Certified Organic
Raspberry & Blackberry Plants

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All raspberry and blackberry
plants are $25 each
4+ plants $23 each
raspberry and blackberry can be mixed for quantity discount

Index to Brambles:
Shipping time for potted brambles:
 Available cultivars start shipping in April and through December. 
All cultivars are available unless otherwise stated with their description.
Fall Raspberry Plants
Black and Purple Raspberry Plants
Blackberry Plants
Summer Red Raspberry Plants

 

I have started to add some pictures of raspberry plants and their fruit in our websites photo gallery, which can be reached by clicking here 
 Photo Gallery , or on the link which is in the address bar at the bottom of this page.  There's not much there right now as regards raspberries, but one of the tasks I've set our intern this year will be to document the plants and fruit. 
Hopefully by fall of this year it will be a nice collection.

For a table that shows the ripening seasons of
our brambles relative to each other see our
Bramble Ripening guide

Not sure of your USDA hardiness zone?
This link will take you to the USDA planting zone map.
Once there, use your zip code to precisely determine your
hardiness zone.

All the brambles we sell are
 self-pollinating

All of our plants and products are free of genetically modified organisms (GMO's)

If you want to read about the differences between summer and fall bearing raspberries, click HERE to go to the bottom of this page.  I will discuss primocanes and floricanes, and hopefully make clear what they do in the life of a raspberry plant.

For a comparison
of our Fall Raspberries see the
Fall Raspberry Comparison Table

Fall Raspberry Plants
(primocane producing raspberries)

All raspberry and blackberry
plants are $25 each
4+ plants price is $23 each

Jaclyn Fall Red Raspberry

Sold Out for Spring Shipments
Full availability by June 2013

Jaclyn is another success of the quad-state breeding cooperative between Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and Wisconsin.  This lady was trialed on our farm in 2008 (along with Joan J), and it was a very nice surprise.  The canes are sturdy and vigorous.  The berry adheres well to the plant,  until the berry is ripe and ready to eat, and then it just comes right off.   Jaclyn has very little premature fruit drop caused by high wind or rainstorms.  The color goes from bright red to a purplish red when ripe, and the fruit is very sweet and juicy with moderate firmness (similar to Autumn Bliss).   My daughters particularly like this raspberry, due to its color and texture.  The berry shape is nice and unique, a fat conic much like a beehive hairdo, and the color was a new one to see in fall bearing raspberries.  Along with the other "sister" Joan J, Jaclyn ripened earlier than other cultivars I have growing on the farm, including Autumn Britten.  Cane height is to 5 feet, fairly sturdy and vigorous, but I would still recommend staking or a trellis to hold up the beautiful, heavy fruit.  Jaclyn was the top producer of fall red raspberries in 2009, and ranked first in flavor (for three years running!) in our taste tests.  This raspberry is my number one pick for yield, earliness, and flavor.
Hardiness zone 3a to 8b.

 

Joan J Fall Red Raspberry

Sold Out for Spring Shipments
Full availability by June 2013

Joan J is the second of two new "sisters" to join our farm's raspberry production gardens.  The most noticeable aspect of Joan J is that the canes are quite thorn-free.  Along with Jaclyn it is now one of the earliest fall bearing red raspberries on our farm.  I was quite impressed with its 2008 trial here at our farm.  It had strong canes, excellent production of deep red, firm berries that were sweet and very large.  Good suckering with very few spindly shoots.  There didn't seem to be a peak production time, but we were able to pick from them by mid-July through frost in late October.  While the canes were strong, I would still recommend a stake or trellis support due to fruit load when it ripens.  The berries were very good, with good farm market response (who is picky about raspberries?).  They were also the best for holding up to freezing, holding their shape better than others when thawed.  My daughters had no problem demolishing them in the taste test. 
Their only concern was if there were more.  Joan J ranked second in production of fall red raspberries in 2009 (just behind Jaclyn).
Hardiness zone 3b to 8. Patent cultivar

 

Polka Fall Red Raspberry

In Stock for 2013

Polka is a new release from Poland, with large, sweet, firm, red berries that maintain their brightness.  Polka begins to ripen fruit in between Jaclyn and Autumn Britten, with a concentrated cropping followed by good production of berries through frost.  Canes are erect and sturdy, and grow to a height of 3-4 feet.  This makes them ideal for smaller gardens or yards.  No trellising needed, though staking of the more vigorous, fruit-loaded canes is recommended. 
USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9

