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 Post subject: blackberries
PostPosted: Sat May 14, 2005 5:52 pm 
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Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2004 11:25 am
Posts: 33
Location: denton,TX
This is my first time trying to grow my own blackberries. I planted the plants last year but didn't get any fruit. This year, the leaves on the plants are curling and look slightly off color. The plants are planted in a corner of my veg. garden so the soil should be good. Also, my husband said the plants will take over the garden - is that true and what should I do? Any tips or help?


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PostPosted: Sat May 14, 2005 9:03 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 20, 2003 4:33 pm
Posts: 526
Location: parker county, texas
Blackberries can be quite invasive, and grow well in the wild, at least in our heavy dark clay soil. I would transplant them this Fall to get them out of the garden. Also, blackberries are generally pretty tough in any type of soil I am familiar with. What is your soil type?


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PostPosted: Tue May 17, 2005 1:07 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 06, 2003 3:57 pm
Posts: 107
Location: Waxahachie,TEXAS
CRK - Are your plants getting enough water? The aggie horticulture site says that nitrogen is the main thing blackberries need. And someone has probably told you by now that blackberries do not produce fruit the first year.
Try giving them some diluted vinegar. Someone else on this site said they did that, I tried it, and they were right - the roots love it every once in a while.

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 Post subject: blackberries
PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2005 2:53 pm 
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Joined: Thu Apr 22, 2004 11:25 am
Posts: 33
Location: denton,TX
Thanks for the help on my blackberry problems. It looks like I'm going to loose one of the plants. I'm keeping them watered well as they get the same amount of water as do the vegetable plants in the garden. Could they be getting too much water? What are the best kinds to plant and what kind of soil conditions are needed to make them do well?


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PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2005 8:27 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 20, 2003 4:33 pm
Posts: 526
Location: parker county, texas
Maybe they are getting too much water. I have never watered my blackberries.


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PostPosted: Mon May 23, 2005 12:55 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 06, 2003 3:57 pm
Posts: 107
Location: Waxahachie,TEXAS
Dragonfly, did you plant your blackberries or are they wild? Do you know what variety they are? It would be great to not have to water them!

I planted the Apache thornless variety. When choosing the variety, I read that some varieties need more chilling hours than others, and if they need a lot of chilling hours, they just won't do well south of DFW. In the tests they did on the Apache variety, if they did not get enough water, the fruit would dry up before ripened. So with my plants, water will need to be supplemented, I'm sure.

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PostPosted: Mon May 23, 2005 9:07 pm 
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Joined: Tue May 20, 2003 4:33 pm
Posts: 526
Location: parker county, texas
Initially, they were some Brazos berries that I planted, then I think birds ate them and spread seeds via droppings in the back of our field. That's the only way I know of that they could have turned up out there. The reason I think they are all Brazos varieties is that they are unusually large berries and have a nice sweet tart taste. NOt like the wild blackberries we used to pick as kids.


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 01, 2005 7:00 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 9:04 pm
Posts: 53
Location: Breckenridge,TEXAS
Are they planted within 20 ft of a large tree? If so, that could be your problem. I had the same problem a couple of years ago. Finally knocked the tree down as if was in the pasture next to my garden and that fixed the problem. The first year that they are planted, you had better keep them watered unless you are in a rainy area. Also possibly that your root system cannot supply the plant with what it needs. Work on helping the root system and if that does not help, cut them back close to the ground this winter. Have you used compost? Do you feed them? Interesting that the Aggie site says to keep the nitrogen high, I'll have to go read that. My charts says to keep the NKP low.


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