Blackberry Basics and Site Selection Eric T. Stafne, Ph.D. Assistant Professor and Extension Fruit Specialist klahoma State University
Blackberries Perennial root Biennial canes Good longevity Annual pruning Easy to grow Very Productive
Growth Habit, Thorns, and Fruiting Types Erect Trailing Thorny Thornless Floricane Fruiting (aka Summer Fruiting) Primocane Fruiting (aka Fall Fruiting)
Definitions - Brambles Primocane cane that emerges in spring and usually does not flower or fruit Floricane cane that overwinters and produces flowers and fruit in 2 nd year Torus middle part of berry. Blackberries have included torus. Raspberry fruit, torus removed when harvested. Erect straight up, degree depends on variety Trailing running along the ground
Site Recommendations Well-drained, loamy soil best ph of 6.0 6.5 is optimal, but will tolerate up to 7.5 Do a soil test before planting Slight slope Aspect facing E, SE, or NE best Must have access to good irrigation water Clear of invasive weeds Pesticides applied previously?
Establishment if Dormant Feb or Mar ( if plants dormant: root cuttings or bare root ) Spread roots and cover nly 1 cultivar needed 2-3 inches of soil above the roots 2-3 x 8-10 feet spacing Apply 4-6 inches mulch Apply fertilizer according to soil test Split application at bloom and after harvest Fertilize annually and retest in 3 years
Establishment if Actively Growing Rooted cuttings in pot Plant after frost-free date in spring (mid to late April) Raised beds may be necessary if soil is heavy
Training - Brambles Trellis will be necessary for trailing cultivars Trellis may be necessary for all cultivars
Cane Growth Primocanes First year growth May bear fruit on certain types Floricanes Second year growth Fruit bearing canes
What is a Primocane-Fruiting Blackberry? All brambles have two types of canes: Primocanes or 1 st -year canes Floricanes or 2 nd -year fruiting canes
What is a Primocane-Fruiting All existing commercial blackberries are floricane-fruiting: Canes must be overwintered Fruit in June- August depending on location and cultivar Blackberry?
What is a Primocane-Fruiting Primocane-fruiters fruit on current-season canes Cane overwintering not required Fruit later in season until frost Mowing a method of pruning May also be referred to as fall-fruiting ; everbearing ; etc. Blackberry?
Culture of Blackberries Erect blackberry primocanes headed back to 3.5 feet tall in June Trailing brambles - not headed back, need support system All need irrigation Weed control critical at establishment
Pruning - Brambles No pruning on first year canes Major pruning and thinning done in winter Remove all dead and diseased canes Prune laterals to 15 inches long Leave 3-5 canes per linear foot of row
Harvest -- Brambles Harvest in late spring/early summer of second year Full production by 5 th year Harvest in morning and place fruit in shade/cool area Fruit must be deep black in color Harvest daily or every other day
Post-harvest -- Brambles Refrigerate immediately after harvest to 34-36 F 95% Relative humidity Can last several days (cultivar dependent)
Blackberry Cultivar Selection Eric T. Stafne, Ph.D. Assistant Professor and Extension Fruit Specialist klahoma State University
Cultivars Released from the University of Arkansas Blackberry Breeding Program
Thorny cultivars released Cherokee and Comanche 1974 Cheyenne 1977 Shawnee 1983 Choctaw 1989 Kiowa 1996 Chickasaw 1999
Cherokee Thorny, erect 1974 Berry size: 5g Yield: 7-9,000 lb/ac Ripens: June 14 SS%: 9.7 Not patented
Comanche Thorny, erect 1974 Berry size: 6g Yield: 6-8,000 lb/ac Ripens: June 5 SS%: 9.8 Not patented
Cheyenne Thorny, erect 1977 Berry size: 6g Yield: 6-9,000 lb/ac Ripens: June 10 SS%: 9.7 Not patented
Shawnee Thorny, erect 1983 Berry size: 8g Yield: 8-12,000 lb/ac Ripens: June 8 SS%: 9.3 Patent expired in 2003
Choctaw Thorny, erect 1989 Berry size: 5 g Yield: 6-14,000 lb/ac Ripens: 30 May SS%: 8.7 Patent expired in 2009
Kiowa Thorny, semi-erect 1996 Berry size: 12 g Yield: 7-11,500 lb/ac Ripens 12 June SS%: 10 Patented
Chickasaw Thorny, erect 1999 Berry size: 10 g Yield: 10-11,500 lb/ac Ripens: June 11 SS%: 10 Patented
Thornless cultivars released Navaho -- 1989 Arapaho -- 1993 Apache -- 1999 uachita -- 2003 Natchez -- 2007
Navaho Thornless, erect 1989 Berry size: 5 g Yield: 8-10,000 lb/ac Ripens: June 15 SS%: 12 Patented
Arapaho Thornless, erect 1993 Berry size: 5 g Ripens: June 4 Yield: 4-6,000 lb/ac SS%: 10 Patented
Apache Thornless, erect 1999 Berry size: 8-10 g Yield: 7-10,000 lb/ac Ripens: June 25 SS%: 11 Patented
uachita Thornless, erect 2003 Berry size 6-7 g Yield: 14,500 lb/ac Ripens: June 12 SS%: 11 Patented
uachita Very erect canes Yields usually among highest of any Arkansas thornless cultivar
Natchez Thornless, erect 2007 Berry size: 8-9 g Yield:10-12,000 lb/ac Ripens: June 3 SS%: 9.5 Patented
A New Type of Blackberry Primocane-Fruiting Blackberries
Prime-Jan Thorny, erect 2004 Berry size: 5 g Yield: 10,000 lb/ac (F) SS%: 9.6 Ripens: June 8 (F) Patented and Trademarked
Prime-Jim Thorny, erect 2004 Berry size: 5 g Yield: 10,000 lb/ac (F) SS%: 8.0 Ripens: June 3 (F) Patented and Trademarked
Primocane-Fruiting Varieties Watch Carefully in Hot Climates Not recommended for commercial production, rather for home garden use and limited commercial trial Fruit quality in postharvest storage not suitable for shipping Poor performance for primocane crop in high heat --Heat in late July to early Sept. greatly reduces fruit set, quality, and yield --Appears that temps of ~85 o F for several consecutive days cause these problems, and even later-season cool temperatures do not bring the fruiting potential back strongly --Worst performance in southern part of K, better in central, better still in north, very positive in regon
thers in ur Trial Triple Crown Released 1996, Maryland Semi-erect, Thornless Tupi (or Tupy) Released 2003 Trailing, Thorny