When Can You Move Blackberries?

Season

• Transplant your blackberries in fall, after your final berry harvest. Move the canes when the weather begins to cool toward 60 degrees Fahrenheit, but before the first fall frost. Transplanting becomes difficult for you and hard on plants when the soil freezes.

New Site

• Pick and prepare a new site before you dig the blackberries up. Find a spot that gets full sun all day, efficient drainage in winter and good air circulation year-round. Plant blackberry canes at every two to three feet in the row to avoid crowded plantings, and leave eight to 12 feet between multiple rows. The blackberries won't bloom or bear fruit without enough sun or space.

Soil

• Blackberries do best with deep, loose and acidic soil and experience problems with sweet or alkaline soil. Amend the soil in your new site to give blackberries a fresh, healthy start. Dig into the top 12 to 14 inches of soil and mix in 5 to 6 inches of organic compost to give the site acidic nutrition and drainage.

Process

• Dig up and transplant the berries early in the morning. Transplanting during the heat of the day leads to root drying and failure. Prune each cane to 5 to 6 inches to make the transplant easier and to encourage new growth in the new site, rather than immediate blooming. Dig the entire root ball up for each cane and move them quickly to the new planting sites. Expect new growth in four to six weeks and fruit harvest in the following season.