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EC 1303 /June1989

75 GROWING BLACKBERRIES IN YOUR HOME GARDENDATE. B.C. STRIK

There are two types of blackberries, erect OF and trailing. The primary difference is the It's easy to tell a blackberry fruit growth habit of their canes. Erect blackberry Why is it important to rotate from a fruit. types have stiff, arching canes that are these crops? somewhat self-supporting. Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, Trailing blackberries, also calledOUT eggplant, caneberries (blackberries and in the East, have canes that are not ), and strawberries are self-supporting; they include the Marionberr susceptible to, or affected by, many of ,IS , and the same insects and diseases. So it's Thorniess Evergreen. important to rotate these crops from one Erect blackberries are more cold-hardy than site to another. trailing types. However, you can grow trailing Blackberry plantings aren't rotated types in colder areas if you leave the canes on often, because they live for a long time. In a raspberry far left, the fruit recep- the ground and mulch them in winter. However, it's best to plant blackberries in tacle (core of the berry) remains on the All of these are information:species and hybrids of the a site that hasnt been planted to any of plant when you pick the fruit. genus , and all have similar fruiting these crops in the past 3 years. If you In a blackberiy (left), the receptacle is habits. don't do this, fungus diseases and insect part of the fruit that you eat; the fruit All blackberry plants are perennial, with pests may still be present in the soil and has no opening as raspbeny fruit does. roots living for many years. The canes are infect the new planting. biennial; they grow one year (primocanes) and produce fruit the following year There are two names for a current(floi*anes). The floricanes die after they have blackberry cane. ThePUBLICATION name depends fruited. New canes are produced each year from on whether the cane is in its first year of roots or the base of old canes. The floricanes consider when you're selecting a site. If growth or second. need to be removed each year after harvest, but blackberry plants are in waterlogged soils for Primocanes: first year of growth; no the new primocanes, which will fruit the fol- more than a few days at a time, they normally fruit is produced on this cane. lowing year, need to be thinned and trained. die a slow death from lack of aeration Floricanes: second yearmost of growth; these (oxygen) or from subsequent attack by root produceTHIS fruit on branches. SELECTING A SITE diseases. Plants do best in a well-drained, fertile, loam soil with moderate water holding For Blackberries produce best in full sun, but capacity. Avoid heavy clay or sandy soils. they can tolerate partial shade. However, plants Sometimes you can improve a less desirable http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalogdo not grow or produce well in heavy shade. site by tiling, increasing organic matter It's best to avoid selecting a site where content, and building raised beds (see potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, other "Preparing the soil"), caneberries, or strawberries have grown within the past 3 years. (OREGONSTATE UNIVERSITY Blackberries are sensitive to wet soils. 4) EXTENSION SERVICE Therefore, drainage is an important factor to Bernadine C. Strik, Extension horticulture specialist, Oregon State University SELECTING A CULT! VAR Erect cultivars Sunberry Early; berries medium, dark red, Cherokee. Midseason; berries medium large, poor to good flavor; canes thorny. Although there are few differences in the black, firm, excellent flavor; bushes vigorous, Tayberry Early; berries large, medium red, cultural requirements of the various types of thorny. soft, flavor distinctive, good; canes thorny. blackberries, cultivars (varieties) differ greatly Cheyenne. Early; berries very large, firm, Thorniess Evergreen. Late (mid-August to in fruit size, appearance, and flavor. In attractive, good flavor; bushes vigorous, mid-September);DATE. berries medium, dark black, Oregon, blackberries ripen from mid-June to moderately thorny, hardy. firm, mild flavor; very productive; suckers from mid-September, depending on the cultivar. All Shawnee. Midseason; long fruiting season; roots may be thorny types are self-fruitful, so you need only one berries very large, shiny black, medium firm, OFTummelberry Early; berries medium to cultivar for pollination or fruit production. good flavor; bushes vigorous, thorny, very large, firm, poor to good