I don't think that what you have is really Apache. Apache is 100% absolutely thornless.

Apache is actually not all that new, either. It was released in 1998, and there have been two more thornless varieties released since then, Ouachita and Natchez.

I'm including a link from the University of Arkansas (the program that bred/released Apache and many other blackberries) that describes their blackberry cultivars.

Here is a link that might be useful: UA blackberries

I have had Apache for years. It is deffinately thornless. Wonderful variety along with the Arapaho and Ouachita all from the University of Arkansas. I have all three and love them.

Mine is "thorn free", but has soft, little prickles here and there. Sometimes plants grown from root cuttings (the most common means for commercial propagation) will have some prickles or even thorns for some inexplicable reason. These plants aren't usually sold.

I wanted to see if anyone on this forum was growing them, in particular anyone in my region, and find out what they had to say about them - i.e. taste, disease resistance, fruit production, drought tolerance, &etc.

Thanks for your input though.
Annie

No, Annie, plants grown from root cuttings will be carbon copies of their parents. They cannot vary genetically through root propagation.

Thorn free blackberries, such as Triple Crown and Doyle, and, I assume, Apache, will be as smooth as a baby's bottom. I don't know what your local supplier is selling as Apache in 1-Gallon containers, but if it has thorns I doubt that it is Apache. Nevertheless, it might be a good blackberry, and that's what counts.

If you are interested in productivity, plant Doyle. If it's for flavor and natural sweetness, plant Triple Crown. The thornless varieties seem more resistant to diseases like crown gall and viruses than the thorny varieties. There is no reason why blackberry varieties should vary greatly in drought resistance. Mulch your blackberries heavily, and you will have less trouble with drought.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Apache is genetically thornless, so it should have absolutely no thorns, even if it's propagated from root cuttings. Other thornless types (I think Thornless Evergreen is an example) are chimeras, so are only thornless on the outer layer of cells, and will therefore be thorny if propagated from root cuttings.

If you have any true thorn or prickle (like on a raspberry) at all, you definitely don't have Apache. Nurseries do sometimes mix things up, and I didn't want you to be growing something that wasn't really Apache.

As Apache was bred in Arkansas, and you're in Oklahoma, I can guarantee that Apache will grow quite well for you. Apache can sometimes have white drupelets...nobody is really sure what causes this, but possible suspects are sunburn, stinkbugs, and genetics. It's ok to eat these fruit, so if you see it, don't let it bother you too much. Pretty much all blackberries are drought tolerant in that they'll continue to grow without water, but you'll definitely get more fruit if you keep them irrigated.

If you really want sweetness and thornlessness, Navaho, another variety from UA, tends to have the highest soluble solids (sugars) of all thornless varieties that will grow in your area.

I have an Apache growing in a pot is is a very small twig that now has several leaves on it. I have also just completed a bed near a brick wall corner. Can I transplant it to there? It is June in Louisiana, or do I need to wait until the fall? Do I need more of these or will the one grow? How many years before it will fruit? I am obviously brand new to plants and gardening so any advice you folks care to share with me I would really appreciate the help. Thanks very much.

Judson:

If you were able to pop the plant out of its pot with the rootball intact, you might be able to place it in its bed with a fast, seamless transplant, even in Louisiana. But if the dirt falls off and the roots have to re-establish, it will be curtains for the plant. Risky business. It would be safer to wait until winter, but it's up to you.

Caneberries are spreading plants, and even one specimen can spread itself to fill an entire bed, but it will not happen in one year or even two. Depending on the size of your bed, which you do not describe, it might be better to start with a half-dozen or more plants. While one plant will grow and spread quite happily on its own, you will have a real blackberry harvest much faster if you begin with more plants.

Blackberries are biennials, and fruits form on canes that grow up the previous season. So if your plant were in its bed now, and able to grow a nice healthy cane or two, you could see blackberries next season. The plant will not likely grow as vigorously in a pot, but if it does, you may have some difficulty keeping the canes healthy when you transplant them later, although the roots will surely survive and eventually send up more new canes.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Thanks Mr. Yellman. I appreciate it.

