Anyone growing snowbank blackberry?
Plugs like these sell for around $14
3 Likes
I have one that’s going in the ground today. I’m not very optimistic about the fruit, seems pretty hit or miss on quality. I’m growing it purely for the oddity, I have several things like that in my garden.
The plant itself looks like it will grow well, got it from One Green World, I had to bother them to ship my order, took a month and a half to get it. If the fruit sucks it should at least be a nice green backdrop for my serviceberry.
3 Likes
I have snow bank and it is the most disappointing plant I have. Tiny fruit. I will be tearing it all out
3 Likes
How good of a grower is it?
I grow it. It’s super vigorous and viciously thorny. The berries are okay but have a little bitterness in the finish. It’s also got pollination issues, but apparently does better when planted near Polar white blackberry, which I just added this year.
4 Likes
Would it be able to be crossed with a regular blackberry?
You’d think so. But I have a bunch of regular blackberries nearby, and Snowbank still seems to produce a lot of small berries with poorly pollinated drupelets.
3 Likes
What I would love to try doing (or see someone do) is to pollinate the snowbank with my large fruited thornless blackberry and grow several seeds out and select the best two black fruited ones (I’m assuming the white trait is recessive) and cross between each other and plant out a whole bunch of seeds and only grow out the thornless ones and search for a white fruited on amongst the thornless.
2 Likes
Do you want mine? I’m thinking of culling it as well
2 Likes
I grew it years ago and lost interest. I got it from the same source that got me Phenomenal Berry from Burbanks gardens. The source said that it does best with Lawton as a pollinator… even though nurseries say that its self pollinating… i think that is likely true that it does need a pollinator for better fruit and sets.
I tried both Snowbank and Lawton together but ended up removing Snowbank and Lawton due to fear of virus issues and spreading to blackberries that i care more about.
These older cultivars are likely more susceptible and things so keep that in mind when planting… YMMV though.
Interesting history and well told here-
3 Likes
It’s my only blackberry but I have the same issue. It’s also super thorny. I’m thinking of replacing it with a triple crown blackberry though I wonder if I should leave a cane or two to help with pollination. Though I doubt I could really get rid of a blackberry entirely
3 Likes
I’ve got 3 little plugs like that, i was planning to put them on the hedge line mixed with red raspberry, along and mixed with the neighbor’s roses. we share a low chain link fence and are hoping to get flowers and berries going on it together.
I’m putting them among the other mainly for looks- black caps, red roses, then these. i don’t have high hopes on flavor
2 Likes
I pulled all of mine about 3 years ago. I am still pulling suckers to this date. I didnt think it was worth the time to pick such small berries sorrounded by thorns. Settled on Triple Crown. They were more disease resistant way bigger berries and no thorns. They stay put which helps no more suckers 10 feet away.
4 Likes
Did they start suckering before you pulled it or after?
1 Like
Suckered before and after. They sucker just like raspberries. Sending shoots underground. Managed to escape out of my bed.
Triple Crown stays put.
1 Like
That’s my plan to have triple crown instead. Do you need a second variety to help with pollination?
No you dont they pollinate fine for me. I planted 3 in a 10 foot span. I ended up pulling 2 out. Now I only have 1 and it is plenty. Once established the canes can grow to 15-20 feet. I dont bother pruning the tips until late fall to fit on the wire. Keep in mind you will get die back so prune longer than needed.
In my opinion it is easier to wrap and tie the longer canes to the wire than having short canes with laterals. In the spring the long canes produce new side shoots that flower and produce the berries.
Ill try and get you a picture when I get home.
3 Likes