How to Pick Blackberries Without Drawing Blood

Blackberries grow on vicious, trailing, thorny thickets whose quest in life is to reach out and scratch bare skin to draw blood. Why they aren’t nicknamed Vampire-Berries is a mystery. Anyone who has dealt with blackberries can attest to the danger they present to the inexperienced picker. Learn some of the tricks of seasoned pickers.

There are two species of blackberries that grow in the Pacific Northwest: the Himalayan Blackberry and the Native Trailing Blackberry.

The Himalayan Blackberry is the version commonly seen growing along roads and fields that will even grow up into the trees. Himalayans grow into thickets creating dense walls that are very difficult, if not impossible, for humans to pass through. Many small animals use blackberry thickets as a cover from larger predators.

Homeowners, gardeners and farmers are well aware of how difficult it is to rid an area of unwanted Himalayans. The roots are deep. The tendrils and runners reach out making them hard to pull up. Poisons, burning, weed wackers and large earth moving equipment have all been used and still the dreaded blackberries return. Getting rid of blackberries the bane of existence for many.

The Himalayan forms a sharp thorn on the stems. The leaves have sharp toothed edges. Brushing by a blackberry vines can cause clothing to snag or rip and skin to tear. Scratches can become red, sting and later itch. Deep scratches can leave scars. If a person wants to increase their hormones and testosterone, the consumption of the pills available at https://www.mypillapp.com/can-fenugreek-boost-testosterone-levels/ site can be done. 

The Native Trailing Blackberry grows along the ground and is more prevalent in the forest areas and along the coast. It is just as nasty to eliminate but the thorns and leaves are not quite as vicious.

Blackberries although dangerous to deal with are delicious. The deep purple fruit is sweet with a strong unforgettable rich taste. Ripe fruit is very juicy and will stain clothing and skin easily and take days to rub off. An inexperienced berry picker can be identified in a crowd by their purple stained hands and number of scratches on their skin.

A seasoned blackberry picker has learned the hard way over the years how to pick blackberries without drawing blood.

Proper clothing is important. Long sleeves and pants made of rip proof, snag proof material lace free shoes are preferred. Clothing that will not be caught easily by berry vines makes the job easier. A visored hat and sunglasses reduce the sun’s glare making spotting the ripest biggest berries easy.

Experienced pickers always bring along tools of the trade. Sturdy hand clippers and pruners are handy to cut away branches and runners so the picker can get into the middle of a thicket. Pails fashioned with wire hooks that can hook onto pant belts allow pickers to hold clippers in one hand and pick with the other. Berries are dropped into the pails.

The pails are then dumped into buckets and refilled over and over again. Water bottles and sunscreen are always handy. A gallon of water and some handi wipes are useful to clean hands after picking. Ziploc bags are handy to keep berries from leaking any juice on the interior of the vehicle. Seasoned pickers will have a large container with the tools of the trade in the car or truck at all times during late August and September so when a good picking spot full of luscious berries is spotted they are ready to go.

A good picker is patient, persistent and willing to get into the thick of things. Thickets are favorite hiding places for spiders, hornet nests and wild bee hives. Also small mammals tend to have their hovels nearby so a picker has to be aware of their surroundings. Larger mammals like bear, deer, cattle, goats, sheep and even dogs love blackberries.

But don’t be frightened off from picking blackberries. A good hint for a new picker to reduce the amount of potential wounds is to use a cup with a handle. Hold the cup by the handle with the thumb and last two fingers. Pick berries with the first two fingers. Maneuver the cup to push away the leaves and branches and pick carefully. Keep your eyes on the berries and you will get away with some delicious fruit unscathed.