What's your question? Ask

Blackberry Plants

Q.Blackberries Taste Tart

Anonymous added on July 8, 2011 | Answered

We planted 2 blackberry bushes 4 years ago, and every year they taste tart. We also have 11 new plants that just started to produce berries. They also taste tart. Is there something we need to put in the soil to make them taste better? The berries are big and beautiful, but just have a tart taste. Any help would be appreciated.

A.Answers to this queston: Add Answer
Nikki
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Answered on July 9, 2011

My guess would be that you may simply be picking them too early. Most people tend to pick blackberries when they are a nice glossy, dark color when in fact you should wait for them to dull in color before harvesting. It could also be uneven nutrients in the soil so that only part of the plant is getting the full nutrients it needs and produces sweet fruit. Apply some fertilizer to the soil to ensure everything is even all around. The soil pH should be around 5.5 to 6.5 for quality growth.

Was this answer useful?
00

markaz
Answered on July 8, 2011

I don't know of any nutrient(s) that can be added to the soil to improve sweetness.
Maybe you've already tried this, but whenever you normally harvest the berries, just experiment by allowing 1 or 2 of the plants to retain the fruit a couple of weeks longer [unless they become mushy beforehand] just to see if additional ripening time helps out. Most definitely works with strawberries.

Was this answer useful?
00

Log in or sign up to help answer this question.

Did you find this helpful? Share it with your friends!

You must be logged into your account to answer a question.

If you don't have an account sign up for an account now.

Looking for more?
here are more questions about...
Blackberry Plants
Join Us - Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips!

Do you know a lot about gardening?
Become a GKH Gardening Expert

OK