I planted 4 plants of Apache some months ago and they are growing quite well. Some of them are 4-5 ft. tall. Should I trim those back now, or wait intil the winter, and by how much should I cut them. Thanks
Ray

Bare-rooting a shrub of any type in leaf doesn't necessarily kill it. It may wilt or even shrivel at the time, but recover later. And blackberries specifically include weedy species that people have trouble killing deliberately - some dirt falling off the roots of a transplant doesn't seem too likely to be fatal.

No, bboy, it doesn't necessarily kill it, and it may recover later, but in most cases transplanting a bareroot plant in leaf is a good way to kill it. I am not talking about the exceptions, just what is most likely to happen.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Ray, you should "tip" your canes now (remove the top 1/2" of growth or so). This will encourage lateral branching, and you'll get fruit at the end of each lateral next year instead of just at the very tip of the cane.

Will the Apache variety grow on the coastal plain of South Carolina. It is very hot and humid with few cold winter days.

Brian:

There is no reason why the Apache blackberry should not do well in coastal South Carolina. I don't think I would be concerned about inadequate winter chilling hours, since this blackberry is grown as far south as Florida. Hot, humid summers is just what blackberries like, so long as the soil they are planted in is not allowed to dry out completely.

I know that you have had an unusual dry period in SC this season, and in these conditions you would want to water the plants deeply about once a week, especially if your soil is light and sandy. But you can help this situation by mulching the plants with whatever organic mulch you can find, to help hold moisture in the soil and feed the plants. I use stable manure that consists of about 70% wood chips and 30% horse apples, but chips or sawdust from lumber mills, compost, or even grass clippings would be fine.

I grow the trailing thornless Triple Crown and Doyle here, and we are picking their big berries right now, with the season extending to about the last week of August. Apache sounds as good or better than what I am growing, although it is hard to beat Doyle for total production. We just made our first batch of blackberry jelly tonight with a mix of these two varieties, and it is pretty good stuff. You can't buy anything of this flavor and quality. If you like blackberries, put your Apaches in this fall.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

I planted kiowa and black butte last season and this year Kiowa appears to be very vigorous and producing a nice crop on last years canes. The new canes are very robust and I should have a great crop next season.

Black butte doesn't seem to be nearly as happy in my garden but it could be the location rather than the variety.

Anyway the jury is still out on black butte but Kiowa does seem to be a good variety for my area (HOT, and dry El Paso Tx. so I drip irrigate btw).

So, given Kiowa does well, what other variety would be a good choice to lengthen the berry season? i.e. ripe fruit earlier or later than Kiowa?

I have read good things about Apache and Navaho.

One other detail: The Kiowa planting is along an east facing wall so it gets shade in late afternoon. The new planting won't have that advantage and will be on a south facing chain link fence.

thanks,

Pete

Sorry for the interruption, but I need some help. My proudly 82 year old mother-in-law has some thornless blackberries, variety lost to time. They were planted in the late 70's by her late husband. Last Thursday a 16 year-old rolled his pickup through the berry patch, destroying several vines(seat belts work). The insurance company wants a verifiable claim figure for the plants. Anyone know someone in my area with knowledge of the value of these 30plus year old plants? My mother-in-law is devastated, her berries are destroyed and her yard is torn up. Please help.
Thanks, Keith

I have some blackberries, Apache and Navajo, but I have had such a problem with them I am ready to teat them out and not try again. For the last two years, I have have beautiful canes with an enormous crop of berries, and just before the berries ripen, some of the canes begin to look distorted and no matter what i have tried the distortion (the leaves look at first as if hot water has been poured on them..they shrivel and then begin to turn brown) and this goes on to the end of the cane, turning brown and the berries dry and shrivel up without ripening.

This will progress to all of the berries, and if they don't just dry up, and they get beige spots that are unsightly.

Is this a virus? If so, can it be cured?

Thank you for any help
kay