The Navaho Blackberry Plant is a treasure for backyard berry growers for three reasons. First, Navaho Blackberry Plants are very easy to take care of. They are resistant to many pests, grow upright and in a clumping form, and they can grow in almost any soil type including clay. Secondly, Navaho Blackberry Plants can be grown as far south as USDA Zone 10, and as far north as Zone 6. This is a very large range for such a delicious berry bramble. Last but not least, Navaho Blackberry Bushes are thornless.
Not only will Navaho Blackberry Bushes grow in warm climates, they are also cold tolerant down to -10ºF. They bloom white flowers with wide petals in spring and their clusters of tasty berries are ready to pick in June. Grow Navaho Blackberries in full sun and space them about four feet apart in rows to easily harvest the crops. Navaho Blackberry Plants are both sturdy and upright, so you can even grow them without a trellis for support. With the Navaho Blackberry you can improve your edible landscape with a thornless, heat tolerant, low chill requirement plant that grows in almost any soil, is easy to maintain, and produces juicy, sweet, summer Blackberries.
Navaho Blackberry Shrubs are self-pollinating, so even a single plant will reliably bloom and deliver berries. Healthy Navaho Blackberry Plants will start to grow their heavy yields after two years in the ground. They like slightly acidic soil with a pH range between 6.0 and 6.5, so they can be grown among most other Blackberries with ease. The plants like full sun, or a spot that gets full sun for most of the day with some morning or afternoon shade. The more sun your Blackberry plants get, the more blooms (and fruit) you can expect to grow.
Navaho Blackberry Plants have an upright growth habit, so you can grow them without a trellis or fence for the canes to climb onto. At the same time, Navaho Blackberry Plants do best when protected from strong winds. Strong winds can cause the plants to fall or lean over and this can break the fruit-bearing canes. A sheltered spot to the south of a shed, building, or dense, high vegetation such as a bamboo hedge or wide buffer zone is a good spot. In the absence of such cover you may wish to use a trellis system to help keep wind damage to a minimum. Tall canes growing over trellis supports will help keep the entire plant upright in storms and sudden gusts.
Harvesting
Navaho Blackberries grow in clusters of multiple berries. Each cluster may have from six to twelve berries or more. Some Berries in the cluster may ripen before others, but as a rule, once a few berries begin to ripen the others in the same cluster quickly follow. Carefully pick by hand and leave any red or very hard berries for a few days longer before harvesting. Harvesting in this way will increase the length of time that you can pick fresh Blackberries.
Navaho Blackberries should be stored in the refrigerator using plastic containers that have either holes for ventilation, or a lid left partially open. Only stack the berries three deep to avoid crushing the fruit on the bottom of the storage conatiner. Navaho Blackberries can also be frozen for later use. To keep Blackberries from freezing into a solid block, arrange rinsed and air-dried Navaho Blackberries in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Place the sheet in the freezer for one hour. After this time the berries can be transferred to a plastic food storage bag and frozen.
Growing Zones
Advice
Each crop of Navaho Blackberries is produced on the previous season’s new growth, or canes that are two years old. Once all Berries are harvested for the season remove any canes that are brown or broken. Prune the plant by cutting weak or thin canes to the ground and leaving between six and eight of the strongest stems. Prune these strong canes to about three feet tall. After pruning avoid fertilizing until the new growth sprouts in spring.
Navaho Blackberry Plants will also benefit from organic mulch to retain soil moisture levels and slow the growth of grass and weeds. Grass or weeds growing under Navaho Blackberry Shrubs consume water and nutrients that would otherwise be taken up by the Blackberry plants. To prevent this, mulch the ground under the Navaho Blackberries out to three or four feet from each plant’s base. Good mulches include pine straw, wood chips, pine bark, leaves, and bagged lawn grass. Keep mulch at least three inches deep in the growing season, and increase the mulch depth to six inches in winter.
FAQs
Will Navaho Blackberries grow from cuttings?
Navaho Blackberry Plants can be propagated by both tip layering, and from green cane cuttings.
Are Navaho Blackberry leaves edible?
Blackberry Leaves, including the leaves of the Navaho Blackberry Plant, can be made into tea that is said to contain antioxidants and other healthful ingredients.
Can Navaho Blackberry plants grow in clay soils?
Yes, Navaho Blackberry Plants can grow in soils that are rich in clay as long as the ground is not continually soggy.
How cold hardy are Navaho Blackberry Plants?
Navaho Blackberry Plants can tolerate freezing winters and will even survive cold temperatures down to -10ºF.
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