Your 2021 Resolution: Grow Thornless Blackberries
It’s Your Year To Develop Your Green Thumb, Grow Your Own Berries And, Ultimately, Improve Your Health.
Every January, people across the globe embrace a new start with the beginning of the Gregorian calendar year. We collectively make resolutions to embrace a healthier lifestyle. Here at Doyle’s Thornless Blackberry®, we like to encourage healthy habits by helping people to grow thornless blackberries.
Could 2021 be the year you develop your green thumb, grow your own berries and, ultimately, improve your health? It’s possible! Let’s get started right here and now.
If you want to grow thornless blackberries, it helps to know how. Since you’re on our website, you probably know where to find thornless blackberry plants. You can always buy them through the fruitandberries.com website, and we will ship them when it’s time to start planting, usually in early spring after the last freeze.
Once you receive your blackberry starts, we recommend planting them in direct sunlight in soil between 5 and 6.5 pH. The plants want all the sun they can get in the spring, but we recommend a minimum of six hours. The plants can thrive in partial sun, but the shade may reduce the production. During the summer peak in July and August, direct sun dehydrates the berry slightly. For best results, use 40% shade cloth or a rotating shift trellis.
Sandy loam soil is ideal for all brambles because it retains moisture and fertilizers while letting the excess water escape. As long as you provide good drainage, other soil types can work, too. The better the soil, the faster the blackberry plant grows. Better growth means more delicious berries during the harvest in July.
And don’t forget to water! Regular irrigation is an essential part of maintaining any garden plant. When attempting to grow blackberry plants, a drip irrigation system is the best way to conserve water and fertilize the roots at the same time. The plants need about an inch of water, which is a little over one half gallon per week. When using plastic, the thornless blackberries only need a quart of water per plant per week. You’ll want to double these amounts when the berries are producing.
January is a month of motivation, so it’s the perfect time to commit to a healthy resolution. We may be a little biased, but you can’t go wrong with a decision to grow blackberry plants. Combine a healthy activity with gardening with an antioxidant-rich fruit like blackberries, and you simply can’t go wrong.
Remember that as with any resolution, the learning curve can sometimes feel discouraging. The team at Doyle’s Thornless Blackberry® is here to help. Start by looking over our Frequently Asked Questions page. If you still have questions, please reach out to us on our website or Facebook page, and we will work to get you an answer as quickly as possible.