Thats really interesting. One reason I ask the question is that of the few “commercial” Black berries I have planted and tried, I haven’t enjoyed the taste nearly as much as wild black berries that grow around here. I love the large size and high production of the commercially developed ones, but if basing it only on taste, I’d take a wild blackberry with me to my imaginary “island”. I have even gone so far as digging up and transplanting some wild berries. But they are slow to establish themselves and production is poor so after 3-4 years I gave up and mowed them down.
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Hopefully freedom and 45’s will be everything all the other commercial blackberries have not been. I’m not a fan of sour off flavored berries like the supermarket sells. Those are the red delicious of blackberries as far as I’m concerned. I strongly dislike red delicious apples from the supermarket but homegrown are a favorite.
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I’m glad you added that very last sentence! Almost everyone on this site talks about how awful red delicious apples are, and I’ve never really understood why. Like you, I’ve had good and bad ones from grocery stores (tho apparently more good ones than you) but my tree at home produces huge (my biggest apple by far) red delicious apples that are fairly crispy and overall quite good to eat. So I don’t get all the hatred!!! But perhaps they fall into disfavor of so many people here because grocery stores are selling poor quality fruits that may be old, stored wrong, etc. SInce you say you really enjoy home grown ones, maybe that distinction is why I see most people complaining about an apple that I find to be pretty darn good.?.?.?
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Wyeberry, not my favorite berry, but in the top of the pack. Because it is prolific, huge and tasty, but New Berry is pretty good too, and appears to be prolific also… I myself have never tasted a wild I liked. I’m going to ask Clark for some canes this fall or next spring. Try those out! The wild raspberries are so good, i stopped looking for the blackberries.
Most people don’t let them ripen properly. Mine are black for some time. maybe 10 days before I pick them. The calyx needs to be crispy brown, else they are not ripe, some exceptions. Wyeberry you can tell by color.
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Remember my blackberries spread 10 feet in each direction and do it again and again. I grow them in the middle of my property because they do not recognize borders. They punched holes through thick plastic once and got away from me when I was propagating them. They can be a problem quickly which is also what makes them so good.
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It is what has stopped me. Thinking about where to put them? I was thinking my cottage, as it can tame the most wild of beasts. If it’s good, it can have the room.
Thanks too, I’ll pm you in the fall. In the meantime any plants you see I have you would want to try, let me know.
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Mine are just starting to show some color. I believe I picked my first berries on July 16th last year. So maybe a week ahead of that this year for me.
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I’m jealous! wish we had them up here! i love blackberries! just planted some baby cakes thornless dwarf blackberries hardy to zone 4. i hope they take and give me my 1st. ever blackberry crop!
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I’m in north Florida and my wild blackberries have been ripping for 2-3 weeks now. Bajillions of them. The biggest crop I’ve ever seen. The deer are having a heyday…
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Dutch,
What zone is your location? Sounds excellent post some pictures if you can.
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Hey Clark, I’m in 8b. You have to zoom the pictures to see the berries good but I have 52 acres and if I haven’t mowed there are blackberries by the bucket. I just planted a dozen elderberry in April too and they all look like this one.
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Looks great! You can raise a lot of things on 52 acres. Hood pears would likely do really well there for you. Actually your zone is the best of both worlds in many ways because you can raise hardy citrus, pomegranate etc. and still raise much of what’s in the colder zones.
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Ive noticed that. I have a bartlett and a stark delicous pear right now them seem to be doing well. The more i mow the more thought i give to planting more. Any suggestions would be totally welcome. I’m retiring in a little over 4 years and would love to have many producing trees by then. I have 3fig 3 apple 2 pear 3 peach 2 sweet cherry 2 hazelnut 2 almond 3 pecan and 5 robinson crabapple for feeding the deer and 2 Mulberry. Im thinking up to 50 or 60 would be a good number.
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I would start a new post just about what to plant cause I can think of a bunch of stuff! Bet you’ll like this topic Oranges in Zone 5 - #19 by warmwxrules. I would absolutely have some citrus in your zone even if some of it was in high tunnels.
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My crop is going to be light this year. Complete floricane die back in one patch ( which are regrowing nicely) and another patch just 30 yards away there was some cane die back but they will produce a light crop.
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just put in a patch of wild canadian blackberries from a patch i found growing nearby. put in 10 plants 5 days ago. 6 have already sent up new growth. the berries are the size of a large raspberry and they produce a lot of tasty fruit, are relatively thornless with a 6ft. maroon colored erect canes and are a true z3 hardy blackberry. i can’t wait till’ i get fruit! i normally don’t get excited over a native berry but i love blackberries and this is the 1st. one I’ve found , native or commercial cultivars, that are true z3 hardy. was planning to try my hand at crossing this plant w/ another cold hardy cultivar with bigger berries but haven’t gotten around to it yet.
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which variety? Freedom?
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This is the first year I did not prune my Ouachita canes. They are at least 6-7’ Tall and are loaded with blossoms. Their blossoms are beautiful and fragrant!
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