I harvested 2 lbs 9.6 oz of blackberries this morning, and that wasn't even half of what's out there ready to pick! At the current rate of $0.67/oz for organic blackberries at the store, that makes this a ~ $28 harvest! Woohoo! 🙌 To celebrate, here are some fun facts about growing blackberries. 😊 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗼𝗶𝗹: A pH of 6.0–6.5 is their sweet spot, the same range as blueberries and strawberries. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗻: Less sun = fewer berries. They want at least 6–8 hours a day. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗲: - Floricane varieties produce on second-year canes. So you plant, wait a year, then harvest. - Primocane (everbearing) varieties fruit in their very first season AND again the following year, giving you two crops from one plant. 𝗣𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 = 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: It feels counterintuitive, but pruning canes during the growing season encourages branching, which means more fruiting sites. Don't skip it! 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗸: - Wait until there's zero red or pink left on the berry, AND it comes off the cane with almost no effort. If you're tugging, it's not ready. - Bonus tip: ripe blackberries lose their glossy shine and look slightly dull. That matte finish = peak sweetness. Pick those! 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆'𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱: A well-maintained planting can produce for 15+ years. Plant them once and enjoy them for a long, long time. ⚠️ 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘆𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺: - Blackberries spread, and they spread fast. New canes will pop up beyond where you planted them, so you want to be able to spot and remove any strays easily. - Keep them away from your main garden beds and annual veggie areas. They will absolutely take over if given the chance. A dedicated spot with clear boundaries is the move! Are you growing blackberries? Thinking about it?