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Thornless blackberries propagate easily from tip layering, root cuttings, or by digging up suckers that pop up around the base of the plant.
Unlike their wild, thorny cousins, thornless varieties like Chester, Triple Crown, and Navaho don’t spread as aggressively underground, so you’ll often need to give them a helping hand.
If you’ve ever wondered how to propagate thornless blackberries so you can expand your patch for free, you’re in the right place.
In this post, we’ll walk through the best ways to propagate thornless blackberries, when to do it, and the simple mistakes that trip people up.
Let’s dig in.
How to Propagate Thornless Blackberries: The Best Methods
How to propagate thornless blackberries comes down to three reliable techniques, and each one has its own sweet spot depending on your setup.
1. Tip Layering (The Easiest Way)
Tip layering is the simplest method for how to propagate thornless blackberries, and it happens almost on its own if you let your canes arch over.
In late summer, take a flexible first-year cane and bend the tip down until it touches the soil.
Bury the tip about two inches deep and pin it down with a bent paperclip or a small stone.
Within a few weeks, the buried tip grows roots while still attached to the parent plant.
By the following spring, you can snip the new plant free and move it wherever you like.
This method works beautifully with thornless blackberries because their long, pliable canes bend without stabbing you.
2. Root Cuttings
Root cuttings are another great way to propagate thornless blackberries, especially if you want lots of new plants at once.
In late winter, while the plant is still dormant, dig up a few pencil-thick roots.
Cut them into sections about four to six inches long.
Lay the cuttings horizontally in a pot of moist potting mix, covering them with an inch of soil.
Keep them somewhere warm and slightly humid, and new shoots will sprout from the roots within weeks.
This is a favorite trick for how to propagate thornless blackberries on a bigger scale.
3. Suckers and Layering from the Crown
Many thornless varieties throw up an occasional sucker near the crown, and those are ready-made new plants.
In early spring, slip a spade between the sucker and the mother plant and lift it out with plenty of roots attached.
Replant it right away at the same depth it was growing before.
If your variety doesn’t sucker much, you can mound soil around the base of the canes and let them root that way instead.
Either approach is a painless way to propagate thornless blackberries without buying new stock.
When to Propagate Thornless Blackberries
Timing matters when you propagate thornless blackberries, though the window is pretty forgiving.
1. Late Summer for Tip Layering
Late summer is prime time for tip layering because canes are long, flexible, and still growing.
The warm soil helps roots form fast before the cold sets in.
2. Late Winter for Root Cuttings
Root cuttings belong in late winter, while the plant is dormant and doesn’t mind losing a few roots.
This also gives the new plants a full season to get established.
3. Early Spring for Transplanting Suckers
Early spring is ideal if you’re digging suckers or moving young plants.
The soil is workable, the weather is mild, and the plants settle in before the summer heat arrives.
Tips for Success When You Propagate Thornless Blackberries
A few small habits make a big difference when you propagate thornless blackberries.
1. Keep the Soil Moist, Not Soggy
New roots need steady moisture, but soggy soil invites rot.
Water gently and let the top inch dry out between drinks.
2. Skip the Fertilizer at First
Don’t feed brand-new plants right away because tender roots burn easily.
Wait until you see fresh growth, then give them a light dose.
3. Grow Them in Full Sun
Blackberries love sunshine, so pick a spot with at least six hours of direct light.
Good airflow also keeps disease away.
4. Be Patient
New plants from tip layering or root cuttings usually fruit in their second year, so don’t expect berries overnight.
So, How Do You Propagate Thornless Blackberries?
You propagate thornless blackberries by tip layering in late summer, taking root cuttings in late winter, or lifting suckers in early spring.
All three methods are cheap, simple, and give you free plants from the patch you already have.
Just keep the soil moist, plant in full sun, and give them a season to settle in.
Before long, you’ll have more thornless blackberries than you know what to do with.