This is an experiment for me. Last year was my first stab at growing berries. I purchased 10 small canes at Lowes (5 red raspberry, 5 black raspberry). All appeared alive and healthy and I found a spare patch of ground in a out-of-the-way spot to plant them. Unfortunately, over the season 6 of the 10 didn’t make. The four surviving specimens are beginning to leaf out now but they are small.

This year, I once again have the berry bug and I vowed to take a better stab at this. So I first found a better location with more direct sun. Next I selected more mature plants in 10″ pots. I chose thornless blackberries (var Apache). I dug a trench along the length of the trellis and amended the sandy soil with composted leaves and chicken manure. Finally, I built a trellis structure to support the canes that can get to 8 ft. If the berries don’t work out, I can use the trellis for peas or beans.

About “Apache”: Largest of the Arkansas thornless, Apache was the highest yielding of the thornless options in research trials conducted at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. Introduced by Dr. John Clark and Dr. James Morris—after 11 years of trait selection, according to Baker—Apache’s flavor is very good, rated between that of Arapaho and Navaho; soluble solids (percent sugar) averages 10.7 percent. This variety is erect and stands up better than most all varieties. No disease problems have been found, and no signs of orange rust have been spotted in any of the plantings. It has excellent quality, and a glossy black conical-shaped fruit.