Blackberry canes can be planted from January to April and come in a range of varieties along with Hybrid berries that grow similarly, such as loganberries, dewberries and tayberries to name a few.
Blackberries can grow vigorously and may require a fair bit of pruning and training when the time is right to keep them in control. You will, however, get a bountiful crop.
Bareroot plants can be bought when they are dormant and planted in the winter months and require a good space for growth. They do not need to be planted deeply but have the width for roots and expansion. They will like a sunny spot with regular watering when they are bearing fruit, although blackberries can cope with little water.
If you are lacking in space, you may want to train it along a fence.
When you have planted your cane, trim off to approximately 9 inches to healthy buds and support straight away due to their fast growth pace. Prune and train the growth regularly, which will also allow air to the fruit. Your vigorous plant will soon be taking over if you neglect it. BY trimming straight away, will help send healthy shoots in Spring onwards.
When training and pruning do it in a way that will make for easy harvesting and cutting back during the winter when the flowering and fruit is spent.
You will be able to harvest a good crop of blackberries at one year from planting onwards, the fruit will be dark and easy to pull during late summer and into autumn. Red berries tend to me more tart in flavour.
Blackberries can be eaten fresh. You can freeze them or use for many dessert recipes and jams.