Triple Crown Blackberry
Rubus 'Triple Crown'
fruitTriple Crown is the most productive thornless blackberry for home growers: large glossy berries with deep balanced sweet-tart flavor, ripening over a 5-week stretch in late summer. The semi-erect canes are vigorous and trained up a trellis for easy picking, and a single mature plant can yield 25 to 35 lb of fruit per season.
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Sun
full sun
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Water
Every 3 days
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Harvest
~13 months
to first harvest
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Difficulty
easy
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Lifecycle
perennial
Comes back every year
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Spacing
3-4 ft in row, 8-10 ft between rows
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Planting Depth
Crown at soil line, same depth as nursery pot
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Soil pH
5.5-6.5
Growing Details
Soil Type
Rich, well-draining
Hardiness Zones
Zones 5 – 9
When to Fertilize
Early spring as primocanes emerge
Fertilizer
10-10-10 or balanced organic at 2-3 lb per 100 sq ft
🌱 Growing Guide
Plant in full sun on well-drained moderately acidic soil. Set plants 6 to 8 ft apart in rows about 10 ft apart, with crowns at the same depth they grew in the nursery. Triple Crown is semi-erect, so a 2-wire trellis at 2 ft and 5 ft holds the canes upright. Cane management is the same as other blackberries: floricanes bear, then die; cut them to the ground in fall and let the new primocanes overwinter for next years crop. Unlike erect blackberries, semi-erect canes are not tipped short; train the long primocanes up to the top wire and tie them in, since tipping low can invite winter injury.
Planting Calendar
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Direct sow
Apr 15
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Projected first harvest
Jul 19 · Year 2
JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
Year 1
✅ Plant alongside
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
- Garlic — Deters Japanese beetles and aphids that move soil-borne viruses
- Tansy — Repels Japanese beetles and ants in the patch
- Yarrow — Attracts beneficial parasitoid wasps that hunt cane borers and aphids
- White Clover — Living mulch in the aisles that adds nitrogen and feeds bumblebees
❌ Keep away from
PotatoTomato
🛡️ Pest & disease prevention
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
Drape fine exclusion netting over the trellis at first color; pick fruit as soon as ripe and refrigerate immediately
Watch for tip wilt in spring; prune 6 in below the entry hole and destroy the cane off-site
Hand-pick into soapy water in early morning when beetles are sluggish
Site in well-drained soil, avoid overhead irrigation, and do not plant where Rubus or Solanaceae grew within 3 years
🌾 Harvest & storage
Triple Crown ripens over a five-week stretch from late July into August in most regions. Pick when berries are uniformly black, glossy, and easy to pull away from the receptacle. Daily picking keeps the patch producing. Refrigerate immediately and eat or freeze within 2 to 3 days; blackberries do not ripen further after picking.
🥗 Nutrition & benefits
About 43 calories per 100 g with 5.3 g fiber, 21 mg vitamin C, and 162 mg potassium. Blackberries are among the richest fruit sources of manganese and vitamin K, and their deep pigments come from anthocyanins linked to anti-inflammatory activity.
For educational and informational purposes only — HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.