Gardener123
Green Thumb
Posts: 379
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2013 2:07 pm
Location: 25 miles west of CC Philadelphia

Blackberries... get better with age?

I have just one bush. The first 2 years the berries were horrible. Then last year a little better. This year they are pretty darn good.... nice and sweet. Is that how they should be growing?

JONA
Greener Thumb
Posts: 812
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2014 7:11 am
Location: Sussex. England

I don't think it's the age of the plant so much as the growing conditions each year.
There's no doubt for instance that on wet, poor sun years, berries taste very poor. Good springs induce better pollination, producing more drupes in the berries which in turn gives more flavour.
Adaption to the soils could affect young plants I guess as well.

PaulF
Greener Thumb
Posts: 910
Joined: Tue Nov 09, 2010 5:34 pm
Location: Brownville, Ne

For the first two to three years don't expect much of a harvest. Yes, blackberries will get much better after the first couple of years. I have a couple of areas of two year old thornless berry and this is the first year of a great harvest of blackberries as large as my thumb. Growing conditions do enter into the equation as well, but until they are well established don't expect too much. Read up on pruning to make your harvest even better next year.

jeff84
Senior Member
Posts: 151
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2017 10:38 pm
Location: southwest indiana

the 5 I planted turned into a patch that I need to tame, but still produce quite a few berries. the first 2 years I got almost nothing. and yes over ripe berries taste better. too lat this year, but I think next year I'm going to make wine, that truly does get better with age



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