Blackberry Merton Thornless

Bare-root plants should be planted out as soon as they arrive. If this is not possible, they can be heeled in temporarily (covering their roots with soil) or potted up. Before planting, soak the rootball in a bucket of water for half an hour and make sure to incorporate lots of well-rotted garden compost in the planting hole. Remove all weeds and allow 3m between each plant and 1.8m between rows. Once planted, shorten the canes to about 23cm (9in). Each spring, mulch well with well-rotted manure. Plants flower on one-year-old wood, so the new canes need to be separated from fruiting ones. After cropping, cut the fruiting canes down to the ground and tie in the new ones that have grown that year.