Blackberry

Rubus subgenus Rubus (cultivated erect, semi-erect and trailing hybrids) · Rose family (Rosaceae)

At a glance
Hardiness zones	5 to 9
Sun	full sun
Water	moderate
Life cycle	perennial
Frost	Hardy: takes frost
Soil pH	5.8–6.8
Spacing	24 to 48 inches

About Blackberry

Blackberries are vigorous cane fruits, thorny or thornless, that bear heavily in early to mid summer. Like raspberries, canes fruit in their second year and are then removed.

Hardy erect types like 'Navaho' survive about -14 F (Oklahoma State), while semi-erect and trailing types need milder winters (Illinois Extension); several varieties do well as far south as north and central Florida (UF/IFAS).

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Set out plants: 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost

Plant in early spring, about 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost (Clemson). Spacing is for erect types; semi-trailing types need 6-8 feet. The first crop comes the year after planting. Keep new plants 600 feet from wild blackberries, which carry disease.

Soil

Well-drained soil with good air drainage; supply water whenever rain is under 1 inch a week while berries develop.

Test the soil a few months before planting and aim for a pH of about 6.0-6.8; mix compost into the soil and use raised beds where drainage is poor.

Feeding

Early spring when growth starts (Oklahoma: at bloom): balanced fertilizer or nitrogen fertilizer, as a soil test directs. For the first year or two spread it in a 12-inch circle around each plant; later spread it along the row (Oklahoma suggests about 0.4 oz of nitrogen per plant).
Right after harvest: balanced fertilizer or nitrogen fertilizer, as a soil test directs. Repeat the spring amount to help grow strong new canes for next year's crop.

Do not overwater, which can kill the roots, and do not plant in shade.

Harvest

Pick when the berries lose their glossy shine and turn slightly dull black; they are very perishable, so pick often, even daily.

Most blackberries (floricane types) give one summer crop lasting three weeks or more, and berries spoil fast, so pick often, even daily. Primocane types also fruit in late summer and fall on new canes, and canes kept over winter bear again the next season; this double crop works best in cooler areas such as the NC mountains, since summer heat cuts flowering, and mowing canes to the ground each winter gives just the fall crop.

Varieties (42)