flavor; canes thorny Cultivars differ in growth habit (trailing vs. productive. Waldo. Midseason (about 7 days later than erect, and vigor) and fruit characteristics. If Marion); berries medium, glossy black, firm, you live in a region of the State with very cold Trailing cultivars small drupelets, good, mild flavor; canes winter temperatures, you'll need to consider Black Satin. Midseason, earlierOUT than Hull; thomless, less vigorous than Marion (plant at other factors such as coldhardiness. berries large, skin black, loses glossiness at 4 feet apart in the row), productive. Erect blackberries generally are more maturity, good flavor; bushes semierect, cold-hardy than trailing types, although some thornless, hardy, vigorous.IS cultural practices can decrease the risk of Boysen. Midseason; berries very large, deep winter injury to the canes of trailing types. maroon, rather soft, excellent distinct flavor; canes thorny. Chehalem. Midseason; berries small to Drupelets. The blackberry fruit is medium, bright black, very firm, excellent made up of very many drupelets. Each flavor. information:one contains a seed. Chester. Late; berries medium, black, good What if you find a cultivar that's flavor; canes thomless, semierect. not on this list? Hull Thornle.ss. Midseason to late; berries Find out some of the plant growth and large, firm,goodflavor and keeping quality; fruit characteristics: canes thornless, vigorous, productive; canes What type is it (erect or trailing)? semierect, hardy. What time of year does it fruit? Kotata. Midseason; berries large, glossy Young. Midseason; berries very large, dark Does the description the nursery has currentblack, firm, good flavor; canes thorny, red or maroon, very sweet, excellent flavor; indicate the plantPUBLICATION is susceptible to any vigorous, productive. superior to Logan for jam and freezing; canes diseases such as root rot or viruses? Logan. Early; berries medium, long, dark are prone to winter injury in colder regions. Are the plants hardy? red, soft, good flavor; thornless type available. Are the canes thorny? Marion. Midseason (early July to What is the fruit likemostis it large, early August); berries large, bright black, THISfirm, and does it have good flavor, medium firm, excellent flavor; plants produce ESTABLISHING YOUR texture, and color? fewer and longer canes than Boysenberry PLANTING Remember: if you purchase a cultivar thorny, productive. For Preparing the soil. You should be able that's not on this list, it probably hasn't 011alie, Midseason; berries medium to to keep your blackberry planting productive for been extensively tested in Oregon. It's large, bright black, firm, good shelf life; plants 15 to 20 years, so choose and prepare a site best to try a few plantshttp://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog in your garden vigorous, productive, not hardy outside the carefully before you establish the planting. first, to see if they grow well and if you coastal areas. Eliminate all perennial weeds. Don't let like the fruit. Silvan. Early to midseason; berries large, weeds to go to seed! black, medium firm, excellent flavor; canes Almost any soil type is suitable for thorny, very productive. blackberries as long as the drainage is good. The Thomless Evergreen cultivarwilltolerate heavy, more poorly drained soils. A good supply of organic matter in the soil roots from drying. Dig a shallow hole, large CARE OF ESTABLISHED improves aeration and drainage, and it enough to accommodate the roots. Prune off increases water-holding capacity. You may any damaged root parts. Spread the root mass PLANTINGS apply organic matter the summer or fall before and set the plant at about the same depth as it Fertilizing. Apply fertilizer in early spring you plant; manure applied at 2 to 3 bushels was in the nursery. Cover roots with soil and when new DATE.growth is starting. You canapply per 100ft2 is a good source. You can also use press firmly to remove air pockets. fertilizer as a broadcast application (spread decomposed (rotted) compost, leaves, chopped Water the plants to settle the soil. over the surface of the soil in the row) or as a hay or straw, peat moss, sawdust, etc. Cut the cane(s) on newly set plants to 6 band application in a shallow trench 1 foot on Use only materials that you think are free inches at planting time (this may have been OFeach side of the row and 3 to 4 inches deep. from insects and weed seeds. Dig, plow, or done by the nursery). Don't produce fruit the Apply 5 to 6 lb of 10-20-20 fertilizer per 100 rototill the material into the soil to ensure that