Advice on Blackberry Varieties

[Lovely Helen]

Hi all

I am building a new fruit bed in my garden and would love to have a blackberry plant. Can anyone reccommend a good variety - preferably spineless. I live in the south west (not that that made the winter much milder this year!!!)

Thank you

[FB.]

The thornless blackberries tend to be flavourless and bitter in comparison to the wild types. Even the birds won't eat them.
I would not recommend them, unless it's for a decorative purpose.

I grow a Bedford Giant.
But I don't grow it because it's flavour is outstanding (it's rather sweet, but only fair flavour) - I grow it because it is extremely vigorous (hence the name), which suits my poor, dry, shallow soil.
There are also some relatively compact (but still thorny) varieties, which would probably be better on the mild and moist soils of the SouthWest, so as not to get out of control.

[Alison]

I would agree that the thornless ones tend to be rather flavourless although there may be exceptions. So long as you tie them to a frame with each years growth going to the oposite side then they are easy to pick etc so don't worry about the thorns.

[Lovely Helen]

Thank you very much for your great advice

I will definitely go for a thorned variety as it is the lovely tart sweet flavour of wild blackberries which I am after. I was planned to train it on the way you suggested so it's good to know that also helps with picking them

In which case can anybody else suggest some varieties which I could look for?

Thank you

[solway cropper]

Living in the south west you must have plenty growing in the hedgerows. I'm a few hundred miles further north than you and get fed up of uprooting wild seedlings that keep sprouting up. I can walk out and pick pounds of berries so the last thing I want is brambles taking over the garden....they can be very vigorous.

[Hermit]

Ive orded 6 reubens blackberrys, nearly thornless they also lose them as they mature, also there the size of a victoria plum and sweeter than most strawberrys, and the gardener guy on ideal world said 10lb first year as there a primocane variety. Not arrived yet but they do look awesome on the net and telly. 2 links below.

Blackberry 'Reuben' in a 9cm Pot | Garden Bargains
"Delicious - Black Beauty!" - Independent Offers

[Lovely Helen]

Hi Solway
Yes I did used to have blackberries at the bottom of my garden but then the rugby club ripped them all out (I tried to stop them but was never going to win that battle!)

I actually live in a pretty urban location in Bristol so I would have to drive to country areas to pick any that weren't directly next to a main road.

We always used to have a cultivated blackberry at my grandpas house but unfortunately no-one knows what it was as it was planted during the war! It was fantastic with big tart berries.

[starloc]

Every year we harvest all the wild ones we can and they taste much better than any from a shop, we dont grow many blackberries, ive moved some wild ones in from few cuttings that should fruit this year as they root so easily and the park keep chopping them down before they fruit

last night i decided to try some of these, they probably dont taste that good as there suposed to be very large fruit and small fruit always seem to taste better , but they might be good so i thought id try some, i mainly got them as they fruit the year of planting on new wood as well as old

Blackberry 'Reuben' in a 9cm Pot | Garden Bargains

[Hermit]

Reuben are suposeto be sweeter than strawberrys, so hopefully they will be.

[lottyrep]

I don't agree that the flavour of thornless blackberries is poor.I have been growing an Oregon Thornless for over 20 years in my back garden and the size, quantity and flavour of the fruit is superb.Every year I cut the fruited runners back down to the base and tie in the new runners against my fence never letting them get out of hand or too long.I get about twenty pounds of fruit off one plant and make jam and freeze the rest to use later in Summer Puddings etc. It has been one of the success stories from my garden. Hope this helps
Lottierep

[Storming Norman]

I also have an Oregon thornless - chosen from a tasting at my sisters allotment. Yes it is a bit sweeter but then it can be eaten uncooked. It is also very pretty unlike the rampant plants down the allotment - where I can get the really tart things you can't eat unless cooked.

I had the rampant ones all over the garden when I moved in and it took years to get rid of them - I think they are weeds worse than any horsetail and would not plant one ever!

[WrexTheDragon]

I also like the taste of thornless blackberries as they are sweater than the thorn varieties.

I have been growing Waldo and Adrienne for the last few years with great results.

[divvy]

I ordered the reuben blackberries as they sounded good . They have arrived today and I have soaked them and then planted in a bucket as I won't have time to plant them till the weekend . My question now is , I have looked but can't find any advice on pruning them and do they go mad and grow all over the place as I am putting them at the back of a flower border against a fence . I also have ordered some autumn raspberries Tulameen to try this year .

[littleexperience]

I ordered the reuben blackberries as they sounded good . They have arrived today and I have soaked them and then planted in a bucket as I won't have time to plant them till the weekend . My question now is , I have looked but can't find any advice on pruning them and do they go mad and grow all over the place as I am putting them at the back of a flower border against a fence . I also have ordered some autumn raspberries Tulameen to try this year .

i have also got the reuben blackberries divvy in 50litre pots because they are primocane i was told to chop them down to 6inch after fruiting this year and keep doing this every year but i will Propagate some more blackberries before i do chop them down to get some more first

[divvy]

Can anyone answer my previous question about Reuben blackberries , I would like to know before I plant them if they will go mad, sprouting up all over the place or if they are quite contained . Thanks for your help and advice . x