DIY Network

Blackberry Basics Here are some facts before you plant your blackberry patch. From "Fresh From the Orchard" episode DFFO-102

Wild native blackberries have been a favorite summer treat for hundreds of years. Now new and improved varieties are available that make growing blackberries in your own backyard easier than ever. Blackberry plants are also versatile in the landscape since they can be grown on a trellis or grown as stand-alone plants. Kelly Givens explains the two basic types of blackberries, trailing and erect, and tells about blackberries' basic cultural requirements. She builds a simple trellis out of pressure-treated lumber and wire and then demonstrates the best way to prepare the soil and plant blackberry shrubs.

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	Each blossom will produce a sweet, juicy blackberry.
	A blackberry will practically fall off in your hand when it's ripe.

• Erect blackberries have stiff canes that are upright and arching. They can be trellised or grown in the landscape as a hedge or shrub border.

• Trailing blackberries have flexible canes that must be tied to a trellis so they don't flop to the ground.

• All blackberries grow best in full sun, and almost all varieties are self-fruitful, meaning that you need to plant only one cultivar. (Many other fruits are self-unfruitful, meaning you need to plant more than one variety in order for the plants to set fruit.)

• As a rule of thumb, five or six plants will produce enough berries for a family of four.

Varieties

Horticulturalists have been hybridizing blackberries for nearly a century and have developed a huge number of blackberries varieties. Different varieties grow best in different sections of the country, and it's important to select a variety that's well suited for your climate.

Note on the Cooperative Extension Services

You may have noticed that we often refer you to your local cooperative extension service for additional information. Why? Because extension service agents are local experts, the ones right in your own neighborhood. They understand your local climate and growing conditions better than anyone else.

If you don't know how to get in contact with your local extension service, here is a website that will help you easily locate the extension service nearest you: www. csrees.usda.gov/Extension/.