 

Autumn Britten Fall Red Raspberry

Sold Out for Spring Shipments
Full availability by June 2013

Autumn Britten is one of the earliest fall bearing raspberry varieties. Britten’s berries turn red in mid-July, right on the heels of the summer bearing raspberries.  Large, sweet fruit are firm yet juicy, and the canes are upright and vigorous. This is our primary variety for farm production, as it makes large berries that come ripe earlier in the season. Half of the fall crop will ripen over a month, with the remaining half coming ripe from August through October.  Autumn Britten is disease resistant and should have a low trellis, for though the canes are sturdy, they bow under the weight of the berries.
Hardiness zones 3a-9
Patent cultivar

 

Autumn Bliss Fall Red Raspberry

Sold Out for Spring Shipments
Full availability by June 2013

Autumn Bliss (released in 1984) was the first fall red raspberry cultivar I planted when we decided to get into raspberry production.  More productive cultivars have come along since then, but Autumn Bliss has shown  a strong annual consistency and resistance to foul weather and heat.  The fruit is excellent, very sweet, with firm berries excellent for fresh eating or freezing.  Canes grow to about 4.5 to 5 feet tall, and I usually trellis them to keep fruit up off of the ground.  Large berries, nice red color and a conic shape.  Flavor is perhaps a bit better than Autumn Britten, though Britten is slightly more productive and uniform (they are sister cultivars from the same breeding program in East Malling, England).  Of all the raspberries we grow, Bliss has been the constant favorite of my wife.  Ripens before Caroline and Himbo Top (some overlap).
Hardiness zones 3a to 11.

Himbo Top Fall Red Raspberry

Unavailable for 2013

Himbo Top is a new Swiss cultivar that has Autumn Bliss as one of the parents.  Berries are a bright, shiny red, large sized with a rich, sweet flavor.  Sturdy canes reach to 5 feet tall, but do need trellising or staked in order to support the fruit load.  Berries have a conic shape and are firm yet juicy.  The berry color of Himbo also remains bright through ripening, with darkening only taking place when the berry is overripe.  While I have not observed raspberry root rot on our farm (caused by Phytophthora fragariae var rubi), breeders have observed that Himbo remains unaffected by this fungus when it is present in the soil.   Himbo Top  begins to ripen about a week after Autumn Bliss, and has continued to produce until frost here at our farm.
Hardiness zone 4 to 8. Patent cultivar.

Caroline Fall Red Raspberry

Sold Out for Spring Shipments
Full availability by June 2013

Caroline has large berries that are very sweet.  When ripe, the berries are velvety soft and deep red.  Best for fresh eating, they also do well for  freezing.  This is a vigorous grower, and the canes will need to be supported due to their height (5') and fruit load, so a good trellis or support is important.  The fruit begins to ripen just after Autumn Britten, which will usually be late July to early August here in Brown County, Indiana.
Hardiness zones 4-9
Patent cultivar

Heritage Fall Red Raspberry
Heirloom

Sold Out for Spring Shipments
Full availability by June 2013

Heritage is one of the few heirloom raspberry cultivars still in production today.  While many newer cultivars have come along, Heritage  remains one of the most widely planted red raspberries in the U.S.  Dependability is the main reason for this continued support of Heritage.  Also, Heritage is one of the most widely adapted red raspberry cultivars, proving productive across many different climates within our country.  Medium to large sized, bright red berries are produced on sturdy canes.  Heritage seems to better handle weather extremes than most other cultivars.  Begins to ripen the fall crop in early August here in Brown Co., Indiana.
USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9.

Anne Fall Golden Raspberry

In Stock for 2013

Anne is a golden yellow, fall raspberry that has one of the most exquisite flavors of the raspberry group. It is the last of the fall raspberries to ripen, beginning in August here in Brown County, Indiana. It is not a heavy producer at this latitude, but the further south one lives, the more it will produce.  Anne has a rich and  colorful appearance, and it is the most coveted  raspberry on our farm.  My daughters love its flavor, which is distinct from the red raspberries, being sweet with a tropical fruitiness, and no tartness. The berries are large and glowing golden-yellow, and are produced on the ends of the canes. Like all of our fall raspberries, we have seen no bird predation on Anne. Moderately strong canes do best with support when fruit begins to ripen. 
Hardiness zones 4a-12
Patent cultivar

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Summer Red Raspberry Plants
(floricane producing raspberries)

