By Amanda Moon
I have a love/hate relationship with blackberries. Most of the other berries that we grow in this area require lots and lots of additional care, soil and hard work to yield an okay crop. But with blackberries, if they’re happy, they will gladly produce quarts of fruit with little prodding, while quietly taking over your yard.
This is not a bad thing if you’ve prepared for it in advance, and preparation is crucial if you want to be successful growing blackberries here in central Texas.
First you need to decide the best place to grow them. I planted mine up against a fence facing east and they seem happiest here. Their thin leaves get at least some relief from the late afternoon summer sun.
Most blackberries are very thorny and their new home should be somewhere out of the way of traffic, kids and pets. There should also be a water source to hit them with during dry spells so they still produce when it’s not raining.
Next, clear all weeds and grass from the area because weeding underneath them can be unpleasant once they start growing. Work compost into the new bed and adding granite or green sand can be good for heavy clay areas. If you have poor draining soil, you may need to plant in a raised bed for best results.
While blackberry plants are perennials, their canes are considered biennial. (These are flowering plants that take two years to complete their biological lifecycle.)
During their first year they’ll produce long canes of leaves called prima canes. During their second year those same canes, now called floricanes, produce flowers and fruit and then die. Then a new crop of prima canes emerge from the roots ready for next year’s fruit.
Blackberries are harvested in late spring/early summer and can be eaten right away fresh or frozen for future use in desserts like cobblers (best in my opinion) or for blended smoothies.
While the old standbys for Texas include Brazos and Rosborough, there are also thornless varieties like Navajo and Arapaho that you can plan when space is tight or thorned varieties are not an option. While some say the fruit is not as tasty as the original sticky blackberries, thornless do have their place.
Lastly, many of us in this region live where there are some wild spots in the yard. Often those areas will be taken up by brambles of dewberries, our wild blackberry native.
If you have the space to let them roam, as they want to be a groundcover as opposed to the upright canes of blackberries, this is a great way to enjoy the fruits of Texas without much work. In drier years, add a little moisture to keep them at their best production. Otherwise, they need very little work.
Both the blackberry cultivars (thorned and thornless) and the Austin dewberries can be found in the early spring in many Hays and Travis County nurseries ready for you to begin your adventure in blackberry farming. Happy gardening everyone!
If you have a question for Chris, send it via email to iathyme@yahoo.com. Or mail a postcard to It’s About Thyme: 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748 www.itsaboutthyme.com