first seasonthiswillweaken the plants. Be feet of row (or equivalent rate of a similar it will be well decomposed by planting time. If patient! If you wait, you'll get more fruit the fertilizer). If plants lack vigor, apply an you incorporate large amounts of year after you plant. additional ito 1½ lb of ammonium nitrate non-decomposed material into the soil, add OUT (33% nitrogen) per 100 feet of row at bloom. ammonium nitrate (33% nitrogen) at 1 lb per Spacing. Space trailing cultivars 4 to 10 If you use manure,apply feet apart in the row, depending on cultivar, it in the late fall 100ft2to aid in decomposition. or early winter. Reduce the rate of nitrogen if your garden is slow to drain, or if the and erect cultivars 4 to IS6 feet apart in the row. fertilizer applied by one-half. Manure applied water table is high, you can improve the Leave 8 to 10 feet between rows. early in the fall may cause blackberries to grow situation by installing a drain tile at least 25 Erect cultivars tend to produce suckers from later in the season and make them more sus- inches deep near the row, or by planting in the roots andwillfill in the row to form a ceptible to winter injury. raised beds. Mix organic matter and fertilizer hedgerow; you can also maintain a planting in (see below) with the soil. a "hill system" by removing suckers that Cultivation is necessary to control weeds Blackberries grow best when the soil pH is develop between plants.information:and primocanes that develop between plants between 5.5 and 7. Test the soil pH the year Trailing cultivars tend to produce few root and in the row aisles. Cultivate no deeper than before you plant. If the soil is too acidic (pH suckers, but they need more space because of ito 2 inches to prevent root damage. Check below 5.5), add lime to the soil as their long canes. with your county office of the OSU Extension recommended by the soil analysis. Service or a garden supply store for herbicides Trellis. It's advisable to trellis all registered for blackberries in the home garden. Planting. It's best to purchase certified blackberries. You can grow erect blackberries You mayapplya mulch once plants become disease-free plants from a nursery. Plants from without support, but trellises keep the planting established. Sawdust (not cedar) or bark your neighbor's planting could introduce root neater and make both cultivation and current mulch can be applied in a 3-inch layer over rot organisms or viruses into your garden. harvesting easier. PUBLICATION the row. Additional nitrogen may be required to You can propagate plants of cultivars that A simple trellis system of wire supports assist in breakdown of organic mulches. produce suckers by transplanting rooted strung between posts is preferred. You may use suckers. Propagate trailing cultivars, which either wood or metal posts for the trellis. Treat produce fewer root suckers, mostby tip layering. wood posts with a copper-based preservative. CoverTHIS tips of canes with soil in the late summer Use heavy end posts with lighter posts spaced or early fall. Cut rooted tips from the cane and 20 feet apart in the row. transplant them the following spring. About 4½ to 6 feet of post should show A good guide for fertilization is to if your soil Foris low in fertility, incorporate 1 above ground. A two-wire (12-gauge or observe plant growth. Leaves should be a lb of 5-10-5 (or equivalent) per 100 ft2; rototill heavier) system with the top wire at 5 feet and healthy green; a pale green or yellow this into the soil beforehttp://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog you plant. the other 18 inches lower is common for color may indicate nitrogen deficiency. Plant as early as you can work the soil in trailing types (figure 1). Canes should grow well and be stout the spring. If you can't plant immediately, heel If you're growing only a few plants, train rather than spindly. bare-rooted plants into the soil to prevent the canes to stakes placed beside each plant. ap and tie the canes spirally around the stake. Training the canes to a multiple-wire trellis (figure 2) or an existing fence are other options. Watering. Blackberry plants require about 1 inch of water per week from mid-June 20 to 30' between posts through harvest. When rainfall doesn't provide this amount, you should irrigate. Extremely 'Ts- warm andDATE. windy conditions make greater __H amounts of water necessary OFPRUNING AND 4.5 to6' A$ TRAINING How you should prune erect and trailing OUT blackberries varies slightly IS All cultivars require very little pruning or training during the planting year.