Prelude Summer Red Raspberry

Unavailable for 2013

Prelude was first released in 1998, having been bred by Cornell University at the NYSAES in Geneva, NY.  Prelude has consistently been the first red raspberry to ripen here on our farm, with over half the crop  harvested before the end of June.  Prelude has a medium to large berry, with a slightly conical shape and firm structure (the berries handle well and do not mash or deform when picked).  The color is lighter red than most cultivars, and the flavor is excellent.  Cool springs tend to induce a more spritely (read "tart") flavor, but this is seen in all summer red raspberry cultivars.  The canes of Prelude have sparse spines, and the fruit is held well up for easy picking.  Prelude will also, in most years, produce a light fall crop of berries on its primocanes (just like fall bearing raspberry plants).  This cultivar suckers freely, so make sure to keep rows or clumps thinned to the strongest canes.  Prelude reaches 4-5 feet tall. 
Hardiness Zone 4-8 (Patented)

 

Boyne Summer Red Raspberry

Heirloom Red Raspberry
In Stock for 2013

Released in 1960, Boyne ripens slightly after Prelude, and has better sweetness and less foliar disease issues in wet springs.  Berries are round and deep red,  fairly firm, and aromatic.
Boyne has been a consistent producer of early red raspberries here in the Midwest, and is especially hardy in the northern climates.  Canes grow to about 5' tall when mature.  I have reintroduced  Boyne to our farm after a hiatus of about 12 years.
USDA hardiness zones 3-7 

 

Nova Summer Red Raspberry

In Stock for 2013

Nova was bred in Nova Scotia (1981), and is one of the more northerly hardy cultivars of red raspberry that I have come across.  Very strong growing canes with medium to large fruit that is bright red and firm.  Berry flavor is superb.  Nova is very dependable and productive, and tolerates the up and down spring weather here better than any other cultivar.  Yields are the most consistent of any of the summer red raspberry cultivars I have grown, and even in bad years I can count on Nova (except really bad, bad years, like April 2007, which took almost all of our spring blooming fruit crops).  The canes of Nova seem to have the smallest spines of the three summer cultivars I sell.  Like Prelude, Nova will produce a very light fall crop (on the primocanes)  if growth has been good and the fall doesn't cool down too quickly.  Nova is strong and vigorous, and suckers less than Prelude.  Hardiness zone is 3 to 8.

 

Lauren Summer Red Raspberry

Sold Out for spring 2013
Full availability by June 2013

Lauren is a new release from the cooperative breeding programs of Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and Wisconsin.  The berries are very large, bright red, and are the sweetest of all the summer cultivars I have tried.  It also has the longest fruiting season (4 weeks) of any summer red raspberry I have grown.  Berry shape is long conic with good firmness, and it tastes pretty good even when picked a little under-ripe (at the light red stage).  Lauren does not sucker very heavily at all, so it spreads much less rapidly than Nova or Prelude.  This might be considered an attribute for home growers, as the plant won't overcrowd its space or other plants nearly as fast as other summer raspberry cultivars.  I have been very impressed with this cultivar (which is patented), and will be expanding our plantings of Lauren here on our farm.  Lauren comes ripe after Prelude and overlaps Nova.
Hardiness zone is 5 to 8. (Patented)

 

Taylor summer red raspberry

Heirloom Red Raspberry
In Stock for 2013

Taylor is an older cultivar (released in 1935) that is primarily still grown for its  sweet flavor and high yield of large, elongated berries.  Taylor is truly a taste of history, and it is only in recent years that the newer cultivars have matched the flavor you can get with this cultivar.  Part of its sweetness comes from the fact that it is one of the last of the summer red (floricane) raspberries to produce its crop.  This means it is usually exposed to warmer weather than the earlier ripening cultivars, and that helps with sugar development in the berry.  Taylor is a vigorous grower, producing many suckers.   Be sure to keep them thinned to the strongest 3-4 per foot of row.  This will ensure large berries and fewer, if any,  disease problems.
USDA hardiness zones 4-8

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Black and Purple Raspberry Plants

(floricane producing raspberries)

Jewell Black Raspberry

In Stock for 2013

This is the Rambling Lady of our farm, naturalizing wherever I try to keep her in an orderly way.   Unless you possess a totalitarian nature, plan on your Jewells becoming a tangle, and plant them in an appropriate location (a little bit away from your house).  Birds love these, and they ripen a little before (but then extend past) the wild black raspberry season.  Jewell is about twice to three times the size of wild black raspberries, with every bit of their flavor and rambunctiousness (they are not, however, as mean and thorny as the wild blackberries).  It is pure heaven on earth to put a handful of these jet black berries in your mouth.  These are one of the first brambles (and the first black raspberry cultivar) to ripen, so they take on a very heraldic nature here on our farm.  
Hardiness zones 4b-8

 

Cumberland Black Raspberry
Heirloom...and then some!

