This thornless blackberry grows upright, making it easier than ever to grow your own fruit.
And the erect canes are thornless, so you wont prick your fingers when harvesting those exceptionally sweet berries.
Few fruits produce as dependably asblackberries.
Credit:SOUTHERN LIVING PLANT COLLECTION/Mark Sandlin
With proper care, ‘Navaho’ Thornless Blackberry will yield a tasty crop for years to come.
Learn how to plant and prune ‘Navaho’ Thornless Blackberry to maximize harvests and maintain healthy, vigorous plants.
This makes the plants much more versatile in the landscape as compared to trailing varieties.
Erect blackberries like ‘Navaho’ can be planed in traditional rows or grown as a hedge.
Their vase-like form lends an attractive element to ornamental plantings.
Give plants a sunny location in fertile, well-draining soil.
For best performance, provide at least six hours of direct sun per day.
Soil
Blackberries tolerate a range of soils, including clay, so long as it drains well.
Plants thrive in fertile, slightly acidic loam or sand loam.
Amend soil with compost or aged manure to provide organic matter.
Drought and water stress decrease production and berry quality, while overwatering can lead to root rot.
For new plantings, irrigate one to two times per week until plants are established.
In hot climates, harvest fruit in the morning and refrigerate as soon as possible.
Blackberries and other fruit crops require a chilling or rest period before plants will produce flowers.
This rest period is measured in chill hours, and different blackberry varieties have different chilling requirements.
Fertilizer
Wait until the year after planting to start fertilizing blackberries.
Apply fertilizer when blackberry plants flower to stimulate plant growth, increase berry size, and boost fruit production.
Make a second software following fruit harvest to stimulate cane growth.
These introductions are self-pollinating, so you only need to plant one variety to produce fruit.
Other traits to consider when selecting blackberry varieties for the garden include fruiting season and chilling requirements.
‘Navaho’ is a late season producer, with fruits maturing late June to July.
Actively growing plants can be planted after the threat of frost has passed.
Amend soil prior to planting with compost or aged manure.
Mulch plants to conserve soil moisture and discourage weeds.
Water potted plants well before transplanting to prevent roots from drying out during the planting process.
Soak bare root plants for two hours before planting to rehydrate the roots.
Dig a planting hole 2-3 times as wide as the root ball.
This allows you to spread out the root system.
Gently remove the plant from its pot and loosen the roots.
Water plants thoroughly and apply 1 to 2 inches of mulch, avoiding the area closest to stem.
Pruning ‘Navaho’ Thornless Blackberry
Pruning is a critical part of blackberry production.
The first-year canes arise from the base or crown of the plant and are called primocanes.
These canes grow all season and then go dormant over the winter.
During the winter, the primocanes become floricanes or flowering canes.
These early canes may sprawl over the ground instead of growing upright.
Do not worry about training these, as plants will produce erect canes in subsequent years.
Blackberries are pruned at three separate times during the season, as outlined below.
Begin pruning blackberries the year after planting.
When you first begin pruning, you will pick up at the second step belowsummer pruning.
Winter Pruning: Trim lateral branches.
During the dormant season, overwintering primocanes become floricanes.
Make cuts just above a bud.
Summer Pruning: Tip primocanes.
New primocanes emerge from the base of plants in spring and grow vigorously during the summer.
Around mid-summer, these first-year primocanes need to be pruned to encourage better fruit production next season.
Simply cut the tip of each cane back to a height of 3 to 4 feet above ground level.
This is called tipping.
Tipping forces the cane to develop lateral shoots, which is where next seasons fruit will grow.
Fall Pruning: Remove old floricanes and thin primocanes.
By fall, this seasons floricanes have completed fruiting and are ready to be removed.
They may be dying back or appear woody.
Cut off these old stems to ground level or just above the crown if it is visible.
Thinning increases air circulation within the canopy, which fights plant diseases.
It also reduces the fruit load, which results in larger, higher quality berries.
Primocanes typically exhibit a waxy bloom, while floricanes look woody.
They will also have old fruit clusters still clinging to the tips of branches.
Always remove and dispose of pruned material.
If plants fail to flower, assess irrigation practices.
An inadequate water supply during flowering can decrease production.
Likewise, plants stressed due to over watering may decrease flowering.
Inadequate chilling can also impact flowering.
Overwintering
Blackberries are hardy plants that require little extra care overwinter.
Irrigate plantings once a month during the dormant season if the soil dries.
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
Blackberries are susceptible to a number of diseases.
When pruning, make cuts just above a bud rather than below.
When canes are cut below a bud, the remaining short section of cane is prone to infection.
Always collect and dispose of pruned stems.
Common Problems
Birds love blackberries as much as people do.
If birds are a problem, cover blackberry plants with bird netting to protect fruits.
Nets can be removed after harvest is complete.
