Steve Kind wrote:

I have had a blackberry briar growing out of a one foot square hole the
corner my patio for nearly 30 years - I believe it is Bedfordshire
Giant. It has cropped well and reliably. When I first planted it, it
would put up two new stems each spring - in November I would cut the
previous years stems that had fruited right down to the ground, and tie
in the new ones as replacements. This worked fine for many years - but
in recent years it has started only putting up one new shoot. This year,
although the one stem from last year fruited well and seems healthy, it
has put up no replacement shoot at all. I've just cut this years stem
back to a few side branches that still have leaves in the hope that it
will put up a new shoot next spring - but I'm wondering if, after 28
years of service it has simply given up. Is there anything else I can
do to maximise its chances of recovery?

what has changed in recent years?

i'm wondering if you've been cutting the canes back too
early if the season has gradually extended...

have you fertilized at all in this time?

have you cleaned the patio? gotten a new roof?
changed water sources? gotten more shade? etc...


songbird