Blackberry plant

elliep_2

I have tried to do a search but all I can find is people making crumble and mobile phones! so sorry if this has been asked before.

I love my soft fruit and am thinking about growing blackberries in my garden. The problem is that I don't know much about them. I recognise the wild ones in the countryside but my husband has a big aversion to purposely making a decision to grow brambles in the garden.

Is the kind of blackberry plant that you would put in the garden spikey? or is there a variety that isn't? Also, how invasive is it? I don't want to be fighting to keep some and stopping it take over. If it is invasive then can it be kept in a pot? even a bucket sunk into the ground like with mint?

That's enough questions for now, thank you and sorry again if it's already been covered.

hmkn

Garden blackberries aren't thorny, and are probably less invasive (most cultivated plants don't have to fight for survival like the wild ones), though I've never grown them myself.

If you have access to wild blackberries, why not try tayberries, a blackberry/raspberry cross that are very expensive to buy. There's a thornless version of those too.

HTH

HMK

wearside_2

elliep wrote: »

I have tried to do a search but all I can find is people making crumble and mobile phones! so sorry if this has been asked before.

I love my soft fruit and am thinking about growing blackberries in my garden. The problem is that I don't know much about them. I recognise the wild ones in the countryside but my husband has a big aversion to purposely making a decision to grow brambles in the garden.

Is the kind of blackberry plant that you would put in the garden spikey? or is there a variety that isn't? Also, how invasive is it? I don't want to be fighting to keep some and stopping it take over. If it is invasive then can it be kept in a pot? even a bucket sunk into the ground like with mint?

That's enough questions for now, thank you and sorry again if it's already been covered.

I have recently moved house but left behind an Oregon Thornless Blackberry that produced lots of fruit each year. It was not really invasive, prehaps on the ground the area of a dustbin lid and along the trellis where I trained it, about an area 6 foot high by 8 foot wide. The fruit grows on last years stem growth and each year cut back the stems that have finished fruiting in the autumn. Other than training and tying the stems and a bit of fertiliser, it can be left to do its own thing.

I have planted one here in my new garden but will not get fruit until 2010 if I am lucky but probably 2011.

Good luck with yours¬:D

elliep_2

Sounds rather like the non-wild ones are rather similar to raspberry plants then - with the fruiting on last year's shoots and the tying and pruning at the end of the season etc.

I'm glad they're not spikey so might try talking to DH about that one again. I used to have loads of wild blackberries really near to my house but having moved I've not got that opportunity anymore so that's why I'm familiar with the wild ones but wanting some domesticated ones.

ixwood

There's various varieties that have been breed to be more suitable for cultivation. Thornless, bigger fruits, Smaller growing etc. Look around online suppliers.

ixwood

Most of them are still spikey. You need a "thornless" variety.

elliep_2

Thank you. It's not me that needs the thornless variety but my husband. He won't let me grow things with thorns. The only reason I'm allowed to keep the rose that was there when we moved in was beause it was already there, i've cut it back a lot and I love the vibrant pink flowers. Mainly that it was already there is why I'm allowed to keep it.
I think he'd rather pave the whole thing and weedkill between the slabs every few months.

We'll see how my fruit and veg growing goes and hopefully I'll be able to bring him round.

Thank you for the help. I'm glad to hear that thornless varieties exist, at least that gets me a chance to be allowed some!

Can anyone reccomend a heavy-cropping thornless variety?

ixwood

Why does he have a problem with thorns?

If you don't mind me asking, if you're keen to garden why does he say what's allowed? I've probably misjudged the situation, but he sounds a bit mean to me.

Loch Ness is popular. Have a google. Browsing and learning/choosing plants is all part of the fun of gardening.

Money_maker

Mine was out of woolies - no variety on the pack! Not much use, I know but I have to say I get an absolute bumper crop each year. Fruiting can start at end of July and runs through August. Thornless with big beautiful berries, gorgeous straight from the bush.

I have mine trailing over an arch, probably only grows about 8' each year. I tie in the new shoots and cut the old ones right down to ground level after fruiting.

One of the most prolific fruiting plants I have.

PeteW

I bought some little blackberries, raspberry and... somethingelseberry bushes when they were on 3 for a tenner at homebase a few weeks ago.

I'm a total newbie at gardening (lived in flats till now) so was wondering where I should plant them and how far they need to be from each other? Someone said that a shady spot in front of a fence would be good - is that right?

Also, how tall do these grow?

Many thanks,

Pete

Mazio_2

I planted Loch Ness and Tayberry plants late last year (2008) both thornless bought from Thomson and Morgan obviously no fruit yet.
Also I read some were that Loch Ness dos not require any climbing support?