Any Blackberry growers here ?

[tercel89]

I am wanting to plant some blackberry bushes this spring. I have never planted them before so I was wanting some information on how to grow them , where to get them and what all  I need to do . I have a huge yard so room is no problem. I will be eating these . So if there is a certain kind I need to buy then let me know . I fugred it was a good thing to ask here since most of us live here in Tennessee so the soil and temperatures would be the same. Thanks in adavnce .

[Jonnin]

we used to grow them but ours were on a briar, not a bush, and it was a climber so giving them something to climb on helped.  They like a fair amount of water, too little and they will be small and hard, too much and they will mold and burst, but too much is difficult unless its a very, very wet year. 

 

Being a briar, what we did was grow a big field of them (and they were natural, not planted, but "encouraged" some) and then had a bush-hog cut walking paths that maximized access to the berries.  

[tercel89]

Yeah from all that I have read they seem to be "climbing type" plants.  I just didnt know if I grew them from seeds or from a small bush to get them started.

[enfield]

Thornless blackberries are the ticket for me.

 

They were developed at the University of Arkansas and come in a dozen or so varieties, all with southwest Indian tribe names - Apache, Arapaho, Navajo, etc.

 

If you're buying more than one plant, you need to buy different varieties to maximize yield, as I recall.

 

The berries are as big as the first joint of your thumb, numerous and delicious.

 

I found mine at Lowes, in the outdoor lawn & garden area last spring.

[gregintenn]

I just pick them where they grow wild along the fencerow. To me, the wild ones taste much better than commercial varieties.

[tercel89]

Thornless blackberries are the ticket for me.

 

They were developed at the University of Arkansas and come in a dozen or so varieties, all with southwest Indian tribe names - Apache, Arapaho, Navajo, etc.

 

If you're buying more than one plant, you need to buy different varieties to maximize yield, as I recall.

 

The berries are as big as the first joint of your thumb, numerous and delicious.

 

I found mine at Lowes, in the outdoor lawn & garden area last spring.

Were they in the form of a bush or plant ?

[tercel89]

I just pick them where they grow wild along the fencerow. To me, the wild ones taste much better than commercial varieties.

I hear you on the wild ones. We used to have them here all the time but I dont see anything like that anymore , just wild "country" roses growing along the ditches here and there.

Also , I love that line you have about how T.V. is to your mind , very true !

[enfield]

Were they in the form of a bush or plant ?

I'm not sure I understand the question. It came in a pot and I transplanted it. It grows long canes, just like a wild plant, but no thorns.

[swim615]

My dad gave me some clippings about five years ago of some thornless blackberry bushes he had. I just stuck them in the ground and they took root. I now have enough plants that we get several gallons of berries per year. They are big about the size of your thumb above the first joint and very good. They spread and get a little bigger each year. I wish I knew what kind they are and could be of more help, but I do think they are a good idea and the kids love to eat them right off the vine (me to).

 

Not much work for ours to do well. Some seven dust to kill the japanese beetles starting about the first of June. Watering only in severe droughts like last year. Then some mesh netting when they are getting ripe to keep the birds out.

 

To bad you are so far away or I could start you out with a few clippings from ours.

[tercel89]

Thanks for all the information and keep it coming. So what part of the year should I plant them ? Like maybe after the last cold spell or what ? 

[tercel89]

Also , I have a 30'X60' area that I have a fence built around to keep the deer out. I use that area for our tomatoes and canteloups and such but the kids love black-berries so much that I may use hal of this area to grow the berries there. I' thinking of putting some 6 foot tall rods in the ground spaced out about 5 foot every segment and run wires on them all and let the berries run up and along the wires.  Does this sound good ? 

Edited February 9, 2013 by tercel89

[swim615]

Thanks for all the information and keep it coming. So what part of the year should I plant them ? Like maybe after the last cold spell or what ? 

 

Sounds right to me, even now they will be GTG

Also , I have a 30'X60' area that I have a fence built around to keep the deer out. I use that area for our tomatoes and canteloups and such but the kids love black-berries so much that I may use hal of this area to grow the berries there. I' thinking of putting some 6 foot tall rods in the ground spaced out about 5 foot every segment and run wires on them all and let the berries run up and along the wires.  Does this sound good ? 

 

 

I have not had any issue with deer eating ours.

 

Mine are planted against a fence that is 5ft tall and they grow all the way over and back to the ground on the other side. Some of the runners are well over 12ft long. The runners are big enough that they would do fine with nothing to grow up against, easily bigger around than my thumb.

[Steelharp]

I am entirely too much of a nerd, apparently. I saw the title, and asked myself, "How in hell do you grow a phone??"

 

:stick:

[enfield]

I have one plant at the moment, but it's a biggun!  I drove a t-post on either side, about 6' apart overall, and stretched 2 strands of wire between them.   Wove the canes in amongst the wires to get them up off the ground, mainly so I could mow around it.  My blackberry plant grows like a weed!

[swim615]

With all the rain and nice temperatures this year our blackberries are doing well.

 

 

 

The white thing behind the blackberry bush is a full size Chevy Silverado extended cab 4x4 with dark tinted windows.

 

Got blackberries?  :yum:

 

 

They are a good size as well. That's a quarter. :drool:

Edited July 19, 2013 by swim615

[Wiljo05]

For tme of year to plant, go with what the local Co-op says. It should fall in line with the frost date. Co-op will offer a wealth of local knowledge, and can even help with soil testing/fert options.

Find an older guy there, and pick his brain. Nothing against the young guys(I am one) but I go with experience over books

[Blitzen]

I'm late to this dance but I have been growing raspberries for jelly making since 96'. Started with red and have been with black raspberries for some time now. Two distinct flavors of jellies. Got a spot fixed to start growing some blackberries and probably will go with thornless variety that will stand up decent. Will probably go with Starks Brothers. Getting the variety it says on the tag may be correct or may not. I planted a yellow raspberry this year and it turned out to be a red with low bushy growth, small berries and branches with needle like stickers all over. They will get a dose of 2-4-D roundup mix in the near future. My Black Raspberries were suppose to be purple and turned out to be black, however they are an excellent variety. Plants stand up good, are relatively disease resistant and make great jelly. 

[JWC]

I planted some Navaho's this year. I think I've eaten 5 berries off of them and my 2 year old has eaten/pulled off a couple too. I'm gonna try to acquire 2-3 more next year or may have to buy em. They make big fat berries that taste good. Piss on thorns.

This was the year of fruit. My dad always said he should've planted blackberries he just didn't for some reason. He died last year and left me the house so i figured in his honor I'd plant some. He sure loved blackberries! Then I decided he loved blueberries and strawberries too. So I planted them. But I want more so when the leaves drop I'm gonna take out 2 large useless Bradford pears, a ragged looking maple, and line the side fence with more fruit of some kind. Man I hate them trees.