Blackberries

for the Home Garden

Small fruits are becoming popular additions to the home garden. Blackberries,
in particular, are productive and well suited for homeowners in most regions of
North Carolina. Breeding programs have released a number of thornless variet-
ies that are large, taste great, and because they have no thorns, are much eas-
ier to harvest than berries found in the wild. In addition, studies have shown
that this fruit can help fight cancer, decrease cardiovascular disease, and slow
down brain aging And best of all, one blackberry plant can easily supply up to
10 pounds of delicious berries each year.

March well before the plant starts to produce flowers

Blackberries are divided by their growth habit (trail- and fruit.
ing, semi-trailing, and erect), and by the presence or Support the canes with a trellis. Erect and semi-
absence of thorns (thorny or thornless). All blackber- trailing types perform well using a two-wire system
ries benefit from some sort of support such as a trel- with wires at 3 and 5 feet from the ground (Fig 1).
lis or poles to support their canes. If you have room As the canes emerge in the spring, evenly distrib-
for several plants, select early-, mid-, and late-season ute them on the wires to form a fan pattern (Fig. 2)
varieties to extend your harvest (Table 1). Each of Once the canes have reached the top wire, remove
these varieties should perform well in all regions of the tips to encourage branching. Trailing types set
North Carolina except where temperatures drop further apart require a different system. Start with a
below 10° F. similar trellis with wires at 3 and 5 feet, except do not
tip the canes. Instead, allow them to grow to the top
Site Preparation
wire and then weave them back down to the bottom
Prepare an easy-to-access location for your blackber-
wire and back up to the top wire to fill in the space
ries a year before planting. Blackberries need full sun
between plants (Fig. 3)
and plenty of room to grow. The soil should be a
Blackberries require about 1 inch of water each
well-drained sandy loam soil. A soil high in organic
week during the growing season. During fruit devel-
matter is beneficial under non-irrigated conditions. If
opment, the plants will need about 2 gallons per
the soil is not well drained, establish the plants in a
plant each day. Mulch placed around the base of
raised bed.
the plant reduces the need for water and helps keep
Establishment and Maintenance weeds under control. Pine straw, wood chips, and
Erect and semi-trailing blackberry plants should be seedless grasses are good mulches.
planted about 3 to 4 feet apart, while the trailing The fruit is ripe and at its peak sweetness when
types need 6 to 8 feet between plants. They can be it is a dull black color. Pick fruits that are shiny black
planted in the early spring several weeks before the if you need to store them in your refrigerator. They
last frost. Each plant can produce 10 to 20 pounds won’t be as sweet, but they will last longer. Harvest
of fruit, so four to six plants can easily produce will continue for 2 to 3 weeks, depending on variety.
ample berries for a family of four. As soon as all the fruit is harvested, prune out
Dig a hole that is large enough to allow the all the old fruiting canes and remove them from the
roots to spread out evenly. Set bare-rooted plants garden, as they no longer produce fruit. Continue
into the soil at the depth they were grown in the to tie, tip, or train the new canes that have not pro-
nursery. Fill in the hole and tamp down the soil. duced fruit to the trellis until growth stops in the fall.
Water the newly set plants well, but don’t fertilize During winter, prune laterals on erect types to 12
until 3 or 4 weeks later. to 16 inches, and leave only 4 to 8 canes per square
Fertilize after growth starts with a complete fer- yard for fruit production in the following year
tilizer such as 10-10-10 at 5 pounds per 100 linear (Fig 4).
feet (or about 3 to 4 ounces around the base of each
plant). In established plantings, apply the fertilizer in
Table 1. Comparison of blackberry varieties

Variety Cane Type Season Comments

Thornless, medium size, somewhat irregular

Arapaho Erect Early
shape

Natchez Erect Early to mid Thornless, elongate fruit

Thornless, medium-size, portions of the fruit

Apache Erect Mid
may turn white during hot weather
Thornless, late, small berry but stores better
Navaho Erect Late
than all other
Ouachita Erect Mid Thornless, medium size, stores well

Hull Semi-trailing Mid to late Thornless, soft, not quite as late as Chester

Chester Semi-trailing Late Thornless, large fruit, good for processing

Thornless, distinct sweet flavor, fruit does not
Triple Crown Trailing Late
store well
Good horticultural practices can prevent insect and dis- Blackberry or black raspberry?
ease problems. Timely pruning, removing fruited canes, The core (technically the receptacle or torus) of the
and maintaining a regular harvest schedule will help
black raspberry fruit is hollow. The receptacle stays at-
minimize common pests. If necessary, apply pesticides
labeled for use on edible plants to manage insect and tached to the plant.
disease problems.

Blackberry Production Checklist

1. Choose a good site one year before you

plant.
2. Prepare the soil before you plant: remove
weeds, add organic matter, add fertilizer, make
raised beds.
3. Choose a variety that is adapted to North
Carolina and purchase disease-free plants.
4. Plant in spring (western NC) or spring or
fall (central and eastern NC) In a blackberry, the receptacle is harvested with the
5. Build trellis (can be done before or within plant and you eat it.
first year of planting).
6. Irrigate on a regular basis.
7. Allow 3 to 4 new canes per plant to grow
to top wire.
8. Harvest a baby crop of fruit one year after
planting, a full crop two years after planting.
9. After fruit is harvested, prune out fruiting
canes.
 Fig. 1. Trellis system for blackberries. Fig. 3. Training system for trailing blackberries.

Fig. 2. Training system for erect and semi-trailing

blackberries.

Fig. 4. Erect blackberries before and after winter

For More Information: pruning.
Commercial scale production:
http://www.smallfruits.org/

Other small fruits for the homeowner:

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hfruitnew.html

Help with insect and disease identification:

http://www.ncsu.edu/project/berries/diagnostic_tool/
blackberry_diagnostic_tool.html

Prepared by
Gina E. Fernandez
Small Fruit Specialist
Department of Horticultural Science
North Carolina State University

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