New for 2013
Available for shipping beginning June 2013

Cumberland was introduced in 1890, selected from a wild population in Pennsylvania that had very large, sweet berries; so no breeding has gone into this cultivar by the hands of people.  Vigor, berry size and flavor have kept this cultivar in demand for the turn of two centuries, and it has contributed in the breeding of many modern cultivars. Cumberland ripens in the middle of the black raspberry season here in IN, overlapping with the last of Jewell and the first of Blackhawk.  The berries are as large as Jewell, and have that great, wild flavor which sets all black raspberries apart from other brambles.  Cumberland is also a cultivar that does well in the South, to N. Florida, Texas, and So. California.  This is a very fast growing cultivar, so summer pruning on the primocanes is helpful to maintain optimum size and increase the yield of quality berries the following year.  I've not seen any disease issues with Cumberland here on our farm, and I have acres with wild black caps growing along the creek and wet meadows.
USDA hardiness zones 5-9

Blackhawk Black Raspberry
Heirloom

Sold Out for spring 2013
Available again starting June 2013

Blackhawk is one of the few cultivars of black raspberry that can be grown in the warmer districts of the U.S., into Texas, N. Florida, across the Gulf, and parts of S. California and the Southwest.  Very resistant to foliage diseases, which is essential for the humid Southeast.  Ripens after Jewell and before MacBlack, producing medium to large berries (much bigger than the wild blackcaps) on vigorous canes.  Northern hardy to zone 5, so it can be grown in N. Indiana and lower Michigan
USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9

 

Huron Black Raspberry
Heirloom

Heirloom black raspberry
sold out for 2013

Huron is an heirloom cultivar released in 1962, with large, glossy, black berries that have the great flavor of wild black raspberries.  This cultivar is also one of a few that can be grown successfully in the colder regions of our country.  Has the same vigor and spreading potential as all black raspberries, so one needs to keep it in check to maintain production.  I especially like picking fruit from these older cultivars, as it reminds me of what my father and grandfather were growing when they were  younger men.
USDA hardiness zones 3b-5

 

MacBlack Black Raspberry

Sold Out for spring 2013
Available again starting June 2013

This is the most cold-hardy of the five black raspberry cultivars we sell.  Canes are winter hardy in USDA zone 3, allowing even more northern locations in the U.S. to have a good crop of blackcaps.  Ripens after Blackhawk, so Mac Black extends the harvest season of black raspberries, as it is one of the latest to ripen its crop.  Medium to large sized berries are sweet and firm.
USDA Hardiness Zones 3-8

 

 

Royalty Purple Raspberry

Sold Out for spring 2013
Available again starting June 2013

This raspberry is a very prolific bearer of VERY large, dusky purple raspberries.  Royalty is a blend of red raspberry vigor and black raspberry habit, with the best flavors of its parents.  Royalty ripens in early summer, just after black raspberries.  Royalty grows like a black raspberry or blackberry, from a crown, relying on cane tip-rooting for propagation.  Royalty does not spread vigorously via underground runners like summer red raspberries do, and it will usually produce a quarter more fruit per cane than summer red raspberries. 
Hardiness zones 4-8

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Blackberry Plants

All blackberry and raspberry
plants are $25 each
4+ plants price is $23 each
All blackberry cultivars are thorn-less.

Arapaho Blackberry

In Stock for 2013

Arapaho is currently the most consistent, early-ripening cultivar of blackberry available.  Ripening of fruit begins in mid-July and runs through the middle of August, here on our farm.  Berries shape is short-conic, sometimes rounded, of medium to medium-large size, with fine sweetness and flavor.  Arapaho has the smallest seeds of the six blackberry cultivars we sell.  It produces strong, vigorous canes, which are self-supporting if tipped when they reach 48"-52" in height.  We are at the northern most range for Arapaho, and they will perform very well throughout southern Indiana and on south.
USDA Hardiness Zones 5b-10

 

