The Blackberry Ripening Process

Pollination/Physical Characteristics

• Before a blackberry bush produces berries, the flowers must come in contact with honey bees, so that pollination can occur. If you live in an area that experiences frequent precipitation, you may experience a lower crop yield if daily weather prevents honey bees from reaching your blackberry bushes, according to North Carolina State University. Once pollinated, the blooms will form small green blackberries. As the ripening process progresses, the green berries increase in size and start to exhibit a reddish hue, with fully mature berries exhibiting a dark blue-black color. Certain cultivators do not require blossom pollination to produce fruit.

Ripening

• The amount of time that blackberries require to ripen depends on the cultivator and the region you live in. Blackberries require warm temperatures to reach maturity, and a late frost can kill blooms. Depending on which cultivator you plant, you may have a blackberry crop as early as April or as late as August, according to the University of Florida IFAS Extension. Typically, blackberries take four to six weeks to ripen. Almost mature blackberries increase in size by approximately 85 percent during the last week of the ripening stage, according to North Carolina State University.

Harvesting

• You can easily pluck mature blackberries from the bush when ripe, not-quite-ripe blackberries take more effort to pick. Blackberries that have a shiny exterior will last longer than blackberries exhibiting a duller exterior. However, blackberries with a dull exterior contain more sugar, making them an excellent choice if you plan to use them in a recipe in the next day or two. After harvesting blackberries, place them in your refrigerator to extend their shelf life.

Considerations

• For blackberries to ripen, the bush requires at least 1 inch of precipitation or irrigated water for each week of the growing season. If the bush doesn't receive enough moisture, you won't have a full crop to harvest, and the lack of moisture may also negatively impact the next season's fruit yield, according to North Carolina State University. Blackberry bushes that don't receive enough water may still produce fruit, but the size of the berries may be negatively impacted.