Blackberry
Blackberries (and their wild cousin, Dewberries) are the best berry for Central Texas. Fruit is produced on one year old canes (primocanes), remove canes after harvesting. Plant Blackberries in location with 10 hr sunlight/day.
From Aggie Horticulture - Blackberries:
Pruning is necessary to maintain an orderly planting and to control diseases. Long handled "loppers" are best for pruning blackberries. During the first year, growth is sprawling and does not need topping. Although blackberry roots are perennial, tops are biennial. Prima canes are produced the first year and produce rapid vegetative growth only. Cut prima canes back when they reach 36 to 48" to encourage branching, as illustrated in Figure 1. Floricanes are the second year of the biennial cycle and bloom in March. The fruit ripens in May. After fruiting, the floricanes will die and should be cut to the ground. To make picking easier, some growers hedge the rows to a 4' height and a 3' width while others train the prima canes onto a vertical three wire trellis. Every three years mature plants need to be mowed to the ground to remove diseased wood and rejuvenate growth. This usually reduces yield the following year. It should only be attempted where irrigation can stimulate prima cane growth by the end of the season.
Brazos
A Texas A&M variety released in 1959, is an erect thorned blackberry and has been the standard in Texas for 35 years. Its healthy canes produce a high yield of large fruit. The acid-flavored fruit is usually recommended for cooking more than for the fresh market. Recommended by PlantAnswers.
Recommended by ag, og
Kiowa
Released by the University of Arkansas. Recommended by PlantAnswers.
Rosborough
A variety released by Texas A&M University in 1977, is an erect thorned blackberry and has large fruit which are sweeter than Brazos, and yields are often higher. It is the best early variety for East and South Central Texas. (ag)
Recommended by og
Womack
Released in 1977 by Texas A&M University, is an erect thorned blackberry and yields are similar to Rosborough, but fruit are smaller. It does best on deep, sandy soil. (ag)
Recommended by og
Shawnee
Released by the University of Arkansas, is an erect thorned blackberry and is a new variety which produces large fruit late in the season. Fruit is soft, so they do not ship nor store well. (ag)
Comanche
Recommended by og
Choctaw
Also released by the University of Arkansas is an early, erect variety which produces medium-large soft fruit. Seed size is small. (ag)
Recommended by og
Brison
A variety released by Texas A&M University in 1977, is an erect thorned blackberry and has done better in south-central Texas and on black land clay soils. Fruit is very large and similar to Rosborough. (ag)
Recommended by og
Humble
Produces a medium sized, low acid, unusually sweet berry and is resistant to Double Blossom. Unfortunately, very few nurseries propagate Humble. (ag)
Recommended by og
Arapaho
Released in 1993 by the University of Arkansas, is an erect thornless variety that produces a medium sized, firm, high-quality fruit over a four-week season. Arapaho is very productive, has no thorns, and is resistant to both Double Blossom and Rust. No other variety offers this many positive characteristics; however, it is very new and with time, unknown problems could develop. (ag)
Navaho
Released by the University of Arkansas in 1989, is an erect thornless variety which produces a firm, medium sized, sweet berry. It is difficult to establish from root cuttings, but produces a dense hedgerow after establishment. It ripens later than Arapaho, but yields are usually higher. (ag)
Recommended by og
Hull
Released by the USDA in 1981, is a semi-erect thornless plant with medium sized fruit that has an acid flavor if not fully ripened to a dull, black color. It is recommended as a garden variety in north and east Texas, because lack of winter chilling may limit its use in south Texas. (ag)
REFERENCES
SOURCES
- Bob Wells Nursery - Lindale, TX