Friday, September 11, 2026

Pruning Blackberries

In today’s podcast, we talk with Sacramento County Master Gardener Michael Stinson about the when, how and why of pruning blackberry vines. Don’t want to listen? Here’s a summary. A complete transcript is at the bottom of this newsletter. Pruning Blackberries: Key Points From a conversation with Sacramento County Master Gardener Michael Stinson • Blackberry plants are perennials that can live 15 to 20 years, but each individual cane only last around two seasons, with a notable exception. • First year canes are called primocanes. Second year canes, the ones that flower and fruit, are floricanes. Fall pruning is all about removing the floricanes. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gardenbasics.substack.com/subscribe (https://gardenbasics.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)