Are blackberries easy to grow?

1. 40

   ChristinSposted 11 years ago

   Are blackberries easy to grow?
   
   I want to replace our grape vines with blackberries.  I think we would use the berries more.  the grapes have been here since I moved here and we just never find a use for all of them. I'd rather have something we would use.  Are blackberries or possibly raspberries difficult to grow?

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2. 87

   innerspinposted 11 years ago

   We have tons of wild brambles in our garden, which produce blackberries. They are extremely hard to eradicate, so I'd guess they need containing in some way. Haven't tried to grow them deliberately. They are yummy, but the thorns are wicked.

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3. 68

   MargaritaEdenposted 11 years ago

   Blackberries are very easy to grow, much easier than raspberries, raspberry bushes are more picky about lighting and watering, but blackberries will grow in the shade and pretty much anywhere. As innerspin said, they are hard to eradicate, they will spread very easily to the whole yard if you don't keep these plants under control. Good luck!

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      Perspycaciousposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Easy. Shallow roots requiring regular watering. Can spread.  Choose thornless.  We like Navajo Thornless.  They freeze well, too.

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4. 68

   Teddletonmrposted 11 years ago

   From my experience, I believe blackberries are easy to grow. With many different hybrids, tame blackberry canes of the thorn-less varieties. That makes harvesting, and pruning both, painless, and really quite easy. Actually, both newbie and master gardeners alike find it much easier than they may think, growing black berries in their own gardens rewarding.

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5. 93

   VirginiaLynneposted 11 years ago

   It depends on where you live but in TX and CA blackberries are very easy to grow and produce lots of  berries that are great for just eating or making into pies and jam.  We have a Brazos berry in our yard that is as big as a person's thumb!  However it has terrible thorns.  You should definitely investigate what sort of berry works best in your area.  Be sure to give it lots of room to grow and you will need to clear out the old canes each year or else you will have quite a mess of brambles.  That can be a very tough job to cut out all the old canes, but you only have to do it once a year.  Plan to plant in a place where balls don't go in.  It looks pretty nice most of the year with green, white flowers in spring and then the berries and green in summer.  Fall they look a bit scraggly and the canes do die back with the frost so they aren't  too attactive in winter.  We did have canes in several parts of our yard but finally moved all of them to a front corner near our driveway where kids don't play.

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      Borsiaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I could never get them to grow for me in Southern CA, just too dry + hot. I tried a number of varieties. When I did get vines to grow they didn't bear much fruit.
      The same with raspberries for me.

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6. 40

   ChristinSposted 11 years ago

   Such great answers everyone - thank you so much.  We are in the midwest, southern Illinois, so I think I will definitely give blackberries a shot over the grapes that are currently out there.  I love the idea of fresh blackberries and homemade jams and whatnot
   
   The thorns kind of scare me, but then again they serve a good purpose I suppose to protect the berries.  Good gloves are in order I see! My concern would be the birds around here getting them all.

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