While thorny blackberry varieties used to be common in cultivation, thornless varieties have conquered the market since the 1970s. In the meantime, the range has expanded further, so that early, middle and late cultivated forms extend the harvest season.
Wild blackberries bear fruit in midsummer
The garden season
The flowering period extends from May to August. The fruit ripening of domestic blackberries begins in August and has reached its peak in September. Early-ripening forms develop the first dewberries in June. If you combine different strains, you can extend the harvest window to the maximum and harvest well into October.
Strain recommendations:
- early-bearing breeds: 'Choctaw', 'Silvan' and 'Wilson's Early'
- medium varieties: 'Kittatinny', 'Dromand Red' and 'Cascade'
- late ripening blackberries: 'Black Satin', 'Asterina' and 'Theodor Reimers'
The bushes like it
Blackberries prove to be undemanding, because they feel at home on light and heavy soils with a pH of 6.0. For improved growth, you should loosen compacted soil deeply and improve it with sand. This is how you prevent waterlogging. Substrates low in humus can be improved with compost.
promote fruit ripening
Late varieties and thornless varieties require full sun and a sheltered spot in the garden for their berries to ripen in late summer and fall. Location becomes more important if you live in higher elevations and regions with severe winter frosts. Frost damages the fresh fruit canes and their axillary buds, resulting in a poor harvest the following season.
Cultivate blackberries
If you want to plant blackberries in your garden, you should prefer a late planting date in autumn. The trees have enough time to grow and, with good care and optimal conditions, will bring the first fruits in the coming season.
planting
Place the root ball in a bucket of water so that the substrate can soak. If you want to plant several specimens as a hedge, ensure a distance of 100 to 150 centimeters for slow-growing varieties and 300 to 400 centimeters for fast-growing varieties. Dig holes twice the volume of the root ball and put horn meal in the planting hole.
The shrub is placed so deep in the pit that the root ball is about two inches below ground level. Fill in the excavated soil in the gaps, tread on the substrate and water the soil thoroughly. A layer of bark mulch protects the soil from excessive water loss.
tips
After planting, shorten the shoots to half a meter. This promotes fresh sprouting and ensures healthy fruit development.
maintenance
Winter protection is recommended in the first year. Water the shrubs regularly during the growing season so that the root area does not dry out. An administration of bark humus, leaf compost or horse manure in April ensures vital development.