growing black berries

Hi Lisa! I know your problem. Blackberries are shallowrooted. When you planted the root balls they probably were places too deep. Add clay soil to the mix and there is a well packed coffin around them. It is an easy matter to fix. Just take a pitchfork and loosen the soil around them for a couple feet to allow the roots easier room to grow. The same thing happened to me with blueberries. They were in for 7 years and really didn't do much until I loosened the soil. Good luck! Scott

You're welcome to come up here and take my wild ones. They seem to like trying to sneak into the raspberry patch, good thing they have different leaf formations.

All this talk about berries made me go out & pick a bunch(hope I didn't get poison ivy) my area is full of all types of berries, just got to beat the deer to them. Farm up the road has a couple acres of blueberries, have to beat the Amish to them, seems like some varieties grow wild much better than cultivated, best to buy from a local nursery than a big box store, usually they only carry the type that will thrive locally.

Tell you what Lisa,

Once you do get them to take you'll be amazed at how Hardy and resilient they are. They will try to creep and take over every bit of ground near them. They are like wild beach roses we have up here. they trow shoots underground that pop up everywhere. They're like the Borg collective (Star Trek) all leading back to the mother ship. I've got a nice patch next to me veg garden and they are constantly invading.