Overview

Welcome to the world of easy and delicious fruit gardening with our Navaho thornless blackberry plants. This offering includes two healthy live starter plants, ready to be established in your garden. The Navaho variety is celebrated for its remarkable thornless canes, making harvesting a pleasure rather than a prickly chore. These plants produce abundant clusters of firm, sweet, deep black berries that are perfect for fresh eating, baking into pies, making jams, or simply enjoying as a healthy snack. Unlike many other blackberry varieties, the Navaho grows as an upright shrub, eliminating the need for extensive trellising and making it an ideal choice for gardeners seeking a low-maintenance yet productive fruit plant. Plant these starters and look forward to a bountiful harvest of delectable fruit.

Our Navaho thornless blackberry plants are carefully cultivated to ensure strong root development and vigorous growth. They arrive with soil root balls, ready for immediate planting and quick establishment. This variety is known for its robust nature and adaptability, thriving in a range of garden settings. Experience the satisfaction of growing your own sweet black fruit with minimal effort and maximum reward. The attractive pinkish-white flowers in spring also add ornamental value before the fruit sets, making this a beautiful addition to any garden space.

Key Benefits

Cultivating these Navaho thornless blackberry plants brings a multitude of advantages to your garden and your table. From their ease of care to their delicious yield, they are a fantastic choice for both novice and experienced gardeners alike.

• Thornless Harvesting: Enjoy the luxury of picking sweet, juicy blackberries without the pain of thorns. This feature makes harvesting a safe and enjoyable activity for the whole family.
• Upright Growth Habit: The Navaho variety grows as a self-supporting, upright shrub, eliminating the need for trellises or extensive support structures. This saves time and effort, making it a truly low-maintenance option.
• Abundant Sweet Fruit: These plants produce a generous harvest of firm, sweet-tasting, deep black berries. They are versatile for various culinary uses, from fresh consumption to jams, pies, and sauces.
• Long Fruiting Season: Expect a heavy harvest in mid to late summer, with berries ripening over a period of up to 30 days. This extended season provides a continuous supply of fresh fruit.
• Cold Hardy & Easy to Maintain: Tolerant to temperatures down to approximately -9°F (USDA Zones 6-9), the Navaho is a resilient plant. It thrives in full sun to part shade and requires minimal attention once established.
• Compact & Productive: Reaching a manageable size of 4-5 feet tall and wide, these plants are suitable for in-ground planting or large patio containers, offering high productivity in a compact form.
• Ornamental Value: Before fruiting, the plant displays attractive pinkish-white flowers in spring, adding a beautiful decorative element to your garden landscape. Growing blackberries has never been so rewarding.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Navaho thornless blackberry plants is straightforward, ensuring a bountiful harvest of sweet fruit. These resilient shrubs thrive with proper attention to their environmental needs. For optimal growth, plant them in a location that receives full sun to part shade, ideally at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. Good air circulation is also important to prevent fungal diseases. The soil should be organically rich, slightly acidic (pH 6.0-6.5), and most importantly, well-drained. Avoid soggy or waterlogged conditions, as this can lead to root rot. If your soil is heavy clay, amend it with compost or other organic matter to improve drainage and fertility.

Watering is crucial, especially during dry spells and when the fruit is developing. Aim for consistent moisture, but allow the top inch or two of soil to dry out slightly between waterings. Deep watering encourages a strong root system. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced slow-release fertilizer designed for fruiting plants. Pruning is essential for maintaining plant health and maximizing fruit production. In summer, pinch off new canes at about 3 feet tall to encourage side branches, which will bear fruit. In late winter, remove old canes that have already fruited at the base and prune lateral branches to 12-18 inches. This routine promotes new growth and improves air circulation, leading to more delicious sweet black fruit.

The thornless blackberry care routine also includes monitoring for pests and diseases. While Navaho varieties are generally robust, occasional issues can arise. Good cultural practices, such as proper spacing and watering, are your first line of defense. These plants are cold hardy, thriving in USDA Zones 6–9, tolerating temperatures down to about -9°F. For those wondering about growing blackberries in containers, choose a large pot (at least 15-gallon capacity) with good drainage and ensure consistent moisture and feeding. With these simple tips, your upright blackberry shrub will flourish.

Size & Details

You will receive two (2) healthy Navaho thornless blackberry plants, provided as live starter plants. These young plants typically measure 4–6 inches tall upon arrival, shipped with their soil root balls intact to ensure easy planting and quick establishment in your garden. They are not shipped in pots, reducing waste and allowing for more efficient transit. The Navaho variety is known for its compact and productive growth, ultimately reaching a mature size of approximately 4–5 feet tall and 4–5 feet wide. This moderate size makes it an excellent choice for various garden settings, including in-ground beds or large patio containers.

These plants are designed for an optimal harvest of sweet black fruit. For best production and airflow, space individual plants about 3 feet apart. With proper care, these starter plants will grow into robust, upright shrubs that produce fruit in mid to late summer, offering a long fruiting season of up to 30 days. The initial growth rate for new blackberry plants can vary but expect steady progress once established. The pictures displayed are of mature plants for reference, and the size of your starter plants may vary slightly depending on the season and specific batch, but they will always be healthy and ready for planting.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big will these Navaho thornless blackberry plants get? A: These plants typically grow to an upright shrub form, reaching about 4–5 feet tall and 4–5 feet wide at maturity. Their compact size makes them suitable for various garden spaces.
• Q: Are these plants truly thornless? A: Yes, the Navaho variety is specifically known for its thornless canes, making the harvesting of its delicious sweet black fruit a much more pleasant experience without the risk of scratches.
• Q: What condition will the plants arrive in? A: You will receive two healthy live starter plants, typically 4–6 inches tall, shipped with their soil root balls wrapped to protect the roots during transit. They are ready for immediate planting.
• Q: How much sunlight do these blackberries need? A: For the best fruit production, these upright blackberry shrubs thrive in full sun, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. They can tolerate part shade but may produce less fruit.
• Q: What is the best time to plant these blackberries? A: The best time to plant these starter plants is typically in spring or early summer, after the last frost, or in early fall in warmer climates. This allows them to establish before extreme weather.
• Q: Do I need a trellis for these growing blackberries? A: No, the Navaho variety has an upright growth habit and is self-supporting, so it generally does not require a trellis or other support structures, unlike many other blackberry types.
• Q: What USDA zones are suitable for these plants? A: These Navaho thornless blackberry plants are cold hardy and best grown in USDA Zones 6–9, tolerating temperatures down to approximately -9°F.
• Q: How long until I get fruit from these starter plants? A: While they are young starter plants, with good care, you can often expect some fruit production in the second year after planting, with full production in subsequent years.
• Q: What kind of soil is best for thornless blackberry care? A: They prefer organically rich, slightly acidic (pH 6.0-6.5), and well-drained soil. Avoid heavy, waterlogged conditions to ensure healthy root development.
• Q: Can I grow these in a container? A: Yes, due to their compact size, these blackberries can be successfully grown in large patio containers (at least 15-gallon capacity) with adequate drainage and consistent watering and feeding.