When to plant blackberries in Oregon and Washington
In Portland: Plant blackberry canes Mar 1 – Apr 19. In Bend: Apr 28 – Jun 16. Find your city below.
Difficulty
Easy
Sun
Full sun
Spacing
3 to 5 feet apart for upright types, 5 to 8 feet for trailing
Planting depth
Same depth as in the pot, roots covered
Frost
Hardy perennial; comes back every year
First harvest
A light crop in year two, full crops from year three
Trailing types like Marion are Oregon's famous berry but are less cold-hardy, so colder eastern and high areas do better with upright, thornless types. Never plant Himalayan blackberry, an invasive weed.
Pick a sunny spot with soil that drains well, and mix in an inch or two of compost.
Plant blackberry canes on your city's dates, 3 to 5 feet apart for upright types, 5 to 8 feet for trailing. Same depth as in the pot, roots covered.
Train canes on a two-wire trellis. Canes fruit in their second year; after harvest, cut the canes that fruited to the ground and tie up the new ones.
Harvest: Pick when berries turn from shiny to slightly dull black and pull off easily. Check every two or three days in season.
Key numbers
Year 3First full crop
Their second yearCanes fruit in
Less cold-hardyTrailing hardiness
Spotted wing drosophilaBiggest risk
Growing notes
What makes the difference in Northwest gardens, in plain language.
Trailing, semi-erect or upright
Trailing blackberries like Marion and Black Diamond have long, flexible canes that need a trellis, and they're known for rich flavor. They're the least cold-hardy, so they do best in mild west-side gardens. Semi-erect types like Triple Crown are thornless and vigorous with big, sweet berries. Upright and hardier types like Chester handle colder eastern and higher-elevation gardens better.
Never plant Himalayan blackberry. It's an invasive weed that already smothers roadsides and creeks across the region.
How the two-year cane cycle works
Blackberry roots live for many years, but each cane lives for only two. In its first year a cane grows long and leafy; in its second year it flowers, fruits and dies. Once you see this, pruning is simple: after harvest, cut the canes that just fruited to the ground and tie the new canes onto the trellis for next year.
With trailing types, let new canes run along the ground under the trellis during summer, then lift and tie them in late winter. This keeps them out of the way of pickers and protects them from cold.
Picking and spotted wing drosophila
Spotted wing drosophila is a small fruit fly that lays eggs inside ripening berries, unlike common fruit flies that only go after damaged fruit. Within days the berries turn soft and leaky. Pick every two or three days in season, remove overripe and damaged berries, and chill your harvest right away, which slows any larvae inside.
Ripe blackberries turn from shiny to slightly dull black and come off with almost no tug.
Common questions about growing blackberries
Is Marionberry a blackberry?
Yes. Marion is a trailing blackberry variety developed in Oregon and is the region's best-known blackberry. It's thorny and needs a trellis, but its flavor is hard to beat.
Why are my blackberries mushy with tiny worms?
That's usually spotted wing drosophila, a fruit fly that lays eggs in ripe berries. Pick every two or three days, clear out any overripe fruit, and refrigerate berries right after picking.
How do I get rid of wild Himalayan blackberry?
Cut canes to the ground and dig out the root crowns, then keep pulling or cutting regrowth for a few seasons. It spreads by both roots and bird-dropped seeds, so persistent removal is the key.
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