No experience with blackberries, so I cannot answer any of your questions. I think the link below will answer them though.

John

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing Blackberries in Your Home Garden

EG-I did not really intend to grow the blackberries in "raised beds" I used 2x4 framing lumber just to keep the grass out and the mulch and compost in. I am sure raised beds with a more custom soil "mix" might be a better option depending on the location of the planting and soil on the site. Mine are growing just fine in the topsoil that was already there.(plus an little compost).

I planted mine 2 feet apart, which is close but within the range of what most articles I read allowed.

I did not really cultivate the entire bed, just the spot where I planted each plant. I did add about a 2-3 inch layer of compost over the entire bed.

No liner, and I might have been better off if I had, I had to pull weeds all summer.

I think the amount of fruit you can get varies according to the variety, the age of the planting and how well they are cared for.

I expect wild blackberries will transplant and grow just fine. In fact my experience is that they are impossible to get rid of once they are established.

Remember, I am not an expert, I did this once before in FL with a different variety. With about 6 plants I got plenty to make jam/jelly and syrup and to freeze whole.
If I can do the same thing with this planting, I will declare myself to be a possible expert.

The University of Arkansas has developed numerous varieties that are very well adapted to most parts of the South. Most all varieties with Indian Tribe Names were developed there. The Link below is to their publication with all the info for the home gardener. It is similar to the one John linked to at Oregon State U. but I think has more info on the varieties developed at Arkansas.

Here is a link that might be useful: Blackberries in the Home Garden

John, Skip - thanks for the links. They were very helpful.

Skip - i'm a picker of blackberries, and harvest alot every year by myself. It takes me 2 hours to pick a gallon, but you have to remember, i'm wading through about 4 ft of undergrowth the entire time. Anyway, being in close proximity with the plants for such a long time each day - has allowed me to notice alot of things about they're growth characteristics.
Where I live, the largest berries form under the foliage, obviously because of the protection from the intense sun.
That alone would keep me from planting them into an area that gets more than 6 hours of sun each day.
Where I planned on putting the raised bed, is directly beside a large cluster of honeysuckle vines. Those things can really choke a large plant or tree out in no time.
So, I've thought about building a very deep box (maybe 2 ft deep), and applying landscaping fabric to the bottom - then fill with compost. I'll also construct a trellis of some kind to support them.

I agree that wild BB are hard to get rid of, once established. They will thrive in the poorest soil......

I'd love to hear some more of your thoughts on them.

EG

My mother use to wake me at 4:30 in the morning to pick blackberries. We would hike about 1 ½ miles in the dark to a popular patch to get there first. I was only 7 -8 years old at the time and my job was to fill a one-quart can that looked like a miniature milk can with a hoop. I still have by the way. We would repeat the process with elderberries and wild strawberries. If you ever get a chance to pick wild strawberries, even if only enough for a small jar of jam, try it. Believe me, the flavor is the most intense you have ever had.

John

Here is a link that might be useful: Johns Journal

That's interesting, John. I've been what you would call "a gorilla harvester" all of my life. If it was a wild berry or fruit, and nobody knew what it was ( or that it was there) - it was for the taking! My momma would always say "oh lord, what have these boys brought me now" heh.

Speaking of the raised bed for the transplanted canes.....The bad part about the location, is that it's on the bad slope in back....and I won't be able to build it level. I was planning on building a 2ftw x 2ftd x 16ft long box, and if it is level - one end will be about 5 foot off of the ground.

EG

What would be wrong with building 4, 2 X 2 X 4 and terracing them? It would be a little difficult putting bird netting over them, but I think you could figure that out.

John

Here is a link that might be useful: Johns Journal

na, i have a question, can you trellis them like you do the grapes? is there any "Rule" that says they "Have" to be all out and stickering you?? LOL i have the raspberries, and they don't hurt me, but the one's i'm assuming are blackberries by what ya'll are saying, will tear the skin right off of you!! so when we mow, or when i weed eat, we use the rake to pick them up and weed eat around it, it still hasn't produced anything, its been two years, my raspberries have. and they are 1 yr old. my grapes are two year old. so i think next year they should start producing shouldn't they??
~Medo

Yes you can trellis them. The erect ones work best for this. And by the way you can get thornless ones.

Let's see, I get about three gallons from the bramble out back. That makes enough jelly to feed two families all year. And we eat a ton of PBJ. Hmm, well we supplement with plum jelly from our tree, though you get my point.

I doubt there's anything wrong with planting blackberries in raised beds, though unless you have so much space. Plant them instead against a fence or house and trellis them. The thornless varieties I researched grow 18 feet tall.

As for EG, there is no reason to level the ground, or terrace it, the plants won't care if they grow on a hill. Just a thought.

John - I thought about terracing them, and felt it was just too much work. Since i'm wanting to go with 2ft deep boxes, the 4 ft long version would still be pretty high off of the ground on the low end. I'll try to do some measuring this weekend, with some twine, and a line level.

sinfonian - I think that 16 plants might be enough for us, if trellised. I'll probably start with that, and add more later, if needed.

