Blackberries Prevail

As I sat there eating blackberries on my breakfast cereal, I realized that I needed to share the good news with you right here – blackberries are easy to grow. They’re inexpensive to plant – that little container we bought at the grocery would probably buy me an entire plant. They take up little room. And now, some are even thornless! What’s not to like about blackberries!

You’re at the prime planting time for blackberries. Nurseries, feed stores and Texas-based mail order sources have good supplies. Surely you have room for a few plants.

A great resource from TAMU…
I have an outstanding fact sheet for you as you prepare to plant blackberries. Written by three of Texas A&M’s finest horticulturists, it covers all the details. I can tell you that I’ve had great results growing blackberries over the years, but I’m going to turn to the pros to share the details of how best to get there.

You might want to bookmark or print this recent Extension publication for future reference.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fruit-nut/files/2015/04/blackberries_2015.pdf

I’m frequently asked about dewberries and how well they would do in a Texas home garden. They are actually trailing blackberries, and TAMU fruit specialists tell us that they are not nearly as productive as the upright types. So my suggestion is to arm yourself with chigger protection, watch out for snakes, and harvest them from native stands, but don’t use your valuable garden space growing them.

Radio Programming Note: Mark your calendar for Sunday, February 2 for my annual program devoted entirely to fruit and pecans. As has been the case for (I believe) 37 years, Dr. George Ray McEachern of Texas A&M will join me to answer your questions for both of my hours on WBAP 820AM from 8-10 a.m. Call George Ray during that time (800) 288-9227.