I have been trying to find a hardy blackberry for our zone 3/4. I planted Prime Ark Freedoms, Nelson, and Darrow. The PAFs I babied with heavy winter protection. We had a few huge berries from the Floricanes the first year after a very mild winter. Since then the floricanes have frozen, even with heavy protection, and the primocanes ripened too late. This past winter I didn’t cover them, as I plan to get rid of them anyway. The Darrows I didn’t winter-protect. The canes also freeze. They have spread into a nice patch, but no berries, so I think I will mow them down, too. The Nelsons were chewed a lot by the rabbits, but are getting leaf buds anyway. They have actually produced tasty berries, but both years we were on vacation at the time, so I only got a sample. I liked the flavor much better than the PAFs. This year I have also planted a Pequot Lakes from HBUSA.
i just put in 5 nelsons this spring. darrow died to the snow line so i pulled it. wanted pequot lakes from HBUSA but they were out of stock. where did you get yours? there are several z3 hardy cultivars offered in canada but i need to place a large order and pay extra for disease inspection before they would ship here. not worth it for just blackberries.
I got the Pequot Lakes from HBUSA.
You might try PA45. They are thorny but more hardy and very productive.
I’m technically zone 5 but it seems we are zone 4 most years. When I was researching hardy blackberries the three varieties that kept popping up as the hardest were illini hardy, Darrow, and Fort Kent king. The only variety of those three that I could find was Darrow, which I planted last year. The rabbits got the canes this winter, which surprised me with how thorny they were, but they are coming back this spring. I would like to try Fort Kent king if I could find them.
I also had prime ark freedom and have prime ark 45. The flourocanes in the freedoms died every winter and sometimes the crownd as well depending on snow cover. I eventually dug them out. The 45s are still alive, but the flourocanes always die overwinter, and the primocanes usually ripen too late.
Here is a report from a test site/farm in southern Wisconsin about blackberries. They also have interesting info on other fruit.
were they the blackberries or black raspberries? they only have had the black raspberries in stock the last couple years.
from what I’ve seen, there are conflicting zone ratings for PA45. some say 4 others 5. I’m in z3b/4a so i doubt they would work here.
me too! i live 20 miles from ft. kent and I’ve never heard of blackberries surviving up here. i did discover my only wild black berry 2 yrs ago. its called the Canadian/ smooth blackberry. its berry is about as big as a large wild raspberry and is hardy to z2. but not a cultivated variety. i don’t think anyone sells Ft kent king anymore. I’ve searched . hopefully the nelsons i got from fedco do well. they say z4 hardy, maybe z3. they were pricey though.
My experience with PA45 here in central/southern Minnesota z4 is the same as with the PAF, crowns make it through the winter, canes never do. Even when I lay down and bury in leaves.
Moose, You are right, They are Pequot Lakes black raspberries. So there are both raspberries and blackberries by that name?
yes they’re are. by the same breeder in MN. i almost ordered them but i have 6 ohio treasure black rasps. which give me 2 crops per season. they haven’t had the blackberries in stock for awhile. i contacted them and they said next year they will be available again. at least black raspberries taste similar to blackberries and don’t sucker all over the yard like blackberries do.
I’m trying to get some black rasps going. Got some good cane growth this year. I was in a z5 and my favorite there was definitely Kiowa despite the thorns. Didn’t have good luck with PA45, very erect and lots of cane dieback even when protected. Jim and Jan didn’t fruit. Others too not worth mentioning.
I’m in solid z4 now. Brought some PAF, darrow, and Apache with me and they give me a berry or two. I got some Triple Crown this year that seems to be doing ok. Seems like the key where I am is keeping them protected from the wind to include winter protection. I’ve had a hard time getting them adequate combination of wind protection and adequate sunshine. Id like to try a low trellis that could be laid down and covered in winter
Generally
Raspberries are hardier than blackberry.
I think Olin meant blackberries. For me the only successful one I have had is Nelson. I had to spray them good with Liquid Fence over the winter or the deer or rabbits totally stripped them, though. PAF I was able to keep alive with heavy protection, but they ripened too late. The Darrows have not produced anything, although they have spread greatly. If they don’t produce in the coming year I plan to mow them all down so they don’t become a nuisance.
how is the fruit size for you with the nelsons? mine produced for the 1st time for me this summer and were smaller than my biggest raspberries.
They were probably between 3/4 inch and one inch in size. I think the last ones were smaller, but it was also very dry here then. My raspberries didn’t do diddly this year. Early cold got any fall varieties. June ones were zilch for blossoms or fruit.
my blackberries were watered regularly but i didn’t fertilize them so it could be that. my raspberries were smaller also. i did get some preludes which are very early flowering which was a surprise due to our june 23 freeze here. the 6 flowers i got on my y. transparent all got fruit which i thought was even more amazing.
@northwoodswis4 how have your Nelson blackberry done? Fedco mentions that they can be freestanding. I planted some last season and I’m debating on if a trellis is needed or not.
This place appears to be sold out on most things now… but they do still list Illini Hardy and a Balsor’s Hardy Blackberry on their site.
2343 Gerber Road, Wellesley ON N0B 2T0 (I think this may be a Canadian nursery).
Illini Hardy is reported to be hardy down to around -23F
Not sure about Balsor’s Hardy… I just found some info that said they were very hardy - developed in Nova Scotia… Grown by the Balsor family for over a century.
I have had Illini Hardy for 20+ years down here in TN… got mine from Starks.
I have never really tested the cold hardiness here… I don’t recall us getting below 0 since I bought these around 2002. I bought them becaused they were advertised as having “Wild blackberry flavor” and I wanted a blackberry that tasted real. It does tast pretty much just like our wild berries, but is quite a bit larger and sweeter.
It is subject to Rosette (double blossom) a fungal disease… and Mine have that, but still produce a lot of nice berries.
They do not reproduce by root shoots… only send up pcanes very near the crown.
I tried to prop them by root cuttings… no luck at all with that.
I have not tried tip rooting… because they are very erect.
When I move to a new location… I am digging these babies up and taking them with me.
I have 6 crowns.
Travis, they seem fine free standing , but need deer protection. Otherwise they are barkless come spring. I haven’t checked them over this spring yet.