EG

Yep, eg, out here blackberries are known as evil weeds. They are really tolerant and will adapt to nearly anything. I have a single vine that grows next to the house (I pulled out five truck-fulls out when we first moved in from the back yard) that gives me enough for two pies a year. If you're going to grow the wild ones, be sure and get yourself some serious leather gloves to harvest. I've destroyed several pairs of good gloves on those things.

carolyn - I've always picked them bare-handed, and really get scratched up, as you can imagine. I can't wait to get some transplanted.

EG

I have thornless Arapaho Blackberry vines.

They had not done well where we planted them so last year we put them in 18 gallon containers and I made sure they were watered and fed. They grew like crazy and I rooted some tips.

This Winter we plan to build 2' wide raised beds for them and in the Spring transfer these to the new beds. Plan to tie them to cattle panels so they do not sprawl out into the path because my yard is small so we must take advantage of each foot!

Peggy

man EG!! that would be just the neatest!! see, i get my hands, and arms tore up, so i use my rake as a "get backer" LOL protect my skin at all means!! LOL i will kinda like trellis mine, we do trellis, but it looks like a hoop our honeysuckle, i have learned from talla that i don't let "ANY" vine go untwined, roped, yarned, trellised, or un anything, LOL it has to be trained in SOME way, or it doesn't go in "MY" yard. she gets really mad that her fairies can't get into a spot, so we put the morning glories on a yarn, then it went up, she was happy, it also made harvesting the seeds much easier!! :') ~Medo

Peggy - i'm gonna trellis these wild ones, as well. This will be a good little project for me during the winter.

Medo - did you say "get backer"? Heh. I use my size 15's for my "get backer". Ha!

EG

I pick wild blackberries with a rubberized glove for picking and a heavy leather glove for handling/ holding the vines. Not so much a wimp as I am slightly alergic and don't want to be very.

As the plants get established, they will spread, so as long as you don't significantly undershoot how many you plant, simply allowing them to fill in on the beds will increase the harvest over the years. If you are "close" to having enough on year 3, by year 5 you'll have enough and by year 7 you may well be looking at how to make blackberry wine try to use them all.

Just be sure to put your bramble bed at least 12' from any stand of wild blackberries to discourage the better selection you planted from being invaded.

dang! size 15!! hate to buy your shoes!! that'd be like buying hubs shoes! or should i say boots!! LOL
i'm glad i'm not allergic to anything anymore. "crossing fingers> i used to be allergic to pollen, i hated that!! so every spring, i'd have hives like you wouldn't believe!! LOL
~Medo

Here is a link that might be useful: Barehanded Totally Nutso Gardener!! **Big Grinn**

sinfonian - that's a bummer, being allergic to the stuff. Most people get eaten up by the chiggers, but not me. I must have a scent or something...that they don't like. Mosquitos, either.....Go figure.

Ray - these are gonna be wild blackberries that I transplant, and they will be very close to the resident canes. I just want them on my property, that's all. I'm probably gonna go with 8 or 10 canes, then see how that does.

Medo - yeah, these big feet make very good "get backers". The first time that my wife saw me pick berries, she was like "aren't you scared of snakes?" Needless to say, now she knows differently. :)

EG

EG, you must smell like you sound, hehe, just kidding. Skiters love me. I must be as sweet as I sound, hehe.

Peggy - I have not had a growing problem with the one's I planted, but TN has different growing conditions than TX. Did you get a chance to taste any? I have not yet and I am hoping the description in the catalogs is correct.

Ray - The ones I planted have spread an amazing amount in the 7 months they have been in the ground, considering they were just 12" long sticks when I planted them.

Skip

Here is a link that might be useful: Skip's Edible Garden

sinfonian - yeah, they must smell evil in me, or something! Ha! Everyone else around me gets eaten up by bugs in the summer.

When did all of you transplant your plants? (what month). I'm probably gonna do mine in Feb./Mar. because it will take me a while to get the boxes/trellises designed, then built.

EG

skip_7a

The blackberries were my husband's project until this year when I rescued them because they were dying. We had a few berries the year after he planted but he never remembered to water and now that he's gone from home 5 days out of 8, the garden is my responsibility.

Blackberries are in 18 gallon containers; watered deeply once or twice a week all summer & fed with coffee grounds and alfalfa pellets--looking good. Hope to get the raised beds built this Winter if we can get some good days...so far we have been colder than normal but no moisture of any kind--did not see one flake of the snow that Houston got!

Someone who grows raspberries n blackberries in Ohio told me to put them in the shade...they would be sweeter. My blackberries had shade for part of the day this summer and seemed to like it so the raised beds will go where the containers are sitting. Have two 2'x6'x1' beds ready for raspberries in a shaded location and plan to add another two for raspberries that I'm trading for.

Gardening in Texas is different...rarely have rain, LOTS of wind, LOTS of heat/sun. Today we have wind; NOAA said up to 30mph with gusts to 50mph--it's working on it! No rain for months so the rain barrels are bone dry!

