Navaho Blackberry

Size

Navaho Blackberry makes harvest day much friendlier with upright, thornless canes and sweet summer berries that are easy to reach. Rubus hybrid 'Navaho' grows in a tidy clump about 4 to 5 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide, so it fits well in edible borders, sunny hedges, berry rows, and mixed kitchen gardens. White spring flowers feed pollinators before clusters of glossy black fruit ripen, and the canes stand well without the sprawling habit of many older blackberry types. Our favorite use is along a garden path, because the thornless stems let kids and adults pick berries without the usual blackberry scratches. The sweet, flavorful berries ripen in summer, providing late-season harvests. The moderate-sized fruit is perfect for fresh eating, jams, or desserts, and the plants thornless canes make harvesting easy and safe. Navaho Blackberry Care Plant Navaho Blackberry in full sun for the heaviest crop, though it can handle light shade with fewer berries. Choose fertile, well-drained soil with steady moisture and a slightly acidic pH around 5.5 to 6.5; clay soil is acceptable when it drains well and is improved with compost. Set the crown level with or just slightly above the surrounding soil, spread the roots outward, backfill firmly by hand, and mulch 1 to 2 inches deep while leaving the base of the canes uncovered. Space plants 3 to 4 feet apart for a productive hedge. Tip new primocanes in summer at 3 to 4 feet and remove spent floricanes after fruiting to make room for next seasons crop. Growing Navaho Blackberry Navaho Blackberry is self-pollinating, so one plant can fruit, but a small planting gives a heavier harvest and more berries for freezing, jam, cobblers, and fresh bowls. Plants usually begin bearing 1 to 2 years after planting, with fruit maturing in summer, often late June into July depending on climate. Pick berries only when they turn fully black and release with almost no pull, since blackberries sweeten best on the cane. After harvest, refrigerate berries promptly and freeze extras in a single layer. Growing Navaho Blackberry in Containers Use a wide container at least 18 to 22 inches across, since blackberry crowns need room for new canes to rise each year. Fill with a compost-rich potting mix that drains freely, and set the pot in full sun in a spot where you can reach all sides for pruning and picking. Because Navaho is upright, it usually does not need a trellis, but a short stake or small hoop can help keep container plants steady in windy areas. Refresh the top few inches of mix each spring and divide or move the plant to a larger container when cane growth becomes crowded. Watering Navaho Blackberry Give newly planted blackberries consistent moisture while roots settle in, and water deeply during bloom and fruiting so berries size up well. Dry soil can lead to smaller, seedy berries, while soggy soil weakens roots and raises disease risk. Feeding Navaho Blackberry Wait until the year after planting, then feed in early spring or at bloom with a nitrogen-forward berry fertilizer, blood meal, or another label-approved fruiting shrub fertilizer. A second light feeding after harvest supports fresh primocane growth, which is the wood that carries next years crop.