Modern Diet Series
Get Yummy Black Berries Before the Birds
Native throughout the Northern Hemisphere
History
Blackberries come from the rose family. They grow wild throughout the temperate northern hemisphere. They grow by cane and multiply with little effort. One of their closest relatives is the raspberry.
Both belong to one of several species within the Rubus Genus. So how do you tell the difference? When you harvest, raspberries lose their little pit inside.
It remains attached to the plant and leaves a concave area in the fruit. Blackberries will keep the pit inside when you pull them off a plant. Blackberries are more oblong than circular raspberries.
Despite the name, blackberries are not berries at all like a banana. Rather, they are an aggregate fruit of drupelets. They consist of over 350 species throughout the north.
They prefer full sun. They don’t want partial sun, and they tolerate all but the wettest soils. These fruits make a great cobbler or ice cream for dessert. Or eat them by themselves.
Details
Scientific name: Rubus v
Zones: 5 to 9
Difficulty: Easy
Flavor: Juicy, succulent, sweet, tangy, tart
Uses: Folk medicine, food
Nutrition: Vitamin C & K, fiber, and manganese
Origin: Temperate Northern hemisphere
Related: Brambles, dewberries, loganberries, raspberries, roses, strawberries
Companions: Bee balm, borage, chive, mint
Avoid near: Artichokes, asparagus, canna lilies, carrots, cowpea, eggplant, fennel, grapes, oregano, peppers, potatoes, raspberries, tomatoes
Pests: Aphids, cane blight, raspberry beetle, viruses
Pollinators: Bees, self-pollinating
Varieties: Apache, Arapaho, Baby Cakes, Chester Thornless, Cherokee, Kiowa, Natchez, Navajo, Ouachita, Prime-Ark 45, Triple Crown, etc.
Growth & Harvest
So you want to grow blackberries. This rose family member enjoys full sun and moist, well-draining soil. Consider whether your plant is a trailing, erect, or semi-erect variety. The best time to plant blackberries is early spring when the canes are dormant.
If you grow in rows, space them about 8 feet apart. Mulching will tamp down competition from volunteer plants. Blackberries don’t need much. So an occasional general fertilizer would more than suffice.
Since blackberries grow from canes, they propagate by layering. If you want to make another plant, find a long cane on your plant. Use a stone or heavy item to keep the cane against the soil. Over time, roots will erupt from a node. Once rooted, you may separate the clone from the mother plant.
Recipe: Blackberry Cobbler
Ingredients: Butter, blackberries, self-rising flour, sugar, vanilla ice cream, whole milk
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Combine 1 cup sugar with 1 cup flour. Mix in 1 cup milk and ½ stick of melted butter.
- Add to casserole dish. Top with 2 cups of blackberries.
- Dash ¼ cup of sugar across the top.
- Bake for 50 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons more sugar. Bake for 10 more minutes.
- Serve with optional ice cream.
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