Blackberry Farming

Sites

• Blackberry farms should be located on areas that do not hold water, especially late in the spring. The site should have good irrigation and sandy loam soils.

Harvest

• Blackberries are usually ready to be picked on a blackberry farm in late June or early July. The exact time depends on the climate and how rainy the spring was in the area.

Weight

• Pick-it-yourself blackberry farms usually sell the fruit by the pound but provide quart containers for picking. One quart of fruit equals 1 1/2 pounds of fruit, according to PickYourOwn.org.

Species

• Darrow blackberries have large, glossy fruit, while Illini is known for its large thorns. Both of these species are recommended for growing on blackberry farms by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension.

Thorns

• Both thorny and thornless varieties of blackberries can be grown on a farm. Care should be taken when picking thorny blackberries to make sure you are not scratched.

Types

• There are two basic types of blackberries: erect and trailing. The erect variety are tall and self-supporting, while trailing types are shorter and bushier. The erect types are more suited to cold climates, according to USAGardener.com.