded — see our editorial policy for how guides are checked and reviewed.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Rubus fruticosus but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

Others in Rubus