As those unfortunate enough to read my ongoing "contributions" will know, I've been once more trimming the brambles on the tow path.
In an effort to be a bit more pragmatic I've started trimming the long, spindly canes (as I now know they're called) as far back as possible; avoiding anything bearing flowers / fruit if possible.
I've since learned that brambles are biennial; so canes sprout one year, flower and fruit the next and die the third. As such I'm aware that going hard at the fruitless canes this year might impact next year's fruit and of course everyone (especially the birds etc) like blackberries so I'd like to minimise my impact in this regard.
So... how should I be trimming them to keep length in check but retain / encourage maximum fruiting potential? I'm currently thinking about taking the canes back to a bit beyond the point where they're encroaching on the tow path; which might encourage them to fruit from the offshoots from the canes rather than the extreme end..?
Tbh as usual I'm probably over-thinking it as the council just butcher them periodically anyway, but I don't want my good intentions to end up to the detriment of the local wildlife.
Cheers!
In an effort to be a bit more pragmatic I've started trimming the long, spindly canes (as I now know they're called) as far back as possible; avoiding anything bearing flowers / fruit if possible.
I've since learned that brambles are biennial; so canes sprout one year, flower and fruit the next and die the third. As such I'm aware that going hard at the fruitless canes this year might impact next year's fruit and of course everyone (especially the birds etc) like blackberries so I'd like to minimise my impact in this regard.
So... how should I be trimming them to keep length in check but retain / encourage maximum fruiting potential? I'm currently thinking about taking the canes back to a bit beyond the point where they're encroaching on the tow path; which might encourage them to fruit from the offshoots from the canes rather than the extreme end..?
Tbh as usual I'm probably over-thinking it as the council just butcher them periodically anyway, but I don't want my good intentions to end up to the detriment of the local wildlife.
Cheers!