Content
- The different blackberry species in nature and garden
- Wild brambles and high yielding cultivars
- Varieties with and without thorns
- Upright vigilant and strongly creeping varieties
- Crossbreeds with raspberries
- Tips & Tricks
The different blackberry species in nature and garden
In Europe alone there are more than 2,000 different types of blackberry. For garden lovers in particular the distinction between the wild varieties and the cultivars for the garden is interesting.
Wild brambles and high yielding cultivars
In wild clearings and on undeveloped slopes, wild blackberries can sometimes spread unhindered, they often ensure the owners of forest-like gardens with the extremely resistant blackberry roots. While the small fruits of the wild blackberry varieties are appreciated for their special aroma, cultivars in the garden and on the balcony offer larger fruits and better controllability. Blackberries for the garden usually do not multiply as much as their wild relatives, in addition, many varieties now carry no more thorns due to breeding efforts.
Varieties with and without thorns
The cultivars that are still spiked with thorns today include, for example, the variety Theodor Reimers. Nevertheless, this strain is very popular with gardeners because it is less susceptible to disease and provides high yields in most locations. However, many modern and very common blackberry varieties no longer carry thorns, including varieties such as:
If you do not want to spoil your children's enjoyment of the blackberry harvest in the garden, you should preferably resort to varieties without thorn trimming.
Upright vigilant and strongly creeping varieties
In particular, for the blackberry cultivation on the balcony you should choose varieties of blackberry, which grow rather upright and can be easily steered in their growth. The variety Navaho and its sub-varieties grows upright with a climbing aid and saves space. Other varieties such as Black Satin and Asterina on the other hand form long tendrils, for which ideally a trellis should be built.
Crossbreeds with raspberries
There are now not only black blackberries on the market, but also red fruit variants. These are large-fruited crosses between blackberry and raspberry, which are usually sold under the name "Taybeere".
Tips & Tricks
A combination of early, mid-early and late blackberry varieties in your own garden can be used to extend the harvest time accordingly.