bj_delo,

In our area (and warmer areas), planting anytime during dormancy is fine. Planting in fall may give them a little head start, but there is a slightly (probably next to none in reality) better chance of having problems related to cold damage if you don't mulch well. Basically do it when you are ready. If preparation/scheduling is not an issue, plant them in mid/late November and mulch properly.

The document linked below may give you extra info.

Here is a link that might be useful: UT Extension Service Document.

Thanks for the info. I was leaning towards fall planting because of them getting the winter rains once they are in. Do you have experience with any varieties that do especially well around here? I live in Sevier County. I have looked at the Prime-Jim and Prime-Jan from Stark Brothers. I have heard great things about them.

I don't feel confident in my ability to give you too much advice on blackberry cultivars, but I'll try to give some. I think Prime-Jim and Prime-Jan are good choices for the homeowner (not for commercial growers), but I'm not convinced they are necessarily the best even for that application. Like with most other types of fruit, there are no perfect choices...only ones that are better or not better for a particular application.

Here are some of the things I would consider when choosing a blackberry cultivar:

1. Is the cultivar you are evaluating well suited for your climate/conditions? (P-J/J should do well in TN, especially in the cooler areas.)
2. Do you need/want a primocane-fruiting cultivar? (P-J/J are primocane-fruiting.)
3. Is thornlessness important to you/worth the trade offs? (P-J/J are thorny.)
4. What kind of flavor/sweetness do you want/are you willing to accept? (P-J/J are average. Prime-Jim, especially, only averages about 8% sugar. Many other cultivars have a higher sugar content/are sweeter.)
5. Is fruit size important? (P-J/J are average size. Many other cultivars have larger fruit.)
6. How about production? (P-J/J are average and vary with climate/conditions.)
7. Do you need a cultivar that will store or ship well? (P-J/J do neither.)
8. How about disease resistance? (P-J/J appear to do well with rust and anthracnose. They are both susceptible to double blossom/rosette, but, since they produce on primocanes, this may not really be an issue.)

So, as you can see, P-J/J have both pluses and minuses. You have to decide if the combination is right for you.

BTW, if you want more info on specific cultivars, the ag extension people might be able to provide input. I know there is at least one guy over there that really knows his blackberries (unfortunately, I don't have his name/contact info handy). He usually gives public talks at Bloomsday.

Kiowa - HUGE berries, great flavor, semi-erect, thorny as hell, but worth it. Best blackberry I've ever grown.

Wow, that does look like a good one, Lucky! Huge-sized fruit, good yield, produces for a very long time, pretty high sugar content, pretty good disease resistance. If it were a primocane-fruiting type and thornless, it sounds like it would be pretty close to perfect.

I have looked at the Kiowa, and have thought about setting out a couple plants of it. The only thing about it though is that I don't know if I want fresh berries to eat that are as big as my fist all the time. That seems like more of a novelty to me. Are you pleased with it year-round, Lucky?

Here is my two cents on the subject. I like Triple Crown, it is thornless and a trailing type. Good disease resistance and lots of berries. Cons you have to build a trellis.

Yeah I have read good things about the Triple Crown as well. Do you have any experience with them?

Also, what types of soil preparation have you all used/heard of when preparing for blackberries? Besides proper pH and mulching, I have not seen too much useful information about setting them out.

I have grown Triple Crown for several years. Lots of people have got my plants at Mid Tn. plant swap. I like to add just a little lime, seems to sweeten the berries. I use lots of leaf mulch. Down side to these berries, you have to build a trelis and space them at least eight feet apart, ten would be better. I only have seven plants now and filled the freezers up, sold a few and gave some away this year. Also water well the first year.

What about trellising for Prime-Jim/Jan. I haven't seen much information about how they grow and whether or not it would be a good idea to trellis them.
Also, what type of trellis did you build for yours?

I use metal fence post with a wire about four feet high and another at about five or six feet high. The wire I used was old telephone cable, not a thin wire that would cut the vines. Not to sure about Prime-Jim / Jan, I think they are more of a upright plant that could maybe use a post for support.

I have been looking at the trellises they have on here. I like the looks of several of them because I'm also planning on putting out some Kiowa plants. The metal and wood V-types look like they will be sturdy enough and fairly cheap to build.

Here is a link that might be useful: Trellising techniques