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Mertons Thornless

FlinsterFlinster Posts: 883
edited January 2021 in Fruit & veg
Evening All,
im just after a little advice on Mertons thornless blackberry. I have a raised bed that’s 50 wide and 160cm long against a sleeper wall in full sun. Would this variety fill this bed or could I make a container at one end and train along the wall and use the rest of the bed for something else or would it fill the bed completely? I would rather keep it contained than letting in run a mock but not sure if it’s habit. How long do the stems grow? I’ve not grown blackberries before- at least not intentionally lol! Any help would be appreciated! 😃

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I don't know the answer to your question, but I grow Waldo thornless.
    It is very well behaved and grows to about 7-8ft.
    Laden with huge tasty berries in mid-summer over several weeks.
    Another variety to consider is Reuben which has excellent reports and is a primocane variety

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    edited January 2021
    I find blackberries stay put fairly well tho the clump gets bigger over the years.   They fruit on stems produced during the previous season so I keep those held in a loose column above the crown and spread the previous year's new stems as horizontally or diagonally as possible across wire supports after removing the previous fruiting stems to the base.

    Works for me and means you can plant it at one end or in the middle of your raised bed and use the rest of the space for other crops.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • FlinsterFlinster Posts: 883
    Thanks both it’s exactly the information I needed! I’ve seen such varying information on sizes from 1.5-7m so just had no idea and didn’t know if I’d end up with a hedge! Great advice on keeping canes separate. I’m tempted to get a Waldo too to spread the season as it crops earlier, but might wait and see how many I use.. I suspect I will yet again be the only one eating them! 😆 off to plan what I can grow in my new found space!! 1mx50cm isn’t much I know, but it’s something! 😃

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    My Waldo is only in it's 3rd year now and doesn't even cover 1 fence panel. I used a lot of the berries as I picked them and I have 3Kg in the freezer too. I was very surprised how much I got from it.
    I also have an Oregon Thornless - which I wouldn't recommend

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FlinsterFlinster Posts: 883
    Thanks. If I hadn’t got the mertons I’d get a Waldo. I only got it on a whim during a garden centre visit as they had an offer on and I was going a bit lockdown stir crazy! I’m almost tempted to give it away and get a Waldo simply because it sound much better suited to my space/needs.... 😳
  • FlinsterFlinster Posts: 883
    Actually after digging around the tinterweb I found these comments and others so feel more confident now and the spot I’m putting it in falls into shade in late winter so can get quite cold- seems like a good choice after all! 😃
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    The temperatures you'll experience in a UK garden are far less extreme than those of Canada and even my garden in Belgium where I grew 2 or 3 different blackberries which all happily coped with -20C for a few weeks in normal winters, worse in one or two and warmer in others.  Two were planted along the back fence of our potager on the north side of the house so no direct sun for 3 months in winter while the sun was too low to get over the house.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • FlinsterFlinster Posts: 883
    Yes absolutely, I realise it’s a tad warmer here! The second comment is a UK grower, I just meant it’s not too big and can cope with some cold, as well as tasty! It’s just good to see real experiences from growers (although reviews are not always real I know!)
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