Five Reasons to Grow Your Own Blackberries
There are so many benefits of growing blackberries in your garden, including long harvest seasons and berries that bring a burst of bold flavor. Here are our top five reasons you should start growing blackberries this season:
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Abundant Fruit. Blackberries are prolific producers, so you can expect to be rewarded with a wealth of sweet fruit when plants are properly maintained. Once established, one blackberry plant can produce up to 10 pounds of berries each season!
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Healthy Harvest. Blackberries are a nutritious and delicious treat with minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber in each bite. Potential health benefits of consuming blackberries include strengthening the immune system, improving digestion, protecting and improving brain function, and regulating blood sugar levels.
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Thornless. Enjoy all the sweetness of your harvest without worrying about prickly thorns. Our thornless varieties make plant management and harvesting easier (and safer!).
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Adaptable. Blackberries can thrive in many different soil types. While blackberries prefer sandy loam soils with added organic matter, they will tolerate and grow in a wide range of soil types if the soil has good drainage.
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Versatile. Blackberries are a tasty treat when eaten fresh and can also be a superstar in many recipes. Blackberries shine in baking recipes, create heavenly jams and jellies, and when used for blackberry mead (also known as honey wine) can easily steal the show at any social gathering!
Terms to Know
Soil pH
Soil pH is how we measure how acidic or alkaline your soil is. The scale is 0 to 14, with seven being neutral. Soil pH impacts the availability of nutrients in the soil. Depending on the plants’ needs, if the soil pH is too high or too low, the plant may fail to produce fruit or to grow at all.
Crown
The crown is at ground level, where roots below the ground and canes above ground meet.
Cane
Stem that grows up from the crown and the base of old canes.
Leaves
Blackberry leaves are compound and have three to five leaflets.
Pruning
Pruning is the act of removing canes. Blackberry plants are vigorous; pruning discourages overgrowth and allows for adequate airflow, aiding disease prevention. Pruning improves fruit quality and maximizes productivity. Pruning is essential to the blackberry growing process.
Primocane and floricane raspberries require different pruning methods. Click here to read more about pruning in our How to Grow Blackberries guide.
Prepare for Planting
When selecting a place to plant your blackberry plants, avoid a site where previous plants have included strawberries, brambles (raspberries and blackberries), potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, or peppers. These crops may harbor soil pathogens, negatively impacting your plants’ health and performance.
You’ll also want the location you pick to plant your blackberry plants to be sunny and weed-free. Blackberry plants like eight or more hours of direct sunlight daily.
When deciding how much room you’ll need for your plants, give them about 3–4 feet of space between each other and 8–12 feet between rows. This will allow plenty of room for growth with optimal light exposure and airflow.
You’ll want to check your soil pH and can do so using a tool called a digital soil pH meter. You’ll want the soil pH to land in the range of 6.5–6.8. If your pH is higher than 6.8, you can add elemental sulfur to lower the pH level. If your pH is lower than 6.0, you can add ground limestone.
Growing Guidance
When you receive your raspberry plants from Nourse Farms, you’ll want to get them into the ground right away. (Remember, when you place your order, you get to select your shipping week. Make sure to pick a time when the soil will have warmed to 50ºF. If you’re not sure when that might be, check out our Recommended Planting Season chart on our website.)
Blackberry plants are sold as dormant plugs (32 Plug/Liner). The plug is approximately four inches. Plant plugs one-half to one inch deeper than the soil level of the plant.
Trellising blackberries is one of the most important cultural practices. We suggest plants be supported by a 3- or 4-wire trellis. A trellis or staking is highly recommended for semi-erect or trailing blackberries to keep fruit clean, maximize air circulation, and minimize cane breakage. Blackberries are best trained to a 3-4 wire trellis with the support of a 4' x 4' every 25 feet (see diagram). Attach the main canes to the wire with a clip or a slightly loose twist tie.
Sometimes thornless blackberries are managed in a “staked hill” system. Set 5'–6' tall, 2" diameter stakes approximately 1' deep and 5'–8' apart in all directions. Set a plant 1' away from each stake. Secure the primocanes loosely in 2–3 places along the height of the stake. This is an easy-to-maintain system and can be an attractive addition to the home garden landscape.
Helpful Hints
Mulching
Mulch is a protective layer of material applied to the top of the soil. We recommend lightly mulching with weed-free straw during establishment, which can help control weeds and help the soil retain moisture. Leaves or grass clippings are not recommended, as they can mat, smothering plants and harboring pests. Do not apply a deep layer of mulch, as it will impede the growth of new canes, which need to develop every year. Do not mulch brambles beyond the first year.
Choosing the Variety That's Right for You
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If you’re looking to harvest blackberries in summer and fall by double cropping, we recommend growing Prime Ark Freedom®.
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If you love creating delicious baked treats and jams, we recommend growing Triple Crown.
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If you want to produce your own blackberry mead, we recommend Ponca, , and Ouachita.
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If you need a variety that is more resilient to winter weather, we recommend growing Ponca and Chester.
Employee Favorite
Janna, Customer Service and Cultural Specialist
“I love recommending Chester because pruning is easy, it’s winter hardy, and I adore the flavor of its round, bite-sized berries! The flowers are appealing, with their light, cotton candy-like pink color.”
