Blackberries are an excellent addition to a southeastern garden: they are easy to grow, produce abundant fruits that are delicious, highly nutritious and very healthy (blackberries are among the fruits with a highest antioxidant content). On top of this, they are versatile and can be consumed fresh or used to prepare jellies and classic southern desserts such as blackberry cobbler and pies. Also, currently there are many thornless varieties available that fit very well with the demands of backyard gardeners.
How do you know if blackberries are well suited for your backyard garden? As long as they are planted in full sun, and have a well-drained and fertile soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5, they will thrive. They should be planted between 3 and 4 feet apart, and all varieties benefit from a trellis or a fence that helps to keep the canes off the ground.
Blackberries are perennial shrubs that produce shoots (canes) that live for two years. During the first year of growth, canes are called primocanes (they are typically vegetative); these canes will flower and produce fruit the second year, then they are called floricanes. Floricanes produce fruit for one year and die after fruiting, thus, blackberries always need to be pruned after harvest. Nowadays, there are also primocane-fruiting varieties available: these varieties produce two crops a year as they bear fruit in both primocanes (late summer) and floricanes (late spring, for our conditions in SC). However, a variety trial carried out at Clemson University Musser Fruit Research Farm showed that their yield was considerably poorer than other varieties after the second year. Varieties producing the highest yields under our conditions were Natchez, Navaho, Von, and Osage,
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Summer is still here, and it is still HOT. What could be better than a glass of lemonade to beat the heat? As we approach the last few weeks of summer, preparations for the change of seasons begin. Youth and adults navigate the start of a new school year, retail stores reset for upcoming holidays, and small and large farmers transition into fall crops, winding down harvest of summer produce like tomatoes, corn, and blackberries, making them harder to find at local markets.
It is not a question of which name but Brambles and Blackberries should be thought of together as one is the fruit of the other.Looking carefully at this picture you can see young unopened buds at the top center with some flowers that have been pollinated and begun to show nascent green fruitlets which will turn into blackberries when they swell and ripen.
There are a couple of apple trees in the garden that, during early autumn, I should really be making the most of. Alice usually makes big batches of apple sauce to go with roast pork or into a crumble; and I tend to make at least one batch of my blackberry and apple ice cream. It’s a fabulous, fruity ice cream that’s not overly sweet.
There’s nothing like picking a plump, juicy-looking blackberry from the vines in your own yard and popping it into your mouth.The tart, sweet flavor of homegrown blackberries is unbeatabl
Blackberries and blueberries make a great pair when it comes to pies and fruit salads. Both fruits contain a ton of fiber and a host of other nutrients that are vital to a healthy diet. Both plants are easy to grow and can produce a great yield of fruit when given the right environment.
There’s nothing quite like a freshly picked blackberry – and these fruits are easy to grow, nutritious, and delicious.Blackberries are a part of the Rosaceae fam
As a kid, I dreamed of having my own berry patch. Any berry would do, but tart, juicy, sweet blackberries were a clear favorite.How wonderful it would be, I thought, if
Ready for your best harvest ever? Learning how to prune blackberry bushes is an important part of growing a successful crop.In addition to keeping berry brambles
Munching on a ripe blackberry is a sensory experience that is hard to replicate: the snap between your teeth then the rush of juice, and the crack of the tiny seeds.Blackberry bushes are pretty reliabl