Natchez Blackberry

 In Stock for 2013

This is a new release from the University of Arkansas, and is a trailing cultivar like Triple Crown.  Given room, it will yield more fruit per plant than the upright cultivars are capable of producing.  Very large, long berries are produced very early in the season, just after Arapaho has started to ripen.  Fruit harvest will last up to 4 weeks.   Berries need to be full ripe for best sweetness and flavor, though this is true for all blackberries.  Full ripe is when the berries turn from shiny black to dull black, and also become softer.  This is one main reason shipped blackberries are generally tart, because they are picked a little under-ripe so that they are more firm for shipping.  Home-grown blackberries can ripen on the cane and be picked at the peak of perfection.  As a trailing cultivar, Natchez does require a trellis or stake system to support its vigorous canes and fruit load.  Tip canes when the reach 6-7 feet in length. 
USDA Hardiness Zones 5b-9
Update on Natchez for 2012 growing season:
With our late freeze in April (getting down to 20F two nights in a row, a real hammer when plants are flowering), most of the Natchez crop was wiped out.  But, it re-bloomed (at about 50 percent of original bloom volume) and made the highest quality blackberry crop of all cultivars we grow.
 I was very impressed by the size of the berry, the sweetness, and the amount of harvest we had from our 3 year old planting.  Berries were borne under the primocane foliage, close to the ground, so were shielded from the 100F, scorching summer we've had here in IN.  No sunscald damage at all.  Good nutrition and irrigation in 2011, along with its breeding, gave us a rewarding second chance crop for 2012.

 

Navajo Blackberry

Sold Out for spring 2013
Available again starting July 2013

Released in 1988, Navajo was the first thornless, upright  blackberry to come out of  the University of Arkansas' breeding program (done with traditional plant breeding and no GMO's or bio-engineering).  Berry size is medium, and while Navajo has the smallest berry size of all the cultivars we sell, it also has the most consistent sweetness and flavor.  Very disease resistant and trouble free.  Begins to ripen in the middle of the blackberry season, around late July here on our farm in southern Indiana, and carries on for about 4 weeks.  Our farm is at the northern limit for Navajo, and like Arapaho, it will do well all through southern Indiana and to the south.
USDA Hardiness Zones 5b-10

 

Ouachita Blackberry

In Stock for 2013

Ouachita was released in 2006 by the University of Arkansas’ blackberry breeding program, and was added to our farms production plants in our ongoing quest for excellent blackberry cultivars. Ouachita, pronounced WAH-shi-tah, is a very upright growing, vigorous, thornless blackberry. It should be tipped when canes get to 48” tall, to make it sturdier and more productive. However, trellising or staking may be needed to keep a full crop from leaning towards the ground. Fruit quality is excellent. Berries are firm, sweet and about the same size as Apache. Fruit matures beginning in mid to late July here in Brown County, Indiana, depending upon the spring weather. Yields seem a little better than Apache, but less than Triple Crown. Breeders and researchers have observed that Ouachita appears to be resistant to double blossom as well as orange rust infections.  I have not observed these diseases on our farm. 
Space 4 feet apart in the row.
USDA Hardiness zones 5 to 11

 

Apache Blackberry

In Stock for 2013

The Apache blackberry was released in 1999 by the University of Arkansas (a center of dedicated blackberry breeding).  It has an erect, strong form at maturity, but I have noticed the young canes on 1 and 2 year old plants to be a bit trailing.   It has nice, medium-large berries that get very sweet when fully ripe.  Like all blackberries, best flavor of fruit occurs when it is a dull black.  Apache has performed well for us, making up half of our blackberry plantings.  Apache is resistant to cane anthracnose, and I have not observed any foliage disease upon it since it has been growing here (first planted in 2000).  Apache is thorn-free and the fruit comes ripe in July-August here in Brown County, Indiana. 
USDA Hardiness zones 5b-10
Patent cultivar

