In the Garden
Ralph Purkhiser, Purdue University Master Gardener
The blackberry is known as the Queen of the Brambles. Like the raspberry, the blackberry is in the genus Rubus, which is in the rose family. However, the blackberry bears its cluster of drupelets attached to a juicy white core, while a ripe raspberry separates from the core when picked, making the berry hollow. In general, blackberries are larger than raspberries, and the blackberry season is a little later than raspberry time.
There are literally tens of thousands of blackberry cultivars, including natives and hybrids. They range from the groundcover dewberries to giant bramble reaching eight feet tall. Like raspberries, wild blackberries can become weedy and can take over an area. However, they play an important part in the ecosystem. The leaves provide food for various insects, including being a host plant for some butterfly caterpillars. The blooms are very rich in nectar, as one can clearly see by the number of bees that visit during this stage. Not only do humans enjoy the berries, but they are food for many birds and other animals.
Southern Indiana is also home to one of the superstars of the blackberry world. In 1975, Mr. Thomas Doyle patented a new blackberry cultivar that continues to be one of the best. This was accomplished on his farm in Barr Township of Daviess County. Doyle’s Thornless Blackberry became an instant hit and they are still hard to beat. Being thornless makes picking much easier. The berries are also huge, often double the size of wild blackberries. They are also exceptionally sweet. The sugar content of most blackberries is about six percent, but Doyle’s berries are around eleven percent. The large canes also yield well, with a three-year-old plant capable of producing up to twenty gallons of berries.
Although Thomas Doyle passed away in 2001, a few months past his 100th birthday, his family continues to sell the patented plants from the farm at 1600 Bedford Road, Washington, IN 47501. If you are wanting to start a blackberry patch, I heartily recommend buying Doyle’s Thornless Blackberries.
Blackberry canes may be planted any time between the spring frost-free date up until two weeks before the autumn freeze date. That will ensure that the plants become established before the ground freezes. While sandy loam is the best soil for blackberries, they will tolerate almost any soil type, as long as there is good drainage. Hybrid canes should not be planted within 600 feet of wild blackberries to ensure diseases do not transfer to the new bramble patch. Like raspberries, blackberries should not be planted where vegetables in the nightshade family have been grown. Most of the serious blackberry diseases are fungal-related, so the best defense is cultural. Plants should be planted to give them good air circulation, and pruned to keep the patch open. Plants may be grown against a trellis or espaliered on a wall or fence. Plants usually produce a crop in the second season, but the third season is usually when they really come into their own.
Blackberries may be eaten fresh, cooked in cakes and pies or made into jams and jellies. They may also be juiced, and that juice may be served alone or mixed into various drinks. Blackberries are high in vitamin C, iron and antioxidants. Once established, a healthy blackberry will continue to produce fruit for several decades.