Black Satin thornless blackberry care and Ilex Sky Pencil - Ask Extension
Last season, I planted a Black Satin thornless blackberry in a container on my deck against a south facing wall where it receives full sun most of the...
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Black Satin thornless blackberry care and Ilex Sky Pencil #862333
Asked March 23, 2024, 4:59 PM EDT
Last season, I planted a Black Satin thornless blackberry in a container on my deck against a south facing wall where it receives full sun most of the day; I do not have yard space to plant it in the ground. It did not produce fruit. Since it is a solitary plant, will it produce fruit, or do I need another blackberry plant? I do have veggies, herbs, annuals and a blueberry plant in other containers on this small deck, so I am hoping that is enough to encourage pollinators.
The container had soil that was 12" in diameter and 7" deep. I am thinking I need to move it to a bigger container. I do have a 5' trellis in the pot. What size container do you recommend?
I see online that this is a semi-erect blackberry; is that correct?
Since it did not fruit, should I prune it at all at this time?
When and with what do you recommend I fertilize it?
Do you have any advice about watering through the growing season and also do I need to water at all in the winter?
Behind the same deck, I planted 6 pots of Ilex Sky Pencil, one to a pot, between an east facing fence and our hot tub, which is covered except when we use it. I kept them watered through the summer, but I thought they would be ok without extra water through the winter. Now 3 are completely browned out and the other 3 are green, but the foliage is crispy and falls off at my touch. What did I do wrong? Is there hope any of them will begin to grow again, or should I just remove and plant again? Is there a better choice to plant as a screen along this fence?
Thanks for your help.
Denver County Colorado
Expert Response
Hi Vicki,
There is a myriad of free online gardening resources available to the public based upon research from horticulture departments at various US universities. Dr. Whiting from CSU in Fort Collins https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/762.pdf
answers many of care questions (pruning, fertilization) that you pose. He warns "(blackberries) are not hardy in climates like Colorado, experiencing damage at temperatures of 13ºF and below mid-winter, and in the 20ºF late winter / early Spring.
You do not need a second plant as blackberry flowers produce nectar and pollen that attract bees, which serve as pollinators.
An Agricultural agent from the U of FL has a short blog about growing blackberries in containers, but of course its warmer there https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/putnamco/2018/06/05/containerized-blackberries/
On Missouri Botanical Garden's website is information about Ilex Sky Pencil:
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=v890 - this type of holly does best in "light, moist, acidic soils with good drainage." Also, "May not be reliably winter hardy throughout USDA Zone 5 where it should be grown in a protected location with a winter mulch." Winter watering is of prime importance in Colorado due to our dry air, desiccating winds and lack of winter moisture
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/fall-and-winter-watering-7-211/ It warns "Plants receiving reflected heat from buildings, walls and fences are more subject to damage".
Rather than replant Ilex Sky Pencil, please consider a dwarf evergreen variety better suited to our climate like a dwarf pinyon pine. A full list of alternative choices can be found on this Evergreen Shrub List where the first column gives the specie's mature height & width / spread
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/evergreen-shrubs-7-414/
You mention "3 are green, but the foliage is crispy and falls off at my touch"; if the twig portions are pliable it's alive. If they snap & break easily they are dead.
There is a myriad of free online gardening resources available to the public based upon research from horticulture departments at various US universities. Dr. Whiting from CSU in Fort Collins https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/762.pdf
answers many of care questions (pruning, fertilization) that you pose. He warns "(blackberries) are not hardy in climates like Colorado, experiencing damage at temperatures of 13ºF and below mid-winter, and in the 20ºF late winter / early Spring.
You do not need a second plant as blackberry flowers produce nectar and pollen that attract bees, which serve as pollinators.
An Agricultural agent from the U of FL has a short blog about growing blackberries in containers, but of course its warmer there https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/putnamco/2018/06/05/containerized-blackberries/
On Missouri Botanical Garden's website is information about Ilex Sky Pencil:
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=v890 - this type of holly does best in "light, moist, acidic soils with good drainage." Also, "May not be reliably winter hardy throughout USDA Zone 5 where it should be grown in a protected location with a winter mulch." Winter watering is of prime importance in Colorado due to our dry air, desiccating winds and lack of winter moisture
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/fall-and-winter-watering-7-211/ It warns "Plants receiving reflected heat from buildings, walls and fences are more subject to damage".
Rather than replant Ilex Sky Pencil, please consider a dwarf evergreen variety better suited to our climate like a dwarf pinyon pine. A full list of alternative choices can be found on this Evergreen Shrub List where the first column gives the specie's mature height & width / spread
https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/evergreen-shrubs-7-414/
You mention "3 are green, but the foliage is crispy and falls off at my touch"; if the twig portions are pliable it's alive. If they snap & break easily they are dead.
