blackberry
Almost everyone is familiar with blackberries (Rubus fructicosus) from wild bushes in the forest. Given the right location, these berries, a favorite of many hobby gardeners, have long thrived in many private gardens, impressing with their easy care and sweet results. The native blackberry is available in a fascinating variety of species and geographical varieties. Blackberries belong to the rose family, and their bushes grow to a height of 3 to 5 meters. Botanically speaking, however, they are not berries, but aggregate drupes. Thornless varieties are easier to handle, while varieties with thorns impress with their particularly aromatic berries.
Cultivation – How does it work?
The best time to grow blackberries is spring. Plant the basal buds 1 to 1.5 meters apart and cover them with about 5 cm of soil. The blackberry will later require a space of 1.5 to 2 square meters per plant. The emerging canes will need some kind of climbing support. To do this, set up guy wires at different heights, allowing the tendrils to grow up to 1.6 meters tall. The supporting tendrils, on which the berries grow, are loosely attached as close as possible to the lower wire, while the upper wire is reserved for new growth the following year.
Location – Where is best?
The blackberry prefers a sunny location, but can also tolerate partial shade. To still get access to light, its thorny shoots climb several meters high. To maintain control, planting it on a trellis in your home garden is a good idea.
Blackberries thrive in loose, humus-rich, and preferably slightly calcareous soil. It should be sufficiently moist, but never waterlogged.
Care – What needs to be done?
In August, the side shoots of the vines should be shortened to three buds. Fertilize your blackberries with compost and mulch the bushes for optimal growth. Blackberries are considered very hardy, and diseases are rare.
Harvest – What should you consider?
Depending on the variety, blackberries are ready to harvest between July and October. The ideal time is when the initially red berries turn a ripe dark red, almost black. Test it: The berries are ripe when they give way to light pressure and easily separate from the base of the fruit. Blackberries should definitely be harvested in dry weather, as otherwise they rot very quickly.
The berries appear, as with some raspberry varieties, on the previous year's shoots and can either be eaten fresh or made into jam, jelly, juice or wine.
After harvesting, cut back the harvested shoots and leave them hanging on the trellis for winter protection. Remove the new shoots from the wire frame in late autumn, lay them flat on the ground, and cover them with straw or mulch to protect them from frost. In spring, these tendrils must be retied to the wire frame. Leave three to six tendrils per plant.
Botany – What kind of plant is this?
Blackberries are widespread throughout Europe, from the lowlands to the Alps (up to 1650 meters above sea level). From late spring onwards, the first white blossoms, usually about 2.5 centimeters in size, appear on the inflorescences. This fairly robust plant thrives in cool, moist, temperate climates, including winter frost and regular rainfall in summer. However, blackberries are not quite as frost-resistant as raspberries. Be careful: some varieties reproduce rapidly via underground runners and can then become real pests. Blackberries are self-pollinating, but it's best to plant different varieties so they can cross-pollinate and thus improve your harvest.
Cultural history – How did the blackberry come to us?
Even in ancient times, people collected blackberries and began to cultivate them selectively, selecting plants with particularly large and tasty fruits. The blackberry cultivated today, whose breeding involved at least 16 different plants of the genus Rufus, has only existed since the middle of the last century. Only gradually did people begin to appreciate the fruits; initially, the plant was used primarily for property demarcation. Since 1950, thornless blackberry varieties have also been available.
Varieties – Which are recommended?
The most popular varieties include:
- Navaho Early: July to October, spineless
- Theodor Reimers: July to October, prickly
- Chester Thornless and Black Satin: August to October, thornless, not as intense in flavor as Theodor Reimers
TEXT: Carina Naeve
