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12:24 pm
Enthusiast
Wed 23-Sep-09
Offline
I've gathered from general reading that blackberries are a sort of fruit that exist in a large number of sub species - I've seen a number of estimates, of the order of a few hundred.
Some bigger, some smaller, some earlier, some later, some sweeter, some more bitter etc.
n my experience, what I call wild damsons, but what may well be other varieties if wild plum, also come in quite a wide variety, some sweeter, some sourer, some earlier, some later.
Sloes, too, I think can be earlier or later, but all very sour.
I think I'm right in saying that blackberries and plums are from the same family of plant - basically roses.
Am I right in thinking that there is a whole lot of variation in wild plums, and further would my speculation that they would be unlikely to breed true from seed be right, as I understand to be the case with apples and cherries?
All comments gratefully received.
David
6:24 pm
Moderators
Tue 22-Sep-09
Offline
David, I'm not sure that blackberries and plums are related to roses, after all plums have a stone in them and are called drupes, blackberries have the seeds on the outside and roses have seeds in the hips.
I'll try that again!
9:18 pm
2nd Grader
Tue 22-Sep-09
Offline
They are both from the rose family. As to whether they breed true? I've no experience but I'd suspect not. Although the reason that apples are problematic is because often the fruiting variety is grafted to a different (more hardy) rootstock if I remember correctly.
Sarah
2:36 pm
Senior Class
Mon 21-Sep-09
Offline
David - you're right, blackberries and plums (and apples for that matter) are all members of the rose family (it's a very big family!) and right again, they will not grow true from seed/pip/stone.
If an apple pip does grow into a tree that produces a fruit that's worth cultivating, then shoots can be grafted onto a rootstock to produce more trees all with the same fruit - and they usually get called 'xxx-pippin' eg Cox's Orange Pippin.
Blackthorn (sloes), the old fashioned Damson, some greengages (eg The Cambridge Gage) are not grafted onto a rootstock and they reproduce true to type by sending up 'suckers' from the ground, often two, three or even six metres from the parent tree! These can be carefully dug up, replanted and grown on into new trees producing fruit exactly like the parent.
So - if you find a blackberry, damson, or greengage with fruit that in your opinion is perfect and you know it's not a grafted variety, then find a rooted sucker and grow it on. Growing from seed is a lottery - but you might grow the next Cox's Orange Pippin.
C 
8:15 pm
2nd Grader
Mon 21-Sep-09
Offline
what a shame, i didnt know that about the apple not growing well from the pip inside...... my little girl is looking after her seedling that she planted from an apple pip in the summer!! we just potted it on this evening! oh well lol
if it dies over winter 
i will replace it with one from the garden centre.
she shows everyone her seedling!!
sara
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