Apache Blackberry Bushes

Apache blackberry bushes

Apache Blackberry plants grow up to 5–8 feet high and spread up to 4–6 feet across. The spacing between the plants should range between 3–6 feet. Well-drained loose soil and sufficient watering will guarantee the best blackberries will grow in your garden.

Do Apache blackberries need a trellis?

Blackberries require trellising to support the canes, keep fruit off the ground and protect canes from wind damage.

Are Apache blackberries sweet?

The thornless plants produce some of the largest fruits and highest yields of any of the thornless blackberries. The extra-large, glossy, black berries are sweet, juicy and flavorful, too.

How fast do Apache blackberries grow?

Newly sprouted blackberry canes can reach 6 feet in height (1.8 meters) within a year. Most berry growers opt to prune the height of first-year canes down to 3-4 feet (1–1.2 meters) to make them more manageable.

How do I prune my Apache Blackberry?

Prune trailing blackberries in the spring for good growth habits. Prune each main cane back to 3-4'. Then cut back side branches to about 12”, leaving five or six buds on each. Erect and semi-erect varieties should be tipped or cut back to 3-4' in midsummer.

What is the best thornless blackberry?

What's the Best Thornless Blackberry?

• Apache Thornless Blackberries. Apache sprouts more berries and larger berries than either Arapaho or Navaho, though all three were created at the University of Arkansas.
• Arapaho Thornless Blackberries. ...
• Black Diamond Thornless Blackberries. ...
• Triple Crown Thornless Blackberries.

Are Apache blackberries good?

The Apache Blackberry is very productive and selected because of its great flavor, good yield and very large fruit. The flavor of these shiny black fruit makes them an ideal choice for eating fresh or for use in your favorite pies, jams and jellies. They ripen in mid to late June.

Where is the best place to plant blackberry bushes?

Blackberries prefer loamy, well-draining soil with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0, and thrive in a full sun location with six to eight hours of direct sunshine. Their average height and spread varies widely, but in general, you'll need to place each plant about three to five feet apart if you plan to grow more than one.

How do you winterize blackberry bushes?

Protecting blackberries in winter is pretty simple. If you are growing a trailing type, remove the canes from their supports and place the canes on the ground. Cover with a heavy layer of mulch. In the early spring, before new growth emerges, lift the canes and reattach them to the trellis.

What is the best tasting blackberry?

Jim rates Navaho as the best-tasting new blackberry. Arapaho runs a close second, but it ripens earlier and has smaller seeds. Kiowa, a thorny, upright type, may very well be the biggest blackberry in the world.

Do Apache blackberries have thorns?

Apache- An erect thornless blackberry similar to Arapaho with larger fruit and seed, ripening 15 days later than Arapaho.

Do blackberries like full sun or shade?

Blackberries require 1 to 2 inches of water per week. Full sun (a minimum of eight hours of direct sunlight daily) is required for healthy plants with good flowering and fruit production. Shadier locations will produce nice shrubs but very little fruit.

Do you cut back blackberry bushes in the fall?

In late summer or fall, once fruiting has finished, use clean and sharp garden shears to cut the two-year-old canes back to the ground, and remove them from the garden.

How many years does it take for a blackberry bush to produce fruit?

Primocane blackberries: It usually takes about three years from planting to have a full crop of blackberries, but with primocanes, you can have production on first- and second-year canes. Some primocanes (also called everbearing) can have a second harvest late in the season.

How many blackberry bushes do you need per person?

For a family of 5, we suggest planting 15-20 plants (3-4 plants per person).

What time of year do you trim blackberry bushes?

Gardeners prune brambles in late winter to help the plants produce more fruit in the growing season. URBANA, Ill. – One of the simple joys of summer is picking berries straight from the bush and enjoying a sweet treat. Pruning blackberry and raspberry bushes now ensures a bumper harvest in the summer.

How do you take care of Apache blackberries?

Full sun leads the way, followed by moist, well-drained soil. Give 'Apache' blackberry plants a minimum of six to eight hours of direct sun each day for healthy canes, flowers and berries. Deep, moisture-retentive soil with plentiful organic matter provides the growing conditions 'Apache' roots need.

Should I cut my blackberry bushes back for the winter?

(I say, generally, as some people do aim to get two crops, one in early summer from last year's late growth, but we're going for the simpler approach.) Just cut all the canes down to ground level in winter, and that includes any new canes that might have poked their heads up towards the end of the previous year.

What is the sweetest blackberry?

The Sweet Karoline blackberry is the first variety to come out of this elite program. These blackberries are known for their sweet flavor and resistance to red cells. Sweet Karoline's also have better shelf-life and significantly higher brix levels than other varieties.

What is the hardiest blackberry?

'Illini Hardy' has thorns and an erect habit and is probably the most cold hardy blackberry plant available. 'Chester' is another thornless variety but is probably more foolproof in USDA zone 5. 'Prime Jim' and 'Prime Jan' are highly thorned and produce a late crop.

15 Apache blackberry bushes Images