Better blackberries

Blackberries are some of the most reliable and prolific croppers in the garden so make more of them, says Bob

- Bob Flowerdew

BLACKBERRIES are heavy-cropping plants, regardless of the weather. Whether it's wet or dry, they respond with massive yields of berries. Indeed, I'm amazed how they outperform most other fruits and berries, especially in serious drought summers. Admittedly, in wetter years many berries mould - but there always seem to be more.

I used to advise against planting blackberries if there were any to pick in hedgerows nearby - after all, garden space is limited. But then, although the wild ones often have great flavour, they may not be so easy to come by nearby, and are usually smaller than cultivated berries so picking takes longer.

Garden varieties have much bigger berries, so bagfuls are picked more rapidly. Plus many (especially newer) varieties also have good flavour - some even better than their wild ancestors.