August 11, 2010

Things To Think About When Growing Blackberry Bushes

If you mean to grow a vegetable garden it’s a nice idea to think about adding some fruit to your planning. You’ll find there’s nothing simplier and easier to grow than a few blackberry bushes.

The next time you are out hiking keep your eyes open for them. They are easy to spot when you understand what to look for. Their most individual attribute is the thorns that extend from their branches. It is useful to remember where you’ve seen the blackberry bushes in order that you’re able to gather the tasty fruits which they produce. The fruits normally mature on the plants in late summer. They flower with sweet-scented white flowers during the spring. Blackberry bushes are located throughout North America and most other countries with a suitable climate. They yield the very best berries if situated in full sun, although you can still find them in shady places as well.

Blackberry bushes can normally be found close to raspberry bushes in the wild. Although wild blackberry bushes produce smaller berries than the blackberry bushes you plant from a nursery, the wild berries tend to be sweeter. It is very important to watch out for poison ivy which frequently grows in the same areas as blackberry bushes. Poison Ivy rash is the cost that lots of berry pickers pay when trying to pick the berries.

The situation of wild blackberry bushes were marked and remembered by the Native Americans so that they could harvest them every year. They used the berries as food, but in addition they used them to dye animal hides to make a richer, darker color.

The early settlers used to treat a number of ailments. They were especially useful for respiratory illnesses and coughing. The fruit is also used to provide a rich colored, sweet wine by lots of people that like to produce home made wines. The overall favorite use for these sweet, delicious berries, though, is blackberry jam. Additionally they make a delicious pie, if you don’t mind the pips.

If you’re considering growing blackberries on your property it is best to grow them along the edge where there isn’t a lot of people traffic. This is to prevent getting scratched by the sharp, long thorns. The bushes should be cut back after they have finished fruiting. They need to be trimmed back to about 18″ above the ground. This is done to stop them from producing the taller runners that are likely to have more thorns than berries on them.

If you are going to plant a number of bushes be sure you allow enough space so that you do not get as scratched when collecting the fruits. However near the bushes are to each other collecting is a job that calls for wearing a long-sleeved shirt. Blackberry bushes also live for a long time so you might want to consider this when deciding on an area to plant them.

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