I have had best luck with Natchez,Ouachita, and Triplecrown.I also grow a thorny variety call Kiowa and the rumors are true they really are as big as chicken eggs and I took pics last night to prove it..Freakishly large..Full sun for all..

the ouachita and triple crown i was thinking were a definite... where did you get yours????? the greenhouses here are out...

the Kiowa sounds awesome!

THANK YOU!

In a moist year the Kiowa are huge...but thorny

Doyle is likely the highest yielder ...not quite as sweet.

Wayne, I saw a recent study where they showed Doyle in fact has no higher yield than other kinds. It was a very thorough study. I mean, yes its a high yielding berry, just not any higher than the other high yielders these days (of which there are many).

Scott

Kaity, because you want these berries for cooking and baking, they do not have to be the sweetest variety. Your climate may be a little harsh for Triple Crown, try at least one other kind.

It is out of season for finding much nursery stock and you will need patience, your high yields will not occur until 2013 or thereafter.

In Oregon, I am getting well over 100 pounds of fruit from only 20 feet of row. I don't know how Oklahoma berries fare, but a little goes a long ways for some desserts. Even so, don't rely on just one plant of any one variety, get at least two.

Thank you Guys..

i plan on eating them also... and making Jam... as long as they grow i will be thrilled... I am thinking about 3 varieties... and maybe 2 varieties of Raspberries...

we tend to stay in the 20-30s for a few weeks in the winter.. and some times Dip down to the 0 mark but not for a long time... 90's and humid in the summers... fall and springs are pretty warm..

i would like to find a place other then Gurnseys on the internet to get them i have heard good and bad things about them... but have not seen another supplier.

Here's a link to some good nurseries in Arkansas, not too far from you.

Here is a link that might be useful: blackberries

Kaity:

I have been growing blackberries for 30 years; first erect thorny varieties like Darrow, Cherokee, Shawnee etc., but for the the past 16 years have grown only trailing thornless Triple Crown and Doyle on strong trellises based on 4x4 posts and heavy No.9 galvanized wire. Trellis grown berries like TC and Doyle will generally be more productive for a given area than erect varieties, and are easier to manage pick and prune than erect berries, and a heck of a lot easier to clean up at the end of the season. There is a burst of work at the front end in building a good trellis, but I think it is justified by the results. I am through with the thorny berries entirely; they offer nothing but pain. Right through leather gloves.

Triple Crown is widely available at any number of mailorder/online nurseries. Doyle is harder to find, and usually more expensive, but worth it if you want real production for lots of jam or even wine.

Scott:
I have grown Doyle and Triple Crown on adjacent trellises, separated from one another but next to the same fence for over 15 years. TC is a large and wonderful berry, but in a good year with lots of moisture it is difficult to distinguish Doyle from TC in size and flavor. However, the difference in productivity is enormous. Doyle has more numerous berry panicles, larger berry panicles, begins production a week before TC, and continues for 10 days after TC is finished. The production from a healthy stand of Doyle blackberries is simply hard to believe.

These results have been repeated, year after year, for over 15 years. I guess you could call it a "study". You don't say who did the study that you cite, or the varieties used for comparison with Doyle, but it illustrates to me once again that you can't believe everything you read on the internet. Since you live fairly close to me, you are welcome to come and see for yourself from mid-July on when the berries are in full production. Bring a basket.

Every fall, in about late October and into November, I am in a position to give away healthy, mop-rooted TC and Doyle starts from tiproots that form around the plantings. Most of the time I end up digging them up and throwing them out. The catch is that you have to actually be here to get them, since I don't get into packing and shipping.

Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA

Don:

Thank you. i Have an Crazy amt of Cedar trees that i have cleared and used for Posts.. since this will be a Permanent stand i planned on Using them for the posts and Stretching Smooth Fence wire that i have left over from all my Fencing projects... how far apart do you space your Wires? and how far apart do you space your plants? How often do you prune them ( im assuming in the fall) , how much?

i have noticed that alot of things say to compost and mulch around the base of the plants... any suggestions there.. i can get loads of Great Compost and rabbit cattle horse and chicken Manure for fertilizer... honestly i would like to get the highest yeilds possible with Big juicy berries for eating. also for Pies and freezing.. and funny you mention wine.. much to my MOthers dismay my Dad is Always wanting to make wine and when i mentioned blackberries this was the first thing that he said!

Thank you for all your advice!

I ordered plants from Raintree Nursery in March this year. I got an Apache and an Arapaho thornless blackberries along with an almost thornless Autumn Bitten raspberry. I also got a very thorny boysenberry. I'm growing them in 25 gal containers and all 4 are over 5 feet already this year. They were about 2 inches tall when I got them growing in 3 inch peat pots. I pulled off the peat pot before planting, and they all had good roots. They still have many varieties in stock for $5.50 each, which is a bit cheaper than I paid in March.

Here is a link that might be useful: Raintree Nursery - blackberries

Don, I have found three different studies of Doyle none of which found it exceptional in productivity. I found one of the studies below. I am sure the whole reason for the difference is it depends a lot on the conditions how productive it is. You put down a large amount of organic fertilizer so maybe that is a big factor.

Scott

Here is a link that might be useful: study

This debate over what blackberry is best is a good example of why it is so good to have many varieties to choose from. What is best in one location is not best in another. This is why the story in the other post about the destruction of the Pavlovsk experimental station in Russia is so outrageous. We need to preserve heirloom varieties of fruits and vegetables as well as developing new hybrids.

Here is a link that might be useful: World's biggest collection of berries to be bulldozed