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I wondered if you could offer your opinions on planting/pruning primocane* (first year fruiting) varieties of blackberry. I planted a very healthy looking primocane variety yesterday which is about 2ft tall. Would I be correct in thinking that I have two options for pruning now:
1 - To not prune now but "top" the plant at the start of the growing season next year to encourage side branches and therefore more fruits when the time comes.
2 - To prune the plant right back now to encourage better root growth and get it better established
If I go for the first option, will the plant be a weaker one because the initial root growth won't be encouraged?
If I go for the second option, will the plant produce less fruit next year as the growth that already exists has been cut back (or will it re-grow sufficiently anyway in time for good fruiting, in which case, there's no disadvantage)?
All the "how-to" articles I've read say that after planting, blackberry plants should be pruned right back to encourage root growth and new shoots but I think they're generally written for the usual second year fruiting varieties. So I'm a bit stumped. Being a bit of a novice at all things green-finger related, I thought I'd better ask for some informed advice.
*Some places state the variety in question, Ouachita, as being a primocane, others state it as being a floricane. It appears that the cane that is growing is a new shoot which has not yet fruited, so regardless of whether it is actually a primocane or floricane variety, the existing cane is in its first year anyway.
1 - To not prune now but "top" the plant at the start of the growing season next year to encourage side branches and therefore more fruits when the time comes.
2 - To prune the plant right back now to encourage better root growth and get it better established
If I go for the first option, will the plant be a weaker one because the initial root growth won't be encouraged?
If I go for the second option, will the plant produce less fruit next year as the growth that already exists has been cut back (or will it re-grow sufficiently anyway in time for good fruiting, in which case, there's no disadvantage)?
All the "how-to" articles I've read say that after planting, blackberry plants should be pruned right back to encourage root growth and new shoots but I think they're generally written for the usual second year fruiting varieties. So I'm a bit stumped. Being a bit of a novice at all things green-finger related, I thought I'd better ask for some informed advice.
*Some places state the variety in question, Ouachita, as being a primocane, others state it as being a floricane. It appears that the cane that is growing is a new shoot which has not yet fruited, so regardless of whether it is actually a primocane or floricane variety, the existing cane is in its first year anyway.
