New gardener - should I cut off bitten blackberry foliage?

13 years ago

Hi everyone,

I hope this forum is appropriate to ask this question.

I just picked up a young blackberry plant, and some of the leaves are quite damaged from insects biting/breaking them apart.

The tag instructs me to remove damaged foliage as it occurs, but my question is should I remove the affected LEAVES or cut back the entire stem if most of the leaves are affected?

Sorry for the newbie question, and I do appreciate any advice!

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Comments (4)

wally_1936
13 years ago
Follow their instructions, the cane will put back one new leaves. You will cut back the cane which produces each year but not until next spring.
jellyman
13 years ago
amethystt:

The life of your new blackberry plant is not in the existing stem or the leaves that are on it. The most you might be able to expect from the existing stem would be a few blackberries next season. Hardly worth considering.

The real future of your plant lies in its roots and crown. If they are alive, they should send up new growth, though it may take them some time to do so. Blackberries are biennials, so when new canes grow up they will fruit in the following season. August is not the best time to be transplanting blackberries, although in your particular climate you may be able to get away with it. In hot summer climates like mine, blackberries are best planted in the dormant season.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA
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tcstoehr
13 years ago
Definitely don't cut off any canes.Personally, I wouldn't bother removing any leaves even if damaged. I don't see the point but I'm no expert. Any leaves you remove won't grow back but plenty of new leaves on laterals sprouting from the leaf axils will be produced. Many more than on the original cane. Blackberries grow very well in this region. Keep your new transplant (I'm assuming it was acquired in a pot) moist but not soggy. You may be surprised by how vigorously these things grow next spring, even if they don't look very good now.
larry_gene
13 years ago
We've got six 90's coming up, today was the first, may hit 100 on Sunday or Monday. If it's already in the ground, keep poking into nearby soil to test dryness and keep the plant watered. Put a large object near it to shade the ground.

If still in the pot, just keep the whole thing in the shade and watered until cooler weather appears.

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New gardener - should I cut off bitten blackberry foliage?

Comments (4)

wally_1936

jellyman

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tcstoehr

larry_gene

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