Blackberries

Blackberries are a close relative of the raspberry. Both grow on canes and produce aggregate fruit. However when a raspberry is picked the core stays behind with the plant, in a blackberry the core remains with the fruit. It is also worth noting that both plants can harbor early blight and should not be planted near garden plants that are susceptible to early blight such as tomatoes and potatoes.

Growing zone: Varies by type. Generally 4 to 9.

Time to maturity: Most blackberries bear fruit on the canes that grew and matured the year before.

Pollination needs: Most blackberries are self-pollinating.

Pruning/Thinning: No pruning is needed. Simply remove any dead canes. After 3 years canes may need to be thinned in early spring if they are growing too close together.

Harvest time: Late June to mid-July.

There are essentially 3 different types of blackberry that many different varieties branch out from.

Thornless blackberries grow on canes which are devoid of thorns. While this is convenient for picking it also means you can’t use them as any part of a defensive perimeter for a garden or orchard. The canes also tend to be softer than other varieties, which causes them to fall over easily in storms. A plant that is on the ground for too long can suffer from rotting fruit or the scavenging of rodents. If you are going to grow thornless blackberries it is best to tie them onto a trellis or a fence line with soft cotton twine.

Thornless blackberries tend to grow in warmer growing regions. While there are a few varieties that might be able to handle the winter in growing zone 5, most need to be in growing zone 6 or warmer in order to survive.

Thorny blackberries are similar to their thornless sisters, except for the fact that they have stiffer canes that won’t fall over as easy. Their thorns also allow them to be used as defensive perimeter. Some thornless varieties are hardy enough to handle the winters in growing zone 4, however most still need growing zone 5 or warmer.

Primocane varieties are somewhat new to the scene and have some rather unique traits. The most important is that they can bear fruit on first year canes as well as second year canes. This means you get a small bounty of fruit a year sooner than if you planted thornless or thorny varieties. Most have thorns so they can be used in a defensive perimeter.

Primocane blackberries can also tolerate the harsh winters of growing zone 4, making them an attractive option for northern gardeners. Since they are a manmade variety, most have some form of disease resistance bred into them so that they can handle life closer to the garden. You can tell a primocane variety by its name. They are usually tagged with names like Prime-Jan, Prime-Jim and Prime-Ark.

Long term storage options: If they are quick frozen, Blackberries will handle life in the freezer for 6 to 8 weeks before freezer burn sets into the spaces between the aggregate fruit. However it is probably better to make them into jam which can be canned and put up in the root cellar for up to two years.

Blackberry wine is very full bodied. It is also very laborious as you must remove every single core and cook the berries up to 180 degrees for one minute in order to kill any bacteria living in the spaces in the aggregate fruit.