Variety	Type	Notes
Loganberry	Blackberry-raspberry hybrid	Excellent but distinctive. Medium, deep red, conical berries that are hard to pick; canes are prone to disease.
Tayberry	Blackberry-raspberry hybrid	Excellent, with a unique tartness. Glossy reddish-purple berries that are very hard to pick and easily damaged by hot weather; low yields.
Prime-Ark Horizon	Erect, primocane-fruiting	Acceptable, with light aroma and some tartness. Large, firm berries with high yields and excellent storage. Maryland describes it as mostly thornless; Arkansas Extension lists it as thorny.
Rosborough	Moderately upright	Sweeter than Brazos. Large, attractive berries.
Apache	Thornless erect	Sweet; a consumer favorite in Utah taste tests. Large berries that store well and high yields. Resists anthracnose and rosette. Some berries show white drupelets.
Arapaho	Thornless erect	Good flavor with some tartness. Medium, firm berries with small seeds. Resists anthracnose and rosette (double blossom); can have leaf disease problems.
Caddo (Sweet-Ark Caddo)	Thornless erect	Sweet and low in acid with an aromatic flavor. Medium-large to large, firm berries (8 grams or more) with high yield potential and good storage.
Natchez	Thornless erect	Fairly sweet; rated only fair in Oregon. Large to very large, firm berries on very vigorous canes; high yields. Susceptible to orange rust; short shelf life.
Navaho	Thornless erect	Very sweet; Arkansas rates its flavor among the very best. Small to medium, firm berries that keep well. Resists anthracnose and rosette, but is highly susceptible to orange rust.
Osage	Thornless erect	Very sweet and low in acid. Medium berries, a bit smaller than Ouachita, that store very well.
Ouachita	Thornless erect	Good flavor, though less sweet than Apache or Navaho. Medium to large, firm berries on very upright canes; high yields and keeps well. Resists rosette. Fruit can sunburn.
Ponca (Sweet-Ark Ponca)	Thornless erect	Very sweet (about 10 to 13 percent sugars) with low acid; the sweetest Arkansas release so far. Medium, firm berries that hold up well after picking; some susceptibility to cane and leaf rust. May set a small crop at the base of new canes.
Sweet-Ark Immaculate	Thornless erect	Usually sweet with good flavor. Bushy plants with high yield potential; medium to large berries that stay firm in cold storage. Yields drop after winters near -15°F.
Von	Thornless erect	Sweet and low in acid (about 9 to 10 percent sugars). Medium to large, uniform berries that store well for a late variety; high yields once established, which takes a while. Resistant to orange rust.
Prime-Ark Freedom	Thornless erect, primocane-fruiting	Sweet, better than Natchez. Very large, long berries on very upright canes; small seeds. No orange rust seen. Soft; does not store or ship well.
Prime-Ark Traveler	Thornless erect, primocane-fruiting	Very good, sweet, low-acid flavor. Medium-large, firm berries that keep well. No orange rust or anthracnose seen in trials.
Celestial	Thornless semi-erect	Exceptionally aromatic. Small to medium, shiny berries on very vigorous canes that need extra training; more heat tolerant than other Oregon-bred types.
Chester Thornless	Thornless semi-erect	Tart; rated fair to average. Small to medium, firm berries with tough skin; very high yields. Resists cane blight; susceptible to red berry mite.
Doyle's Thornless	Thornless semi-erect	Poor to fair. Small to medium berries with noticeably large seeds; heavy producer in Utah but not a taste-test favorite.
Eclipse	Thornless semi-erect	Good flavor. Medium, uniform berries, firmer than Chester or Triple Crown; lower yields in Oregon trials.
Galaxy	Thornless semi-erect	Good flavor. Firm, attractive berries around 8 grams; moderate yields.
Hull	Thornless semi-erect	Good and sweet. Berries soften quickly once ripe; can get sunscald and uneven drupelet fill. Good winter survival in Utah trials.
Loch Ness	Thornless semi-erect	Fair. Medium, oblong berries; moderately vigorous and prone to sunburn.
Triple Crown	Thornless semi-erect	Sweet, low-acid and aromatic, with a pleasant aftertaste. Large, glossy black berries and very high yields (over 30 lb per plant reported in Oregon). Too soft to store or ship well.
Twilight	Thornless semi-erect	Good, similar to Triple Crown. Very firm berries with thick skin that store well; high yields in Oregon.
Sweetie Pie	Thornless semi-erect to trailing	High sugar and high quality. Semi-soft berries with short shelf life; needs a trellis. Good heat tolerance.
Black Diamond	Thornless trailing	Good flavor. Large, firm, uniform black berries and high yields.
Columbia Star	Thornless trailing	Outstanding flavor. Very vigorous, with large, firm, uniform berries and high yields; outstanding for processing.
Thornless Evergreen	Thornless trailing	Mild but good. Small, soft black berries; reliable and productive. Gets gray mold after fall rains.
Brazos	Thorny erect	Tart. Large, attractive berries and heavy yields.
Chickasaw	Thorny erect	Large berries and high yields. Resists anthracnose and orange rust.
Darrow	Thorny erect	Sweet, old-fashioned blackberry flavor. Large to medium, glossy berries on vigorous canes. Susceptible to viruses.
Illini Hardy	Thorny erect	Good, but less flavorful than Darrow; least favored in Utah taste tests. Medium berries on vigorous, very thorny canes; heavy yields. Resists Phytophthora.
Kiowa	Thorny erect	Very large berries (largest in Utah trials) that handle and store well. Moderately susceptible to rosette.
Shawnee	Thorny erect	Good flavor. Medium to large berries; resistant to anthracnose.
Prime-Ark 45	Thorny erect, primocane-fruiting	Good, mildly sweet flavor. Large, firm berries on very thorny, upright canes.
Prime-Jan	Thorny erect, primocane-fruiting	Fair. Large, soft to medium-firm, seedy berries with moderate yields.
Prime-Jim	Thorny erect, primocane-fruiting	Fair. Large, soft to medium-firm, seedy berries; outyielded Prime-Jan in Utah.
Marion	Thorny trailing	Excellent, intense, aromatic flavor; famous for pies and jam. Medium, soft, dark purple-black berries on long trailing canes that need a trellis. Thorny and not very winter hardy.
Newberry	Thorny trailing	Excellent, though not like Boysen. Large, blocky, reddish-purple to dark purple berries with firmer skin than Boysen; very high yields.
Obsidian	Thorny trailing	Excellent flavor. Large, firm black berries with very high yields.
Boysen	Thorny trailing (blackberry-raspberry hybrid)	Very good, distinctive flavor. Large, soft, lumpy, reddish-purple berries on trailing canes; high yields. Grown like trailing blackberries.

Pests to watch for

Spotted wing drosophila, Japanese beetle, Stink bugs, Aphids, Twospotted spider mite, Opossum, Striped skunk, Strawberry clipper (strawberry bud weevil), Green June beetle (fig-eater)

Diseases and problems

Orange rust, Anthracnose, Double blossom (rosette), Crown gall, Cane blight, Black walnut toxicity, Verticillium wilt, Gray mold (Botrytis), Tomato and tobacco ringspot

In the kitchen

Eaten fresh, in pies and cobblers, or made into jam.

Keeping it: Refrigerate unwashed blackberries and use them within a few days; rinse them just before eating.

Pets: Not listed as toxic by the ASPCA

Sources

Photo: Photo: Ragesoss, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). Photo resized for the web.

Planting dates and advice are general guidance; check with your local Cooperative Extension office for your area.