Navajo blackberry plants (flowers, growing, grass, Fruit Trees)

[teatime]

Today I did something I rarely do -- buy plants on impulse, before doing some research online! I was at Lowe's and couldn't resist browsing the garden department.

I found (and bought) Navajo blackberry plants and was really excited because I LOVE blackberries! I figured I could find a bunch of info about these plants online but that's turned out NOT to be the case! The tags attached to the plants just provided very basic info.

Do any of y'all have experience with Navajo blackberry plants or just general blackberry-growing requirements? The tag says the Navajo likes arid conditions -- heh, it's going to be delighted with West Texas, I guess! I wonder how well it does in clay soil, though?

[jellybelly66]

Half grass clippings and half dirt will do.Keep away from dogs,as they like to chew on them,thorns or not

[teatime]

That's great, Jellybean! Thanks for the info! Heh, glad I didn't cut the grass last weekend. I can just claim I was saving it for clippings, LOL!

This variety of blackberries doesn't have thorns so I'd best fence them off out of doggy reach!

[southward bound]

Lowe's guarantees their stock for 1 year. If it doesn't survive, Lowe's will refund your money. Except...(a word of caution here)...

I bought two blueberry bushes last year. Planted them in full sun, in good soil and watered them regularly. This spring, they are dead. Couldn't find the receipt, but talked to customer service and said, "I don't have the receipt, but I paid with my Lowe's charge card, and I have the tags that were on them. Will you folks honor the guarantee?" "Sure," she said. "Just bring in the tags and we can scan them and look them up that way." So, we did that. Guess what? You have to bring the dead plants too! When I cleaned the garden to prepare for this year's plantings (just after we had asked them about the blueberries), I carefully removed the tags from the branches and the dead bushes went into that week's trash. So, looks like I'm out of luck, tag or not. (up north, Lowe's said they didn't require the dead plants back, though I never had occasion to test that policy because I didn't have anything that failed.)

So, to you gardeners, if you bought it at Lowe's and it doesn't survive, haul it in with your paperwork.

[arctichomesteader]

Did you give the blueberries acid soil?

[teatime]

southward bound,
Yeah, that's the policy of most places around here -- you have to return the dead plant. I'm sure they got burned in the past and had to enact it. People were probably claiming their plants died and asking for their money back when the plants were thriving in their garden! I actually do have to return a Bird of Paradise I bought last fall at Lowe's. Despite my efforts to protect it through every cold spell over the winter, it didn't make it. LOL, a gruff guy at Lowe's I asked about it was surprised I'd kept the receipt!

[southward bound]

yes, the soil is acid.

Thanks, teatime, for the comments. I went to our wonderful huge farmers' market today and saw lovely blueberry bushes, $10 each, or two for $15. Beats Lowe's prices. I think I'll get some next week. Everything else looked healthier and was less expensive from the area nurseries! Lowe's may have lost a steady customer now that I've discovered the farmers' market here. It was really heady to be there and see the masses of blooms and shrubs, and the variety - what a variety! It was heavenly. I wanted one of everything.

[teatime]

Oh, good suggestion, southward bound! I moved to a new city about a year ago and always forget to check out the farmers market!!! In my former city, I bought a beautiful ornamental tree for $7 and, man, was that tree healthy! It grew and bloomed so well! I really want a peach tree and I'll bet the farmers market would have some great ones! I have to admit, though, that Lowe's had some really nice fruit trees for $14.88 that were already forming fruit.

The blackberry plants I bought at Lowe's were just a bit over $6 each, which wasn't bad. They are VERY healthy with lots of leaves and flowers. Heh, the first blackberry is already forming, too!

I just planted them this evening, so fingers crossed! I mitigated the clay soil with top soil and mulched them well. My biggest problem will be reminding the dogs that the plants are there, LOL. I have some rubber fencing that I'm going to put around them tomorrow because I finished planting just after sunset.

[stinker]

we planted these about 3 years ago in kanssas and had some good rains shortly afterwards----the plants really took off and our plants were loaded last summer---we bought 6 plants and they have multiplied to about 12 in the last year. good luck

[teatime]

Originally Posted by stinker

we planted these about 3 years ago in kanssas and had some good rains shortly afterwards----the plants really took off and our plants were loaded last summer---we bought 6 plants and they have multiplied to about 12 in the last year. good luck

That's very encouraging!!! Thanks!!!! About how tall have yours gotten? I'm wondering because of where I have them planted, LOL -- on the sides of my deck. I'm kinda hoping they don't taller than 6 feet!

They're doing well thus far! Flowers are blooming, berries are forming, and they're growing new leaves! I put them near the deck for support and protection. I figured most birds won't venture that close to the house to eat the berries and the plants can climb up the deck rails for support from the wind.