Blackberry
Rubus hybrid
Nellie Kelly Thornless Blackberry fruits during summer and autumn, when the smooth stems make harvesting a scratch-free affair! The plants are frost tolerant and resilient, making them a winner in cooler climate gardens. Nellie Kelly Thornless Blackberry is self-fertilising so you only need one plant (although planting more than one often results in a better yield). The plant has large, dark green leaves with pale pink-white spring flowers.
How to grow Thornless Blackberry
Blackberries are easy to look after. They enjoy a sheltered, full sun or partly shady spot, and rich, well-drained soil. Dig through some compost before planting, and feed with an all-purpose fertiliser in spring. The Thornless Blackberry is a trailing v variety and will need staking once it gets too big to support itself. Blackberries need plenty of moisture, especially when growing and ripening, so water weekly and more often in hot temperatures.
Enjoying your Thornless Blackberry
Blackberries are growing in popularity as a healthy food item, and you often see them these days in supermarkets. They are chock-full of important nutrients including potassium, magnesium and calcium, as well as vitamins A, C, E and most of our B vitamins. They are also a rich source of anthocyanins – powerful antioxidants that give blackberries their deep purple colour. Blackberries make an excellent breakfast! Eat them fresh from the bush on cereal, baked in muffins or blended in smoothies.