Growing Blackberries in Your Home Gardendate
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4C:49 :1:30:3 :3 GROWING OR HEU/ExE C:. 192 ORE SMALL Strik, Erriadifl in yi:'ur iUG ITSIcw1r1:au11I 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 raspberry fruit. types have stiff, arching canes that are these crops? somewhat self-supporting. Potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, Trailing blackberries, also calledOUT dewberries eggplant, caneberries (blackberries and in the East, have canes that are not raspberries), and strawberries are self-supporting; they include the Marionberr susceptible to, or affected by, many of Boysenberry Loganberry,IS Youngberry, 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 Rubus, 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.