Looking for BlackBerry Bushes WITH THORNS

[ValerieJ]

I may try that with one of them. Most of them are sprawling and cover a good 4 ft squared area.

Let us know how it works out! Maybe a 4' round fence? If you cover it over with net, it only has to be about 4' tall to keep the little animals from getting caught in the net. I have to warn you that a bird CAN get caught in the net. A robin got caught in the net over our chicken run, and when I found her she was dead. It was heartbreaking.

 

[Farmdog267]

Hollybrook Orchards might have some. I know they used to have a couple of thorned varieties back in 2010-2011.

 

[NatJ]

I ordered some from this place:
https://www.penseberryfarm.com/Blackberry-Plant-Varieties-s/1856.htm
They have a lot of varieties, both with and without thorns (check the descriptions to see which is which.)

Note, the prices at Pense Berry Farm look really cheap, but you do have to order at least three plants per variety. (I was looking for one of these and one of those, but ended up getting three each from here because it was cheaper than one each from other sources, for the particular varieties I wanted.)

I ordered mine this fall, and they arrived as typical bare-root plants (meaning, they look "dead" for now but are expected to grow when spring comes.) They looked as healthy and well-packed as any other bare-root plants I've ordered, but obviously I haven't yet seen them growing (because Spring isn't here!)

I ordered thornless blackberries and raspberries myself, so my variety choices won't be right for you

 

[rosemarythyme]

Let us know how it works out! Maybe a 4' round fence? If you cover it over with net, it only has to be about 4' tall to keep the little animals from getting caught in the net. I have to warn you that a bird CAN get caught in the net. A robin got caught in the net over our chicken run, and when I found her she was dead. It was heartbreaking.

Since my blueberries are still small I plan on making a wire mesh surround and putting the netting over top for now. Maybe I can put netting around the wire too to keep birds from getting in at all (if it's taut, that should help minimize any birds getting tangled in it). Really just need the bushes to get big enough to not get wrecked by rabbits at this point since they're the main issue right now.

 

[ValerieJ]

Since my blueberries are still small I plan on making a wire mesh surround and putting the netting over top for now. Maybe I can put netting around the wire too to keep birds from getting in at all (if it's taut, that should help minimize any birds getting tangled in it). Really just need the bushes to get big enough to not get wrecked by rabbits at this point since they're the main issue right now.

Oh boy. I know what you mean about the rabbits. Yep yep yep. We deal with the rabbits, deer, birds and raccoons. Lots of fence cages around here. Sometimes I get tired of looking at cages around the same tree for years, so I take it off, then the deer decimate it. I actually cut one down because it was never going to get big enough to survive the deer, and I was tired of looking at fence instead of a beautiful tree.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Oh boy. I know what you mean about the rabbits. Yep yep yep. We deal with the rabbits, deer, birds and raccoons. Lots of fence cages around here. Sometimes I get tired of looking at cages around the same tree for years, so I take it off, then the deer decimate it. I actually cut one down because it was never going to get big enough to survive the deer, and I was tired of looking at fence instead of a beautiful tree.

We have SO many rabbits, it's why I welcome predators to come through to eat them. My garden beds are elevated to keep them out, my shade garden is fenced to keep them out (it's a low decorative fence but so far does the trick). Didn't think they'd go after the blueberries but they literally ate every leaf off one of the bushes. As my blueberries are a bit of distance away from the house, I don't care if they don't look nice with the fencing, I just need them to grow lol.