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Each year blackberry plants produce new canes from the crown just below the soil surface, and from roots that extend some distance out. Each cane lives for 2 years. The first year a cane produces only leaves, the second year it bears fruit….
Blackberry and raspberry gardeners can achieve a huge boost in berry yield by learning a technique known as tipping, according to a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator…..”Summer is a time for tipping blackberries and raspberries,” (Tipping allows for lateral branches to grow, allowing for three- to five-fold higher fruit yield!) Tipping, also called pinching, is the removal of the top 2 to 3 inches of the primocane – fresh growth from the current growing year. The removal of this portion of the plant stimulates lateral bud break.”….
….. Fun Facts…
Blackberries have been used by women in labor to help relieve labor pain as they have high levels of vitamin K, which can act as a muscle relaxant…
There are around 375 species of blackberry, which are found in almost all parts of the world…
The Greeks used the blackberry as a remedy for Gout, and the Romans made tea from the leaves of the blackberry plant to treat various illnesses…
Blackberries contain copper, which is essential for bone metabolism. It’s also essential to the production of white and red blood cells in the body….The very dark color of blackberries is evidence of the high antioxidant levels contained in the fruit…
Bees that feed on blackberry blossoms produce dark-colored, fruit-flavored honey…
Other names for blackberries include lawyers, thimbleberries, dewberries, and brambleberries…
The dark blue color ensures blackberries have one of the highest antioxidant levels of all fruits. Antioxidants, well-known for lowering the risk of several cancers, are a huge bonus, but be aware that berries are best consumed in their natural state to get the full benefits….
If a blackberry plant has turned orange, destroy it. This is a serious fungal disease that cannot be cured…
Consumption of blackberries can help to promote the healthy tightening of tissue, which is a great non-sur