Figure 1.Two-wire trellis for trailing blackberries, in the growing season (leaves not drawn for clarity): A. Canes that just bore fruit and will die. B. Wire guide for new cane growth. C. New growth that will bear fruit the following year. information: Erect cultivars. In the summer, remove the top 1 to 2 inches of new primocanes when they're 3 feet tall. This causes canes to branch, and these branches will produce fruit the next year. After harvest, remove the floricanes; these 2-year-old canes will die by the end of the current growing season. PUBLICATION In late winter, when plants are dormant, thin primocanes to three or four of the most THIS Why should you thin out canes from a hilt or hedgerow and For shorten lateral branches? If you prevent canes from becoming http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalogtoo dense or crowded in the hill or hedgerow, fruit quality will be better, and you may reduce the amount of fruit rot. In addition, fruit from pruned later- Figure 2.Multiple-wire trellis for trailing blackberries, in the growing season (leaves not drawn for clarity): A. als is larger and of better quality than Canes that just bore fruit and will die. B. Wire guide for new cane growth. C. New growth that will bear fruit the that from unpruned laterals. following year. strongest canes per plant. If you have plants Trailing cultivars. In most trailing types, PESTS growing in a hedgerow, thin to one large cane new primocanes are produced in the spring at every 5 inches in the row. Prune lateral the crown of the plant. After growing upright if any diseases or insect pests become a branches on these canes to 12 to 18 inches for a time, these canes turn down and grow problem such as leaf and cane spot, long. along the ground. To avoid injury to new blackbeny DATE.rust, fruit rot, redbeny mite, and If you grow erect cultivars in a hedgerow, a primocanes, keep them trained in a narrow root weevils check with your county office of trellis consisting of two wires, one on each side row beneath the bearing canes as shown in the OSU Extension Service for control of the row, at a height of 3 to 5 feet will prevent figures 1 and2. recommendations. canes from bending into the aisles. When harvest is over, remove the fioricanes. OF Thin primocanes, leaving 6 to 12 of the sturdiest canes on each plant to bear next season. If you live in western Oregon, train these canes up onto the trellis right after harvest. However, in eastern Oregon,OUT leave Use pesticides safely! Differences in pruning and them on the ground and mulch with straw Wear protective clothing and safety training between erect and after the first hard frost.IS devices as recommended on the label. trailing blackberries: Trellis the canes once the danger of severe Bathe or shower after each use. lop the primocanes of erect cultivars cold temperatures has passed; training canes Read the pesticide label even if during the summer. during cold temperatures is not advised you've used the pesticide before. Don't top trailing cultivars during the brittle canes break easily. Follow closely the instructions on growing season. Map the canes, one or two at a time, in a the label (and any other directions Shorten the laterals of erect cultivars. spiral around the wires of the trellis, working you have). In trailing blackberries, laterals dont each way from the information:plant (figure 1). ap the Be cautious when you apply need to be pruned. longer laterals the same as main canes. Prune pesticides. Know your legal if you live in a region with extremely shorter, broken, or kinked laterals to leave a responsibility as a pesticide applicator. cold winter temperatures, protect stub of 8 to 10 inches. Don't leave any stubbed You may be liable for injury or canes of trailing cultivars from winter laterals on the basal 18 inches of main canes. damage resulting fmm pesticide use. injury by leaving them on the ground Don't top the primocanes of trailing berries and covering them with mulch; train during the growing season. canes on the trellis once risk of cold current temperatures has passed.PUBLICATION Erect cultivars are usually more HARVEST winter-hardy than trailing cultivars; Pick berries every 3 to 6 days, depending on they dont need to be protected in the weather and cultivar. When the berries are ripe, winter. most you can pick them quite easily. Use a breaking THIS motion rather than pulling. Pick into a shallow container to prevent fruit from crushing. For To extend shelf life, avoid picking when berries are wet and refrigerate as soon as http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalogpossible. DATE. OF

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PUBLICATIONcurrent most THIS For This publication replaces EC 765. Trade-name cultivars are listed as illustrations only. The OSU Extension Service does http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalognot endorse any listed cultivar or intend any discrimination against others not listed. Extension Service, Oregon State University Corvallis, O.E. Smith, director. This publication was produced and distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Extension work is a cooperative program of Oregon State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Oregon counties.

Oregon State University Extension Service offers educational programs, activities, andmaterialswithoutregard to race, color,natkinalorigin, s&v, age, or disabilityas required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Oregon State University Extension Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer.