Let Freedom Ring
Prime Ark Freedom Blackberries
If we were forced to only grow one thing for the rest of our days, it would probably be blackberries…with the Prime Ark Freedom being a top contender. With two potential yields a year and boasting one of the largest berries in the United States, this variety is a great choice for most growers.
The Prime Ark Freedom is a patented, primocane variety from the University of Arkansas. One important thing to note is that you cannot propagate this plant for resell without the proper licensing from the University of Arkansas. Primocane means that berries are produced on the first year canes, so you can expect fruit your first year if you plant at the right time. Another thing that makes this plant a great choice is that it also produces on second year canes, which means starting your second year you can expect two harvests! This plant is fast and easy to grow, as well as thornless, making it a great option for families.
At least read this.
I think you should read the whole thing, but I get it if you don’t. This gives you some basic info.
Too hot, too cold, just right…
Growing best in zones 5-9, they require around 500 chill hours. A chill hour is the amount of time the temperature is 32-45° in your area. You can find the average number of chill hours in your area by searching online. Sometimes it’s a little difficult to find the information, but unless you’re in an area that stays warm most of the time, you will already have a pretty good idea of whether or not your area gets enough chill hours. 500 hours is less than 21 days, so as long as you normally have a “winter” you should be good. This variety does really well with heat and humidity, so it’s perfect for us here in the Southeast. They love full sun, so it is important to consider this when deciding where you are going to plant these in your space. They are also self-fertile, meaning you do not need another plant in order for it to bear fruit, you can start with one plant and will be able to harvest berries. Blackberries also grow fast and are easy to grow, making this a great choice for new growers!
We are in zone 8a, and this variety does really well for us. The one issue we do run in to is with the two harvests each year. Since this plant produces berries on both the first year and second year canes, you have two separate times that you are producing fruit. The second year canes produce first, followed by the first year canes. I’m sure you’re wondering why this is an issue, and it’s because of the late frost we get here in North Carolina. Our weather likes to do this thing in March where it makes you believe that winter is gone. It’s in the 70’s and the sun is shining. Everyone is outside in t-shirts and all is right with the world again. Then, winter comes back. This year our Prime Ark Freedom started blooming late March, early April, we didn’t pay attention to the weather, so when the frost came back through, it took our first berries with it. We are currently gathering berries from the second round, which started early July. If your area has the same false spring, just be mindful of the weather, so you can try to cover your bushes to protect them from the cold…this way you can possibly still have two harvests from your plants.
Size Matters
Prime Ark Freedoms grow to be 4 to 10 feet tall, so they will require adequate space and trellising. Blackberries were one of the first things we planted, and you can see all of the ways we went wrong. We planted our first row right along the fence line. It looked so pretty, lined perfectly straight down. Now, we can’t easily get to the backside of those bushes, so any berries that grow are lost to the critters that can sneak back there to eat them. You want to make sure that wherever you plant these, you leave a good amount of clearance around them, so that when they grow up and out, you are able to gather your fruit from all sides. Since they do grow to be rather large, you want to make sure that they have good support from the beginning. When you first get your plants, you will not be thinking about trellising…they’re so small, a toothpick and some floss would hold them up. However, when we say these plants grow fast, we mean they go from 6” to over 6’ in a year, so having your trellising system planned and in place early will make things easier for you.
There are many different options when it comes to trellising, so finding the one that works best for you is what is important. Some of them are more aesthetically pleasing than others, while others will work better in your space, but as long as your plant is properly supported you can choose any trellising you like. With most of our plants we use the metal t-posts because they’re simple and worked best in the smaller space we were using. When we find our forever space, we will probably use wood posts because they are more within my aesthetic and will work with what we want for our dream space. Some of our trellising has wire, which works but isn’t the best option for us…we figured that our after watching our toddler clothesline herself running between the bushes when they were smaller. Sometimes when we are getting berries, we will get ourselves caught on the wire as well since it blends in so well. We use grow tape a lot now, but I am sure we will continue to adjust our trellising as we learn and grow.
Tipping & Pruning
To help keep your plant size in check and promote more fruit production, bushes should be tipped. Tipping is where you break or cut off about an inch from the top of your canes. You should do this twice, once when they’re about 12-15” tall, and again when they’re over 30” tall. When you break off the tip of the cane, it causes the cane to branch off. This will create more areas for berries to form and can even cause your plants to produce earlier. Tipping can also help you keep your bushes at a height that is manageable for you.
Pruning is also an important part of caring for your bushes. Most people tend to do this in the late fall or winter, but we choose to prune our bushes right after they are done producing for us. The reason we do this, is we find it easier to tell the difference between the first and second year canes. This matters because after the second year canes produce for you, they will never produce again. Cutting these canes back will give the other growth more space, and will help you keep your bushes from being an unruly, tangled mess that is impossible to harvest.
Common “problems”
When you do harvest your berries you may notice some things you don’t see with berries in the grocery store. You may notice white spots on some of your berries, we call them sun spots and they’re completely harmless. The official name is White Drupelet Syndrome, and happens when your berries are exposed to high UV rays during hot weather. Since they need to be in full sun, this is a common occurrence, but again totally safe to eat. Sometimes these spots are even dried out and shriveled up. If you notice tan or brown spots on your berries, this is from bugs trying to get to your plant. I just leave these berries for the bugs and other critters to enjoy, although they are also totally harmless and safe to eat.
Everyone seems to love blackberries, and this includes bugs, birds, as well as friends and family. Methods for protecting your berries so you get the largest harvest possible will vary depending on your area, your pests, and what you want for your plants. For bugs, we really don’t do much. We choose not to spray our plants with anything, but we will place First Saturday Lime around them. This seems to help keep the bugs down a little. We haven’t had any major infestations that have affected the health or production of our plants, so we choose to coexist with the bugs. Plus our chickens enjoy going through the rows looking for any bugs they may find along with the berries they can reach. We also haven’t had an issue with squirrels, rabbits, or deer since our plants are within a fenced in area.
Our biggest issue is with birds eating our berries before we can get to them. To help alleviate this, we use a few methods. We have an owl decoy with a moving head, and we also tie reflective tape into the bushes to try to deter the thieves. Another option requires a little planning, but can help with both birds and bugs. Setting up to have bluebirds nest near your bushes will minimize other pests greatly. Bluebirds are territorial and will chase off other birds that attempt to come near their nests. They also will leave your berries alone while eating the bugs that are there. You can encourage bluebirds to nest in your area by having an appropriate house available before nesting season. They start early, so having it ready will increase the likelihood they choose to nest near you.
As far as friends and family taking all of your berries, we’ve found it’s best to just let them take some, and even plant a couple extra bushes just for this very thing! Making blackberry jam is a great way to share your harvest as well!
If you’re ready to start growing your own Prime Ark Freedom blackberries, you can purchase your starter plants here. If you’re ready to start sharing your harvest, you can try the recipe we follow for blackberry jam!