I have an order ready for 100 strawberries, 50 asparagus and 3 different Blueberry bushes...wish me luck and any advise is more than welcome!

Peggy

Peggy,
When we lived in San Angelo, my sister (who was at Ft Hood) took my visiting mother to a berry place in Fredericksburg on the way to my house. She brought home the hugest blackberries I have ever seen. They were very tasty as well. I wonder if you'd have any luck getting growing info from any of those berry places??

We liked to go to the Poteet strawberry festival in the spring. The first year we went, we were so broke, we decided to spend I think $20 to buy a flat of berries, but then we didn't even enter the actual festival because it was going to cost us $10 to get in, and we couldn't spend any more money.

I had my first garden in Texas. We dug out a little garden in the caliche that was our backyard. By about July, the fire ants were so thick, we couldn't even step foot inside the garden fence without a serious attack. I do hope the ants aren't too bad where you are.

I don't think blackberries are coming to my garden next year, but I'm hoping to add them the year after.

Blueberries are a great longterm investment. Highbush varieties, if well taken care of will last 50 years.

Eg: I've read a study that suggested that folks who are potassium deficient are less likely to get chewed on by blood suckers. Just fyi! Maybe you just needs a banana...
Sinf: are you guys snowed bound?
Peggy, I'm already jealous of your space, lol.

carolyn - hmm...that's interesting. I figured it was because I don't talk much. Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide, and if you're a real "talker", then you're putting off all kinds of CO2 while conversing. That's why my wife gets eaten up....heh.

Ok, I went out to the location for the intended bed, and took some measurements. Over a span of 20 feet, there is a landscape difference of 39 inches. That's not too bad, but i'll have a hard time making enough compost to fill it this year. Instead, I believe i'll transplant them into the resident soil, and install trellises for them. You should see the soil they are growing in now...it's very poor. Anyway, the 4x4 posts for the trellises will be constructed, with later intentions of building the boxes against them. I'll probably transplant next weekend, if the weather permits..

EG

EG you are absolutely bad!!! while they are attracted to CO2, its not neccessarily because she talks to much!! "muttering: them dang men!!!> Geeze! i mean heck, talla, she talks non stop!! ohhh not a good one!! they just attack her like crazy! hmmm.....anyhow, its in the blood type, ya, that's the story, and if you eat sweets, like fruits, especially banana's, talla will have to wear mint oil i get it at sally's beauty salon, its for the massage's. and i put it on her like a lotion, they leave her alone, i also use the lavender one on her. BUT if i don't she will be outside for 10 minutes, come in, and have skeeter bites all up and down her legs, HUGE one's. over the summer she got sick because one time befor mom got me this green tea/mint one they'd just attack her like crazy, way too many bites for her. do you remember when i told ya all she would get diahreah then clear up in a few days, then get pale, then same thing, but she'd do that for a month easy. well over the summer she kept doing that too. but much more so. we are both A+ i believe. i think i read that they absolutely love B type tho. Hmmmm...... maybe we are. i'll have to check it out now. LOL
hopefully i'll get my glasses tomarow! WOO HOO!!! ~Medo

Here is a link that might be useful: Barehanded Totally Nutso Gardener!! **Big Grinn**

Carolyn, I went out in the compact snow and ice yesterday and did ok, a bit of sliding in my "jelly bean" car, but today I need to be at work so I'll brave my bad hill to get to the bus.

EG, if you have your heart set on not spending money to fill your new bed, mixing even 75% poor soil with 25% quality compost of your own making, would create a really decent grow medium. That's a higher percentage compost than all the row gardener books suggest, so I've read. Good luck with that! I can't wait to see the pics and video.

EG-There are a few wild blackberries growing in my wife's flower beds. I have poisoned, cut, dug up and poured boiling water on them and they still come back. I don't think you will have much trouble growing your transplants in whatever soil is in your bed.

Skip

Here is a link that might be useful: Skip's Edible Garden

Sinfonian, Skip - yeah, they sure are resilient plants. Currently, they are growing beautifully in nothing more than gravel and red dirt. I'll transplant them next weekend, and add a little bit of organic matter in the holes. That should work very well. I'll just build the boxes around them later.

Medo - blood type? Hmm...wonder what type I am?.....

EG

I don't think weed barrier will help you contain them. They grow very thick runner roots. I'm trying to think of a way to contain mine to the bed behind the shed and I'm not having any luck. I dig them up including the runner root but it's a constant battle. I'll take any advise in keeping them contained.

A cuple of years ago i acquired some mishapened terra cotta chimly liners I mainly use them for my spice garden but i planted two of them with Blacberries (One on each side of my garden gate) I hung some old metal grids on the nearby fence and they do great ever year (Though i must admit i don;t like the task of netting them ever yearto thwart the birds. Cutting from Blacberries are very easy, just cut off a stem and stick it in soil. I now have a total of 4 bushes clinging to my back garden fence and this year i planted two Rasberry bushes between the Backberry plants