Blackberries – Wild Delights with a Long Tradition

Blackberries are among the oldest fruit types and have been cultivated and harvested for many years. Even before gardening culture began, blackberries were considered an important part of the diet.

And despite having been on the menu for so long, they are still very popular. This is largely because they can still be found along the wayside during a forest walk, allowing for a tasty snack.

Anyone who has come across blackberries during a forest walk will surely remember the prickly branches of the plant. No wonder, as blackberries are known for their thorns. This still applies to wild varieties today, but many new cultivars no longer have thorns. For years, the fruits of thornless blackberries were considered larger but less aromatic. However, this is no longer a problem, as this "flaw" has been corrected, and there are now varieties that are thornless but still produce many flavorful and aromatic fruits. New cultivars are not an issue, as all of the more than 2,000 blackberry species discovered in Europe can be crossbred, leading to the creation of new varieties. For this reason, the species of blackberries are very controversial among botanists. There is no consensus on whether they are new species or just subspecies. But regardless of the classification, blackberries are a great addition to the garden.

Blackberries are widespread across the entire continent, which means they are native here as well and can be easily grown in your garden. Blackberries have a more or less vigorous growth and tend to spread quickly. This can be either a good or bad thing, but if you regularly keep the blackberry in check, it will reward you with plenty of berries, and you will enjoy the plant for a long time without it overtaking your entire garden. Although blackberries are usually found in the wild in forests, they thrive in the garden when given a sunny spot. In this location, they produce the most flowers and, consequently, the most fruit. While blackberries are offered as container plants in garden centers, spring is the ideal time to plant them. Although container plants can generally be planted year-round, the thornless cultivars are particularly frost-sensitive and should be planted only after mid-May. This gives the blackberries enough time to prepare for winter.

In the wild, blackberries are true self-growers. And because they grow so vigorously, they should be kept somewhat under control in your garden. The best way to do this is by using a rhizome barrier. Since blackberries have relatively shallow roots, it’s enough to set the barrier about 30 centimeters deep. A leftover piece of pond liner works well for this. To ensure abundant fruit production, blackberries need to be kept well-moist. This means you should not wait for the soil to dry out but water them regularly when it hasn’t rained.

Caring for blackberries in the garden is a bit like raising children: how you approach it is up to you. Since blackberries grow so vigorously, you can choose whether to train them or not. However, the effort involved in training can be quite high, so you’ll need to decide whether to let them grow freely or control them on a trellis. If you opt for training, you should seek advice when purchasing the plants, as there are differences between upright and more low-growing varieties. But for all plants, the rule is: after harvesting, the spent canes should be cut down to ground level by winter. This way, the plant can focus all its energy on producing new, young canes.