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Blackberries grow well in zones 4 to 9. Choose hardy, virus-free plants cultivated to your specific growing zone. Because varieties have different growth habits (upright or trailing), plan ahead to create a training and support system to match the variety you select.
I'm doing my best to get fellow members to look into growing berries and dwarf fruit trees in small, sunny spaces about their homes. The Europeans are, and have been, way ahead of us in utilizing any free space about the home to grow fruits and vegetables.
This is just a warning to those of you who are interested in planting blackberries. Choose your site carefully.
Optimal sweetness is achieved when the berry is fully ripe. Some berries actually may appear ready to pick when black and shiny, but with some varieties it is when they become less shiny that they are the sweetest. This is a page about picking the ripest blackberries.
If you decide to grow blackberries, be aware that the different varieties have varying levels of sweetness. Picking the berries later in the season will make them sweeter too.
