Blackberry |
| General |
| Common Name | Blackberry |
| Latin Name | Rubus ursinus |
| Category | Fruits |
| Family | Brambles |
| Variety | See Cornell Guide to Growing Fruit at Home |
| Visual Traits |
| Fruit | black |
| Cultivation |
| Cultivation and Mulching | cultivate 3' wide strip, no deeper than 2 |
| Field preparation and planting | prepare soil one season prior to planting; clear wild brambles; do not plant in location that may host verticillum wilt |
| Field spacing / planting depth | 30 |
| Propagation method | root suckers, bare root, tissue culture, tip layering |
| Pruning | June, pinch primocanes back when 3-4' tall; early spring, prune off winter damaged canes and cut laterals back to 12-16 |
| Retail Source | 30 in apart, in rows 9-10 ft apart |
| Softwood cuttings | summer and/or fall; berries do not last > 2-3 days on plant |
| Transplant | rooted canes early spring; tissue culture plantlets after last frost |
| Watering guidelines | water liberally at planting; require irrigation throughout growing season; early morning so that plants may dry during day; plant in raised beds if threat of water accumulation |
| Critters |
| Insect and invertebrate pests | raspberry cane borers; raspberry fruitworms; spider mites; blackberry leafminers; raspberry sawflies; japanese beetles |
| Pathogens | phytophthora root rot, mosaic virus, ringspot virus, verticillium wilt; spur blight, cane blight, anthracnose; botrytis fruit rot; orange rust |
| Wildlife Pests | rodents |
| Soils |
| Fertility / quality | well-drained |
| Moisture and drainage | excessive water promotes phytophthora root rot or frost heave; drought intolerant |
| pH | 5.5-6.5 |
| Texture | prefers sandy loam but tolerates wide range |
| Growth Pattern |
| Growth rate | fast |
| Longevity | short |
| Habitat and Climate |
| Exposure | no Southern slopes due to early flowering |
| Hardiness Zone | Zones 5-7 |
| Wind / ice / frost susceptibility | susceptible to frost heave in wet soils |
| Light |
| Light recommendation | full sun |
| Special Notes |
| Note 1 | hydridizes readily with other Rubus sp. |