Blackberry, food for free by D T Phillips

A Personal Article in Allotment Growing

Blackberries, food for free

 

 

Blackberries are one of our most popular foods for free, most of us remember going blackberry picking as a child but we seem to have forgotten it when we grew up.

Next time you are out and about in the countryside or going past any green space, keep your eyes opened for blackberry bushes. Blackberry bushes are easy to spot once you have identified them. One of their most identifiable traits is the thorns that extend from their branches – do be careful!

It is important to remember where you have seen the blackberry bushes so that you can pick the wonderful berries that they produce. The berries usually ripen on the blackberry bushes in late summer; August and September are the prime months.

According to folklore legend, on the 10 th October the Devil pees on the blackberries and they become unfit to eat. Undoubtedly they are past their best by then and often full of small worms so not so palatable to eat as blackberries from earlier in the season.

They blossom with fragrant white flowers in the spring. Blackberry bushes are located throughout all of the UK and are also found in many other countries including North America. They produce the best berries when located in the full sun, however you can find them located in shady areas also.

The requirements of blackberries are similar to raspberries and sometimes you can find self-seeded wild raspberries in the same location, which is a bonus

Although wild blackberry bushes produce smaller berries than the cultivated blackberry varieties you plant from a nursery, the wild berries are usually more flavourful.

When picking blackberries, remember the dark purple juices will not only stain your hands but also your clothes. In olden days blackberry juice was used as a dye.

The fruit from blackberry bushes used to be used to cure many ailments. The berries were especially used for respiratory ailments and coughing.

Many people who like to produce homemade wines also use blackberries to produce a rich coloured sweet wine. The overall favourite use for these sweet delicious berries is blackberry jam. They also make a delicious pie combined with apples, if you do not mind the seeds.

If you are thinking of placing blackberry bushes on your property it is best to place them along the perimeter where there is not a lot of traffic. This is to avoid getting scratched by the sharp long thorns. You can actually use blackberries in combination with other plants such as hawthorn (that also produces berries) to make a hedge no-one will get through unscathed at least.

The blackberry bushes should be pruned after they have finished producing fruit. The fruit-bearing stems should be trimmed back to about 18 inches above the ground. Trimming the blackberry bushes is done to prevent them from getting the taller runners that tend to have more thorns than berries on them.

If you are going to plant several blackberry bushes make sure to allow for picking so that you do not get as scratched when picking the berries.

Regardless of how close the bushes are to each other picking blackberries is a task that requires wearing a long sleeved shirt.

One of the problems with blackberry plants is people commonly can not get the berries when they are ripe because so many other animals and birds get to the fruit before it is fully ripened. The ones that do reach their fullest potential are often out of reach, as well.

About the Author

D T Phillips not only enjoys growing his own food but also eating what he finds for free in the countryside.

In the Allotment Shop

Blackberry Black Butte Currently the largest fruited Blackberry available, Black Butte has berries almost twice the size of any other variety we offer, with fruit averaging 11.7g in trials last season! The huge fruit, which grow up to 5cm (2") long, have a firm texture with a rich, sweet flavour. These easy to grow plants will produce an attractive fan of foliage on a wall or Price Guide: £16.45 More Information

Blackberry Loch Ness This thornless Blackberry has established itself as the most popular in the U.K. with commercial growers. It is high yielding (up to 3.6kg [8 lb] per bush) producing large, very firm, glossy black conical berries from mid-August until first frosts. The flavour is excellent. Produces short, upright canes - ideal for the smaller garden. Planting distance 1.5m-2m Price Guide: £16.45 More Information