Blackberries usually have deep black fruits that can be harvested continuously from the long tendrils during the harvest season from around the end of July to October. However, if the fruits of blackberries are red, this can have various causes.
Why are my blackberries red instead of black?
Red blackberries can be either unripe fruit, berries infested with blackberry gall mites, or a red variety of blackberry such as Dorman Red. Unripe berries turn black over time, while infected fruits should be removed and controlled.
The color as an indicator of ripeness
If you have planted blackberries in your garden for the first time, you may be surprised to see unripe fruits in a red color right next to the deep black blackberries that are ready to be picked. With blackberries it is quite normal for the ripe fruits to hang on a vine next to smaller and unripe fruits. This makes blackberries a fruit from which ripe fruits can be harvested continuously. Fruits that are still red usually only need a few days until they reach their black state of ripeness with enough sunlight and warmth.
Red spots on the blackberries
If only certain parts of the already black blackberry fruits remain red, caution is advised. In this case, there is a high probability of an infestation with the dreaded blackberry gall mite. These animals, which are difficult to see with the human eye, suck the juice from individual parts of the blackberry, which is a collective drupe made up of many individual fruits. As a result, the affected individual fruits are disrupted in their development and remain red. Infected fruits should be removed; the following control measures are also useful:
- a strong pruning of the tendrils in autumn
- removing all fruit mummies from the blackberry vines
- spraying the young shoots in spring with rapeseed oil
These measures can help to contain the infestation of blackberry gall mites without chemical contamination of the fruit.
Red blackberry varieties in the garden
Nowadays, thanks to special breeding, there are not only black blackberry varieties, but also red varieties. The Dorman Red variety produces rounded, red blackberry fruits that look somewhat similar to raspberries. Nevertheless, this berry variety is a blackberry, which is why it requires the same care as black blackberry varieties.
Tips & Tricks
It can be visually appealing to alternate black and red fruiting blackberries on a trellis. In addition, the different fruit colors also provide visual appeal when used in the kitchen.
