How To Grow And Care For Blackberries

In the South, blackberries hold an honored place not just on our tables but also in our memories. For many of us, one taste of a blackberry cobbler instantly brings back thoughts of childhood summers spent picking berries.

There are numerous species and varieties of blackberries, including wild blackberries (brambles) such as native dewberries that scramble along the ground. Other wild blackberries create tall thickets. Cultivated blackberries are usually erect or trellised and have larger, sweeter, and less seedy fruit. Depending on the variety, blackberries are thorny or thornless.

Blackberries are planted while they are dormant and leafless. In the South, this can be in the fall, winter, or early spring. The bushes require very little care; however, they are vigorous growers and turn into a thicket if you don’t prune them regularly.