[Lardman]

Couple of years back I put a thornless blackberry in against a 4ft wall with the intention of training it along wires. It's never wanted to do that and has always ended up and mess, which I could live with if it was a productive plant but it's not, I've managed just a few handful of berries off it since planting.

Here's what I have at the moment. Am I asking too much, it's a north face wall and doesn't get much sun until mid summer.

[Annen]

I've got two in my plot, one north the other south facing. The south one produced twice as many berries as the north one. It hadn't occurred to me till now that it could be the aspect which makes a difference.


It might be best to take some cuttings from it and then dig it out. You are like me in that I don't keep anything unless it is productive and/or good to look at.

[Kevin67]

For me, it's in the wrong place but if that's the only spot, take the bush out, prune the old wood out of it, refresh the soil and put some companion plants either side to encourage pollinators.

If it fails after that, then moving it becomes the only option, I'm afraid.

Annen's last comment cannot be beat.

[4 Seasons]

Out of interest do you remember the variety?

[Auntiemogs]

The plant in itself looks a good size Lardman.  Maybe it needs more of whatever encourages fruiting?

[Lardman]

It might be best to take some cuttings from it and then dig it out. You are like me in that I don't keep anything unless it is productive and/or good to look at.

I've been trying for year to get cuttings to take - but nothing strikes. The wild ones behind the shed only need to see the floor and they root but the 2 thornless plants just flatly refuse. Im growing at home rather than on a plot, space is at a premium, there just isn't room to keep things which don't play ball 

Out of interest do you remember the variety?

They were given to me by someone else, I think they came from "the range" but other than that I have no clue.  The few berries I had were nice enough and a good size.

[Annen]

I've been trying for year to get cuttings to take - but nothing strikes. The wild ones behind the shed only need to see the floor and they root but the 2 thornless plants just flatly refuse. Im growing at home rather than on a plot, space is at a premium, there just isn't room to keep things which don't play ball 

Mine layered quite happily without any assistance from me, so I haven't tried hardwood cuttings on them, but have been successful with a loganberry.
Have you tried layering? Takes a bit longer than cuttings, maybe.

[kirpi]

how about digging one up and placing it in a very large plant pot - the relatively poor soil will possibly cause it to flower and fruit more and then just give it enough nutrients to keep it healthy each year - better one smaller plant with an abundance of fruit than an abundant plant with less of a harvest.

[LotuSeed]

I'm with Annen on the tip layering. You could let the plant do it naturally by letting the long canes touch the ground and root, or you could try helping it along a little and bury the tips of a few of the canes and see if they take root.

[Nobbie]

I'm with Annen on the tip layering. You could let the plant do it naturally by letting the long canes touch the ground and root, it you could try helping it along a little and bury a the tips of a few of the canes and see if the take root.

I tried that with my thornless blackberry this year by burying the tip of a new cane, but to my surprise it showed no signs of rooting whatsoever when I looked last month.

[azubah]

The lack of fruit may be due to the variety. I walk past wild blackberries fruiting like mad behind a brick wall in a very shady north facing spot on my way to the lottie. Nothing else will grow there.

[LotuSeed]

I'm with Annen on the tip layering. You could let the plant do it naturally by letting the long canes touch the ground and root, it you could try helping it along a little and bury a the tips of a few of the canes and see if the take root.

I tried that with my thornless blackberry this year by burying the tip of a new cane, but to my surprise it showed no signs of rooting whatsoever when I looked last month.

Maybe it's best done to the tips of more mature canes then? I dunno. I had four canes that tip-rooted on their own.

[sonnycbr]

I tried a thornless variety a few years ago and it was very poor. Not only did I get very little fruit from it, but what berries I did get were bitter. I replaced it with the variety Black Butte and have had great results ever since although, once established, it requires a yearly pruning.

[Madame Cholet]

I had similar with the loganberry very poor in the garden, 2 years on the lotty and its trying to takeover.

[Lardman]

I've tried layering, by pulling down a cane and also surround a node with compost in a bag, I've also tried a collar around the base of the plant to encourage roots higher but nothing takes. 

Think I'll have them up this winter, I'll stuff them in pots until I've dug some more ground behind the sheds. It's not easy finding places to put things like that.