Triple Crown Blackberry

Sold Out for spring 2013
Available for shipping again beginning in June 2013

This blackberry was released in 1998 by the USDA breeding program in Beltsville, MD.  Triple Crown has been an excellent blackberry, and was the only blackberry cultivar to produce some fruit after the 2007 April Freeze (even the wild blackberries were fruitless that year).  Triple Crown is a trailing blackberry, which means you have some options on how you would like to manage it.  I have one area that has just become a tangle of canes (12'x12' roughly) and it produces a copious amount of fruit.  I hack the canes out when they are done fruiting, while trying to keep the new canes from rooting and expanding this fruit monster.  I also have a trellised area, where I can prune easily, and keep the canes tied up and neat.  My neighbors have one that they train along their porches privacy lattice, allowing them to pluck berries as they relax in the shade cast by the canes.   One plant has produced a good 22# of fruit, the berries being medium to large sized (better pruning gives consistently larger berries) with sweet flavor.  Triple Crown is also thorn-free, and ripens a bit after Apache has started producing.  It also has a longer harvest period than Apache, with 5 year old plants producing for over 6 weeks when adequate moisture and heat are present.
USDA Hardiness zones 5-11
Update on Triple Crown for 2012 growing season:
Triple Crown once again gave us nearly a full crop of berries, despite enduring two nights of 20F in mid-April (Triple Crown blooms were still tight-green, while all others were full open).  Berry size was not as large as 2011, and I lost about 20% of the first ripening berries to sunscald (which could have been avoided if I had thrown 30% shade fabric over the canes, which I did for the remainder of the harvest period).  We would have had very few blackberries if not for Triple Crown, which is why it dominates our plantings.  (See Natchez update for another promising, freeze-fighting cultivar)

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What are primocanes and floricanes?

I have found these terms to be quite confusing to many people, but a quick explanation of what they refer to usually clears it up.  I like to remember their definitions by the word structure:  "Primo" means first or one, "flor" means flower, and "canes" mean just that.  So we have "first-canes" and "flower-canes" when translated to English. 
Primocanes ("first-canes") are the canes that grow up from the root crown beginning in spring.  They are the youngest canes on a bramble at any time.  All of the fall-bearing raspberries bear the majority of their fruit on their primocanes (the technical name for fall-bearing raspberries and other fall-bearing brambles is "primocane fruiting" raspberries).

Floricanes ("flower-canes") are canes on a bramble that have undergone one season of growth and dormancy.  These are the canes that overwinter and flower in the springtime, producing their fruit in the early to mid-summer.  Floricanes  must go through a period of winter chilling and dormancy (in our temperate climates), and typically die away after fruiting of that cane has finished (at which point the immaculate gardener swoops in and prunes it away).  The floricane is just a primocane that has gone through winter (just imagine it as graduating to the next grade).
The summer bearing raspberries bear all or most of their fruit on their floricanes (the technical name for summer raspberries and most blackberries is "floricane producing" brambles).  Usually, to increase yields one will tip the primocanes of floricane-producing raspberries and blackberries, as this initiates branching and the formation of more lateral branches for flowering in the following spring.  Some summer red raspberries (floricane-producing) do produce fruit on their primocanes, but it is usually a very small yield and only seen in the warmer zones of their hardiness range.  It also goes to show that living things rarely like to stay in the nice little groups we'd like them to remain.

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Points about our different raspberry plants for your backyard.....

Raspberries need very little fertilizer compared to other crops, and often thrive in poorer soils in which it  would be difficult to grow garden vegetables.  The most important aspect for successful bramble production is good drainage.  If you dig a hole, and fill it with water, it should drain away in a few hours.  If it is still full after 24 hours, you can still plant there, but only in a raised bed or ridge.


All of the fall red raspberries we sell have done great here on our farm, earning us both money and loads of home-made jam.  Joan J and Jaclyn are the earliest, while Autumn Britten and Autumn Bliss have been the most consistent producers over the past 5 years.  Caroline has the sweetest berries, but is later in the season and definitely requires a good trellis system.


The Jewel black raspberry is an excellent berry for naturalizing, especially given that it occurs natively across much of the East and Midwest.


Blackberries are the most durable and hardy of the brambles, growing well on poorer soils, withstanding drought, heat, and other stresses.  On our farm, I reserve the worst slopes for blackberry brambles.  As long as the soil is not boggy or poorly drained, they thrive. 


Here in southern Indiana, blackberries are a common, weedy plant of pastures and meadows, and produce berries that range from kerosene to sweet flavored.  And, they are thorny, with the tall grass and weeds holding chiggers, as well.  Thorn-less, sweet blackberries are quite a treat to pick, with the only scratching being that of your head, as you wonder why you didn't plant these low-care brambles earlier. 


If you have overpopulated deer in your area, you may have to protect blackberries and other brambles from browsing damage. 


For a table of the relative ripening times of our brambles, you can CLICK HERE.

For the table showing the results of our 2010 analysis of fall red raspberry cultivars you can CLICK HERE.