First Year of Blackberries

These are thornless blackberries. Sounds nice until you realize those thorns are what keep the deep away. We noticed the deer were eating the tops off these tender little new plants so we covered them up with fence. The deer have stayed away and now the berry bushes are almost too big for their covers.

These bushes will not bear fruit this year. They need to spend all their energy on establishing their new roots. Once established, they will bear fruit for many years.