Steve: I sure hope you are adding the total length of several canes in your 40 foot figure. Individual canes should be topped off (pruned) to a maximum of about 8 feet. This is to maximize fruit production and quality. Heavier, thicker canes will support more fruit production than very long, thin canes. My TC canes, mulched and planted in rich, deep soil, grow up to 1 inch in diameter at the base, but I keep them pruned back to 7 feet up at the top of their trellis. The leaf nodes you refer to are the beginnings of fruiting laterals. These will continue to grow out, and should be pruned back at about 4 feet or less. I prune mine to less than 3 feet. Do not allow them to droop down and touch the ground or your berries may rot; if necessary, tie them up to your trellis. Homer is exactly right that your TC berries are ready to bear this year, and the beginnings of fruiting laterals is the proof. You will find new primocanes growing up right next to the fruiting canes by midsummer. Tie them up to your trellis to keep them reasonably erect, and when your floricanes have all borne their berries, in about mid to late August, you can remove those canes completely by cutting them off at the base, leaving the newly-grown canes to bear next season. Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Yes. New shoots that are beginning to grow right now will fruit next spring/summer. Blackberries have a perennial root, with a biennial cane. That is, it takes 2 seasons to make fruit. The new canes that are growing now are called primocanes. Think, 'primary', first stage. When they begin to flower out next spring, these primocanes will 'graduate' to the next stage, called a 'floricane'. 'Flori-' means 'flowering', of course. Raspberries also have primocanes and floricanes. Now, before anyone goes all technical... this is pertaining to 'traditional' blackberries, not the so-called 'primocane-bearing' hybrids known as 'Prime-Jim' and 'Prime-Jan', which produce fruit on both kinds of canes. Yes, they do exist... but I don't know of many people that are growing those types-- yet. Once this year's floricanes are done fruiting, you can/should trim them back, as you have done. The spent canes can be used to smoke meat, BTW. It gives a gentle fruity, nice wood smoke flavor to beef. Otherwise, if there is any chance that there might be a pathogen... burn them (which you are doing in the grill/smoker!) Enjoy your berries! :)

Time, water, Sun light M-gro keep in vegetated state until roots spread out feed plants every month they pick up growth Blackberry plants re heavy feeder, but can burn up it show in top plants first new growth. your plants as small they are I add tablespoon 12" off plant 2 sides every month.They begin to grow at any point 4" a day. April late planting time takes six weeks roots to begin growing. New canes come up next year like wow over winter they have crown just under soil new canes grow up to foot aday for few days. Be-careful with fertilizer on young plants.

One is probably a blackberry and one a black raspberry. The ones with the silvery new canes are the black raspberry. Blackberry canes old enough to bear fruit will have ridges in them. They also tend to be seedier.