blackberry
Rubus 'Illini Hardy'
Cycle:
Perennial
Watering:
Average
Propagation:
Layering Propagation,Cutting,Division,Grafting Propagation,Tissue Culture
Hardiness Zone:
4 - 6
Flowers:
White Flowers
Sun:
Full sun,part shade
Fruits:
purple,black Fruits Ready In
Edible:
Yes
Leaf:
Yes
Leaf Color:
green
Growth Rate:
High
Maintenance:
Moderate
Drought Tolerant:
Yes
Salt Tolerant:
Yes
Thorny:
Yes
Care Level:
Medium
watering
Blackberry (Rubus 'Illini Hardy') should be watered every 7-10 days when the soil is dry about an inch down. Water deeply to a depth of 12-18 inches, providing about 1-2 inches of water per session. If needed, reduce the watering frequency and limit watering to 1 inch during periods of heavy rainfall.
sunlight
Blackberry (Rubus 'Illini Hardy') prefers full sun (6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily), especially during the summer months when the plants are actively growing. When plants are not actively growing, they do not need as much direct sunlight, however they do need a minimum of 4 to 6 hours of indirect sunlight each day. Providing too much sun can cause stress to the plants and result in poor fruit production and lack of vigorous growth.
pruning
Blackberry (Rubus 'Illini Hardy') should be pruned every year, in late winter or early spring, just before bud break. It should be pruned back to the last set of strong canes, leaving 6-9 canes per plant with the oldest canes being removed. To promote larger yields, thinning may be performed in the summer months, encouraging large canes to branch into many smaller branches. Remove any dead or diseased canes as soon as it is noticed. If necessary, renewing can be performed every 3-4 years which entails removing all canes and replacing them with new strong canes.
