While thorny blackberry varieties were previously common in cultivation, thornless varieties have conquered the market since the 1970s. The range has now expanded further, so that early, medium and late cultivars extend the harvest season.
When is blackberry season?
Blackberry season extends from August to October, with early varieties such as 'Choctaw' and 'Silvan' bearing fruit as early as June. By growing different varieties, including medium ones (e.g. B. 'Kittatinny') and late-ripening (e.g. 'Black Satin') blackberries, the harvest window can be maximized.
The Garden Season
The flowering period extends from May to August. The fruit ripening of domestic blackberries begins in August and reaches its peak in September. Early ripening forms develop the first dewberries in June. By combining different varieties, you can extend the harvest window to the maximum and harvest well into October.
Variety recommendations:
- early breeding varieties: 'Choctaw', 'Silvan' and 'Wilson's Early'
- medium varieties: 'Kittatinny', 'Dromand Red' and 'Cascade'
- late ripening blackberries: 'Black Satin', 'Asterina' and 'Theodor Reimers'
The bushes like that
Blackberries prove to be undemanding because they thrive on light and heavy surfaces with a pH value of 6.0 probably. For improved growth, you should loosen up compacted soil thoroughly and improve it by adding sand. This is how you prevent waterlogging. Substrates low in humus can be improved with compost.
Promote fruit ripening
Late varieties and thornless varieties require a place in the garden that is in full sun and protected from the wind so that their berries ripen in late summer and autumn. Location becomes more important if you live at higher elevations and regions with severe winter frosts. Frost damages the fresh fruit canes and their axillary buds, so that the harvest in the following season is lower.
Cultivating blackberries
If you want to plant blackberries in your garden, you should plant them late in the fall. The trees have enough time to grow and, with good care and optimal conditions, will produce their first fruit yields in the coming season.
Planting
Place the pot ball in a bucket of water so that the substrate can soak up. If you want to plant several specimens as a hedge, ensure a distance of 100 to 150 centimeters for weak-growing varieties and 300 to 400 centimeters for strong-growing varieties. Dig holes with twice the volume of the root ball and add horn meal (€6.00 on Amazon) into the planting hole.
The shrub is placed so deep in the pit that the root ball is about five centimeters below the ground level. Fill the excavated earth into the gaps, step on the substrate and water the soil thoroughly. A layer of bark mulch protects the soil from excessive water loss.
Tip
After planting, shorten the shoots to half a meter. This promotes fresh shoots and ensures he althy fruit development.
Care
Winter protection is recommended in the first year. Water the shrubs regularly during the growing season so that the root area does not dry out. An administration of bark humus, leaf compost or horse manure in April ensures vital development.
