How to care for and harvest fruit from your Blackberry bush

Care of Blackberries

Care of your Blackberry
Plant your Blackberry cane well and it will require little care. Water them when conditions become dry, especially if this occurs when the berries are forming. An annual dressing of well-rotted compost will see them throughout the season. Where compost is not available, use a log lasting fertiliser such as bonemeal. Blackberries are self-fertile and so will produce fruit even if only one plant is grown.

Harvesting Blackberries
The berries are produced on the previous year's growth, and for this reason, no blackberries will be produced during the first year.

It should be possible to start harvesting the berries in early July depending on the variety. Most varieties can be harvested from early August up until early October if the weather is good.

There are two methods to determine if blackberries are ready for harvest. First look at the colour, the berries should be deep purple or burgundy (almost but not quite black) and look plump. The second method is to pick a test blackberry. Grasp a berry between your thumb and finger then gently twist. If the fruit comes off easily leaving the stalk behind then it's ripe. Eat the blackberry to taste it! Some trial and error is required but if you start the harvest process from late July onwards you will soon be able to judge the correct time for harvest.

It's best to pick the fruit little but often to encourage the formation of more fruit. Frequent picking will also reduce the risk of the fruit over-ripening and rotting which will only encourage disease. The best time to pick blackberries is when the weather is dry, wet blackberries do not keep longer than a day before they begin to rot. As soon as the berries are harvested place them out of direct sunlight in a cool area.

Blackberries do not ripen when picked and they should be eaten within a day or so of harvest. If you want to keep them longer then place them in the refrigerator and they will be good for three or four days. Keep them slightly moist in the refrigerator for the best results.

Propagate Your Blackberry
It is an easy job to propagate a blackberry, even for novice gardeners. The best time is around mid-September. Select a stem which is in perfect condition (growing vigorously with no blemishes) and bend its tip to the ground. Where it touches the ground, dig a small hole about 15cm (6in) deep and bury the tip of the stem into the hole. Cover with crumbly soil to the surrounding soil level. If the stem looks like springing out of the hole, place a few largish stones over the soil to keep it in place (remove them two months later). Water well if the conditions are dry.

The stem tips will root in a couple of month's time, and can be dug up and moved to their final position early Spring next year. To do this, cut the parent stem about 30cm (12in) from the new plant. Dig up the new plant, trying to avoid any root disturbance and plant in their new positions.

Varieties of Blackberry

Early Season
Bedford Giant	Thorny, vigorous grower	Large black fruit, very good taste.	Heavy crops for four weeks.
Merton Early	Thorny, very compact grower	Glossy fruit, good taste.	Heavy cropper for around a month
Middle Season
Himalayan Giant	Very thorny, very vigorous	Large black fruit, slightly acidic taste	Heavy cropper over six or seven weeks
Merton Thornless	No thorns, medium vigour	Medium sized fruit, the best taste	Good cropper over 6 weeks
Late Season
John Innes	Medium thorns, vigorous grower	Large black fruit, excellent taste	Good cropper, avoid cold sites

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