Crops › Blackberry › Merton Thornless
Merton Thornless
Blackberry in the UK
A very old and reliable thornless variety, cherished for its excellent flavour. If you want proper old-fashioned blackberry taste without the hassle of thorns, this is it.
Sow window for Blackberry generally.
Buy Merton Thornless seeds
Partner retailers. If you buy through these links we may earn a small commission. It never costs you more.
How to grow it
Right, so for blackberries, you’re not really sowing seeds like other veg. You'll be planting bare-root canes, which is much quicker to get fruit. The best time for this is when they're dormant, usually from November right through to March, before they start shooting in spring. Dig a decent hole, give them plenty of room – about 2 to 3 metres between plants if you're putting a few in, as they proper spread out. Make sure the roots are well spread out and covered with soil, then give them a good drink.
Once your canes are in, they’ll want something to climb on. Wires stretched between sturdy posts or even an archway work a treat, like I say in the GrowMore CookMore app notes. They're not bothered by frost once they're established, so no faffing about with hardening off. Just get 'em in the ground, give 'em a good start, and let them get on with it. Proper easy.
More Blackberry varieties
Track your Blackberry from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.