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Mid season feeding for a Himalayan Giant blackberry?

I have one of these slightly vigorous, large, blackberries in my back garden.

I have had the first half of the first flush of berries - about 2kg and I need to gather some more tomorrow.

There are still plenty of yet to grow berries on there.

My question - is it helpful to feed it now, and what to use, and for how long?

It has been having some seaweed feed and some tomato feed on occasions.

But I am a novice at this fertiliser lark, so any comments would be most welcome.

Cheers

Ferdinand
“Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
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  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    edited August 2020
    In general, an established blackberry plant doesn't need a lot of feeding or it will produce luxuriant leaves and not a lot of fruit.  The most important thing is to make sure it doesn't get too dry when the fruit is swelling.  If you remember childhood blackberrying expeditions, brambles will naturally produce plenty of fruit with no intervention from humans...

    If it is indeed a Himalayan Giant, I hope you have appropriate clothing to wear when it needs pruning.  I read somewhere that full motorcycle gear, including helmet and gauntlets, works well!   :)
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • Yes it has probably added a couple of £££ to my water bill.

    And yes it is a Himalayan Giant - has been known to go over the fence and nearly to the top of the pitched roof of next door's garage in one summer.

    I wear a pair of these "Wilko Rigger Gardening Gloves", which are inexpensive and high quality for £3. Review well - better than the "gauntlets".
    https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-rigger-garden-glove-medium/p/0486975

    Used to have one at a previous house, so my mum bought one when she was doing this garden. It has it's own support framework which is about 5 fence panels long.

    I'm a fiend for blackberry vinegar.
    “Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    Never tried that, @Ferdinand2000.  It's an idea... this garden is "new", ie new to us, neglected for 17 years and with a hedge full of brambles.  And currently, blackberries...   :)
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    edited August 2020
    That last sentence caught my eye too - I've got more blackberries than I know what to do with (and 4Kg in the freezer) and blackberry vinegar sounds delish.
    I'll definitely have a go at that - thanks for the idea!

    PS - I agree no need to feed blackberries now. I give mine a mulch and some blood, fish and bone in the spring and that's it for the year.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Pete.8 said:
    That last sentence caught my eye too - I've got more blackberries than I know what to do with (and 4Kg in the freezer) and blackberry vinegar sounds delish.
    I'll definitely have a go at that - thanks for the idea!

    PS - I agree no need to feed blackberries now. I give mine a mulch and some blood, fish and bone in the spring and that's it for the year.
    I give mine some blood when I'm picking them :-) .
    “Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    :) we've all been there

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Ferdinand2000Ferdinand2000 Posts: 537
    edited August 2020
    I have been using a recipe from the foraging blog eatweeds.co.uk for a few years, with a few modifications.

    Here:
    https://www.eatweeds.co.uk/blackberry-vinegar-recipe

    My differences:

    1 - I use about 3 times as many blackberries and a third less sugar. On the batch last week that was 1.5kg blackberries to 500ml cider vinegar. The finished vinegar should be like purple Quink. I should get about 2 litres from that. If necessary it can be diluted later. 
    2 - I use a potato masher on the blackberries so more will fit.
    3 - I let it steep for at least a week.
    4 - When it has drained through the muslin I wring out the blackberries in muslin like a flannel as that generates a *lot* (perhaps 30%) more juice.
    5 - I keep the pulp to make a chutney.
    6 - I use a saucepan or measuring jug not the earthernware dish.

    I have blackberry vinegar on pancakes mainly, or with an extra couple of Yorkshire puddings for dessert.

    The flavour can be adjusted by adding more or less sugar when simmering the vinegar at the end to taste. If balanced well it is a delicious sweet and sour flavour.
    “Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Thanks @Ferdinand2000
    I really like the sound of that.
    I love a good balsamic vinegar and stuff like pomegranate molasses and blackberry vinegar sounds right up my street


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Ferdinand2000Ferdinand2000 Posts: 537
    edited August 2020
    The chutney recipe is in the comments on the above blog.
    “Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
  • Might start a blackberry vinegar thread this w/e .
    “Rivers know this ... we will get there in the end.”
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