Can you grow a blackberry bush from a blackberry?

Blackberries (Rubus spp.), which grow best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 10, are commonly propagated through cuttings or division. This method gives an exact copy of the berry bush. It is possible to grow blackberry shrubs by planting seeds, but the seedlings vary in features. The best time to plant young blackberry seedlings outside is in September, but the germination process begins six months earlier.

Índice Show

Propagating Blackberries – Rooting Blackberries From Cuttings
Propagating Blackberries through Suckers & Tip Layering
How do you start a blackberry bush from a blackberry?
Can I grow a blackberry bush from blackberries?
Can you start a blackberry bush from a cutting?
How do you get seeds from blackberries?

1.
Harvest the blackberry fruit. Use fresh berries to gather the seeds, not dried fruit. The germination rate drops when the seeds dry out. Place the fruit in a blender, pulsing on low until the seeds and fruit separate. Strain the berries out of the juice, and pick the seeds out of the pulp with tweezers.
2.
Examine each of the seeds for scratches or nicks. Scratch any seed without damage with a sharp knife. Scarification helps break the strong seed dormancy surrounding the embryo.
3.
Place the blackberry seeds in a resealable plastic bag along with a handful of damp peat moss. Seal the bag, and place in a refrigerator with temperatures around 33 to 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the seeds chilled for 12 to 16 weeks.
4.
Fill seed trays with seed starter soil, and spread the blackberry seeds on top of the soil. Lightly cover the seeds with soil, and place in a warm area. Blackberry seed germination does not require bright light since the seeds are covered with soil. Mist the soil with water in a spray bottle whenever the soil begins to dry out. Once seedlings begin to sprout, move the tray to an area with bright light.
5.
Remove the weeds from a planting area in full to partial sun. Pick a location with good drainage. Spread a 3- to 6-inch-layer of well-rotted compost over the planting area. Dig the organic material into the soil with a shovel. Work the compost into the top 8 inches of soil. This gives the blackberry plants a good source of slow-release nutrients. Smooth the soil with a rake.
6.
Dig holes with a hand trowel only as deep and wide as the seedlings’ root balls. Space the holes out 4 to 6 feet apart. Place the seedlings in the holes, and fill with soil. Gently firm the soil around the brambles so they stand up. Space the rows 10 feet apart.
7.
Water the soil around the base of the blackberry plants until it is slightly muddy. Give the berry plants 1 inch of water each week when there is no rainfall during the summer. Spread 2 to 3 inches of organic mulch around the base of the new shrubs. Mulching benefits blackberry bushes by reducing weed growth, slowing soil moisture evaporation and providing slow-release nutrients. Keep the mulch layer thick throughout the life of the blackberry bushes.
Things You Will Need
- Blender
- Strainer
- Tweezers
- Knife
- Resealable plastic bag
- Peat moss
- Seed tray
- Seed starter soil
- Spray bottle
- Compost
- Shovel
- Rake
- Hand trowel
- Organic mulch

Propagating Blackberries – Rooting Blackberries From Cuttings

Propagating blackberries is easy. These plants can be propagated by cuttings (root and stem), suckers, and tip layering. Regardless of the method used for rooting blackberries, the plant will characteristically resemble that of the parent variety, especially as far as thorns are concerned (i.e. thornless types will not have thorns and vice versa).

Blackberries can be propagated through leafy stem cuttings as well as root cuttings. If you want to propagate lots of plants, leafy stem cuttings are probably the best way to go. This is usually accomplished while the cane is still firm and succulent. You’ll want to take about 4-6 inches (10-15 cm.) of the cane stems. These should be placed in a moist peat/sand mix, sticking them in a couple inches deep.

Note: Rooting hormone can be used but is not necessary. Mist well and put them in a shady location. Within three to four weeks, roots should begin to develop.

More often root cuttings are taken for blackberry propagation. These cuttings, which are usually anywhere from 3-6 inches (7.5-15 cm.) long, are taken in fall during dormancy. They usually require about a three-week cold storage period, especially plants having larger roots. Straight cuts should be made nearest the crown with an angled cut made further away.

Once the cuttings have been taken, they’re usually bundled together (with similar cuts end to end) and then cold stored at about 40 degrees F. (4 C.) outdoors in a dry area or in the refrigerator. After this cold period, like stem cuttings, they are placed in a moist peat and sand mix—about 2-3 inches (5-7.5 cm.) apart with straight ends inserted a couple inches into soil. With small-rooted cuttings, only small 2-inch (5 cm.) sections are taken.

These are placed horizontally over the moist peat/sand mix and then lightly covered. It is then covered in clear plastic and placed in a shady location until new shoots appear. Once they’re rooted, all the cuttings can be planted into the garden.

Propagating Blackberries through Suckers & Tip Layering

Suckers are one of the easiest ways to root blackberry plants. Suckers can be removed from the parent plant and then replanted elsewhere.

Tip layering is another method that can be used for blackberry propagation. This works well for trailing types and when only a few plants are needed. Tip layering usually takes place in late summer/early fall. The young shoots are simply bent over to the ground and then covered with a few inches of soil. This is then left throughout fall and winter. By spring there should be enough root formation to cut the plants away from the parent and replant elsewhere.

This article was last updated on 04/26/21

How do you start a blackberry bush from a blackberry?

Cut some 4- to 6-inch pieces off the tips of blackberry canes and place them in a pot of moist potting soil—a moist mix of peat and sand works best. Keep them in a bright shady place until roots develop. Mist them often to keep the soil moist. You can use rooting hormone if you have it, but it's not necessary.