I have a very erect thornless blackberry (NOID and I have no clue as to variety so far) that is mature, but the canes are in excess of 6' tall. I will have several to move, so I can trade some. They will fruit better in the next year or two after you plant them, since the shock of transplant will probably set them back some. I would take some black raspberries and some Allstar strawberries. I also have a number of fig cuttings. Email me and we can discuss the particulars. I sent you email as well. Mark

Yeah, rabbits will eat 'em. I'm still learning about strawberries, but here's what I would do based on my experiences so far -- leave them alone. And then when they begin to flower in late spring or summer, pull all the flowers for the first week or two. Then blammo -- they will grow like you wouldn't believe and this will revitalize them. Not to worry -- they will also send out dozens more flowers. But the plants will be stronger and more lively as a result of delaying the flowering a bit.

Take this for what it's worth. It's not how most people would have done it... I planted 3 Chester, 3 Triple Crown, and 3 Illini (not thornless) in Spring 2010. Then I pretty much ignored them. There's a corner of my property that I devoted to berries of all kinds at that time. I built a barn that summer, then a house the next year, and my priorities really weren't with the berries. Fast forward to 2014. when the weather broke, I mowed through the mass of tangled brambles trying to establish rows again as they had originally been done. I had forgotten that I planted thornless blackberries. I don't know whether it's the Chesters or the Triple Crowns or if it's both, but I have thornless blackberry canes all over the place. Mostly in the row in which I wanted them, so that's good. But they're at least 12 feet from where I planted them. And they're all delicious! I'm picking more than a gallon every 3 days. I'm going to try to refurbish the blackberry portion of the patch this fall after they go dormant. trellises, transplants, etc. I've been tying ribbons on the ones to dig up. I can't see the crowns in the mass of tangled brambles. I just hope I don't kill them all trying to get them in order. All that said, I believe if you tend to them and don't do what I did, you won't have any problems.

They eat them here in San Jose. I don't know any effective way of getting rid of them. Even if you trap/kill others will move into their space. Ideal would be have fruit contained in some kind of chicken wire where you have to open a door to go in and get fruit. EDIT: I should say these are grey squirrels