Growing Your Blackberry Cane In

Blackberry Canes
The easiest of the berry fruits to grow in cool and temperate areas.

BLACKBERRY QUICK GUIDE

Latin Name
Rubus fruticosus

Type
Hardy perennial cane

Site and Soil
Very tolerant, but full sun and medium well-drained soil best.

Plant to Harvest Time
Two years

How Many?
3kg (7lbs) per plant

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.

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.

Where To Grow a Blackberry
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.

Loch Ness - click to enlarge)

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.

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