Thornless brambles any good?

[Babru]

I have a partly shaded wall where I thought a thornless bramble might do well. My friend who is an allotmenteer of many years says that in her experience the thornless ones don't have a great flavour.

Last Friday's Gardener's World had Monty Don saying he grows a thornless one called Apache which is delicious.

Anyone had experience of thornless ones, and if so, what do you think? Any recommendations?

If it needs to be thorny, do you grow a particularly tasty variety?

I'm assuming I only need one, no pollinator required?

[burnie]

I have one, this is it's second year, not really a crop last year, so in a month or so I might be able to give you an answer, no problems with pollination, mine seems to have lots of fruit coming on.

[Jay-ell]

I've thornless evergreen and the berries taste like wine - not that I get to taste many as it's in an arch at the front of the plot. Need to get another one out of arms reach.

From earlier this year when flowering, before fruit set

[the big lebowski]

i have 2 thornless blackberrys and im hoping for a v nice crop this year ,i would say go for it and get one they taste alot nicer than the hedgerow type berrys you can pick and you dont get torn to shreds picking them ,cheers

[nickdub]

There are also thornless types of loganberry and tayberry which would grow well in that spot - I grow both and they crop at slightly different times with somewhat different flavors - if I was forced to pick just one, I'd go for the Logan.

[Mr Bones]

We have a thornless blackberry on the lotty (sorry, don't know the variety as it's one we inherited with the plot). It fruits heavily with large berries but they do need to be properly ripe before picking or they need more sugar when cooking.
The huge plus though is the lack of flesh ripping thorns, not just when picking fruit but when pruning, tying in, disposing of trimmings or walking past on a windy day.

[DannyK]

Not very impressed with Waldo. My vicious thorny one knocks spots off it.

[chrisdb]

I have Triple Crown, and we like the fruit. They're very large and sweet.

[littlemoney]

I have Oregon thornless and been very pleased with it. It's quite nice looking with parsley shaped leaves.

[Earthgirl Jen]

I have a thornless blackberry, bought it in wilkos (April this year) in a 2" square pot as well as a loganberry and a redcurrant. I have no idea what the variety is. It didn't say. I potted them into 2 lit pots and they have grown very well. Just last week I potted each of them into 10 lit pots and they are still sprouting leaves and looking healthy.

After reading this thread though I'm going to have to rethink my thoughts on growing them in pots and find somewhere more permanent for them, thanks all.

[ESBkevin]

My Sister has a thornless blackberry in her back garden. She's very pleased, got it trained against the fence and it provides a nice harvest without too much work and no pricks/injuries. i'm planning on getting a cutting or two for myself.

[nickdub]

My Sister has a thornless blackberry in her back garden. She's very pleased, got it trained against the fence and it provides a nice harvest without too much work and no pricks/injuries. i'm planning on getting a cutting or two for myself.

Easiest way is to ask your sister if you can put the ends of one of the growing shoots from this year down to the ground and weigh it down with a stone or brick - a new plant should develop from this layer and be ready to cut off in the winter.

[Babru]

Thanks so much to everyone who replied. As a bit of a summary:
Waldo's not up to much
Triple Crown is good
Oregon Thornless is good
Apache is good (according to Monty Don)
Various un-named thornless varieties are good, so don't write off thornless
I could consider a thornless Loganberry as an alternative
Burnie is waiting to see what the crop is like this year.

OveralI I agree with MrBones that scratchy thorns do not make for a happy gardener, and I feel encouraged to go for one of the varieties tried and tested by real life forum members. Thanks so much!

[the big lebowski]

heres mine

[nickdub]

looking good - may need some water to help swell the fruit, if the dry spell continues.