Blackberries are extremely tolerant of site and
soil conditions. They are especially unusual in that they will produce a
reasonable crop of berries even when grown in deep shade. Delicious
both cooked or eaten fresh, they are bursting with flavour and excellent
for your health,report
http://www.gardenaction.co.uk.
Blackberry canes are not widely grown, because previously they were readily
available growing wild amongst hedgerows. But these hedgerows are
disappearing fast and it now makes sense to grow them in your garden or
allotment.
Blackberries will grow reasonably well in almost all
soils and even in deep shade. Remember though, that
blackberry plants
may well last for 15 years or so, so do try and start them off in the
best possible conditions available.
As far as soil is concerned,
they will produce of their absolute best on a medium, well-drained soil
which contains plenty of organic matter. They like the soil to hold a
good supply of water, especially when the fruits are developing in
summer. The worst soil for a blackberry is light chalky soil - lots of
well rotted compost will help to improve these conditions.
Thorny
varieties of blackberry are the strongest growing, so choose these if
the soil conditions are not ideal - 'Himalaya Giant' is the best variety
to grow where the site or soil conditions are not ideal. Good fruits
will still be produced and the poor conditions will reduce the excessive
vigour of this variety.
Positioning of blackberry canes is a
personal matter dependant on your garden. The best berries will be
produced when they are in full sun. However, where space is at a
premium, a blackberry cane will produce good crops even when grown in
deep shade - none of the other common fruits will survive in these
conditions.
Blackberries produce their flowers very late in the
season so frost will never be a problem. Low lying land or frost pockets
are quite suitable for blackberries.
Soil Preparation: Two or
three weeks before planting, dig the soil over and incorporate as much
organic matter as possible. The aim is make the soil able to retain the
moisture which will see the blackberries through the summer with little
or no need for watering.
Blackberry Cane: The best month to plant
blackberry canes is mid-October - the soil is still warmish, but there
is also sufficient moisture in the soil to keep the newly planted canes
happy.
If you miss mid-October , don't worry, any time up to mid-March is OK as long as the soil is not frozen or water-logged.
Plantation:
First decide how far apart to plant the canes. This varies considerably
depending on the variety being planted. The strong growers such as
Himalaya Giant and Bedford Giant should be planted about 4m (13ft)
apart. Medium strength growers such as John Innes, Merton Thornless and
Parsley-Leaved need to be planted about 2.5m (8ft) apart. The less
vigorous growers, such as Merton Early need about 1.2m (4ft) between
plants. Ask your garden centre for advice if in doubt.
When
planting the canes, keep the crown of the roots level with the soil
surface. This normally means digging a broad hole about 12cm (5in) deep.
Spread the roots out into the hole and cover them in crumbly soil,
firming it down with your hand. When planted. water well to provide
moisture in the initial stages of growth. Cut the plants back to a good
bud about 30cm (12in) high.
Immediately after planting (before if
you want), trim the canes to a length of 25cm (10in). It's tempting to
leave the canes longer, hoping they will produce fruit next year, but
this does not pay off in the long run.
Supporting and Pruning
Blackberries : Many complicated articles have been written on how to
train and support blackberries. In fact, blackberries have only three
main needs that make support and training important - light, circulating
air and removal of last year's fruiting stems.
As far as pruning
is concerned, it's simple. As soon as the blackberries have been
picked, cut the stems which have produced berries this year to ground
level. Don't prune any stems which have not produced fruit this year,
they will be the ones which produce blackberries next year. With thorny,
strong growing varieties a good pair of gardening gloves (strong
trousers and shirt as well, if you have them!) are essential. If you
have the time, during mid-April have a good look at the new stems and
cut back maybe 25% of those which are growing very vigorously.
Supporting
blackberries is not essential with the stronger growing varieties,
although all blackberries appreciate a modicum of support. The idea
behind supporting them is to permit a free circulation of air within the
plant, thus helping prevent disease in general.
The best way to
do this is to put wooden posts into the ground every 2m (6ft) and run
wires between them at 70cm (2ft) heights up to 2m (6ft) high. As the new
stems grow, tie some of them into the wires. The result will be that
some stems will be unsupported and form a natural arch over the ground,
whereas others will be tied to the supports and grow slightly higher.
This will result in less congestion at the centre, promoting greater
circulation of air and exposing much of the plant to the sun. If you
have the time to support all the stems, so much the better.
50 seeds/pkt
Blackberries/Seeds available at:
