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Fruit & Orchards

Question re ordering raspberries/blackberries online & harvesting

11 years ago

Hi!!! I am new to planting raspberries and blackberries and our local orchards don't have many varities available. It seems that plants ordered online are small. Will they fruit this year or how many years will it take for them to fruit? Any variety that you would recommend to grow in Virginia that tastes great?

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Comments (9)

Raw_Nature
11 years ago
Black/raspberries tend to grow very quickly, I wouldn't waste your money on big plants.. Every year you cut the previous years canes off anyhow.. If you google/YouTube " pruning black/raspberries", or growing " blackberries" you will get a better understanding.. At my local hardware, they want $10 each.. Ingot them for $2-3 online nursery, and they weren't any smaller, not that matter to much.. You can get 4-5 plant for the price of one! Lookup some reputable online nurseries.. I got mine from burgess, but people will tell you you're nuts for buying from them, they have really bad reviews,etc! The plants I received were very good, for the most part...

Joe
Scott F Smith
11 years ago
Try Berries Unlimited if you want big plants, they sell 1-gallon plants. I have been very happy with them. Or Edible Landscaping right there in Virginia, they have lots of sizes.

Scott
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Hi Everyone! Thanks again for everyones input, my comments below Oregonwoodsmoke Thanks for the suggestion in terms of using a cross line between wires, Excellent suggestion! It is simple enough but at the same time, I would have never thought of that. In terms of mowing down the fall berries, that is my plan as well. I plan to remove the clothes line from my turnbuckles and mow away. As for the clothes line, Im actually using a more heavy duty version of the green vinyl coated line. This line is stiff but not quite as stiff as many of the wire coils you mention. Glen Thanks for the suggestion on the deer spray. I hate to put money into the garden in lieu of a more permanent solution but this might be the best option. How long does the Deer Out last? We usually get hard thunderstorms throughout the summer so do you have to continually reapply? As a side note, I was talking with my "mystical friend" and she said that I have to release my fear of the deer! She claims that my continual worry is what is attracting them to my beds. She might be right (laughing)!! Ive been paranoid of the deer every since I put in my main garden (1000 sq ft) five years ago. I think your advice on waiting to see how the plants grow is good. Ill watch their growth patterns this year and make adjustments as I go along. athenainwi Thanks for your advice. I didnt think about keeping the varieties separate, that is a great "note to self." In terms of keeping different varieties separate in each bed, does everyone have any recommendations given that fact that I already have multiple varieties in each bed? For example, if either Heritage or Anne crowds out the other, should I just prune the shoots of either variety to keep them in check??? Ive also noticed that Heritage is starting to move in on my Jewel plant in Bed 2. backyardener Yes, that is the exact same line that I purchased from Lowes. It seems to be pretty sturdy for the most part. socalliegal You might try doing a Google search on each species to get their growth habits. Im new to this too and Ive had to do a TON of homework to get this all figured out. I am surprised that more vendors dont offer information on growth habits or trellising when they sell their plants. You might also post this as a separate topic on GardenWeb. You will probably get more replies that way. For what its worth, here are my suggestions Canby This looks like a fall bearing raspberry so you will probably want to mow the plants down after they fruit. You could go with a simple "T" trellis design with your crossbar at 3 feet. This should keep them contained. But you dont necessarily need to use a trellis for these berries due to their growth habit. If you grow these in a hedgerow, Ive heard that for good light penetration and growth you should keep the hedgerow at a width of (12-15"). So the only pruning that will be done on these is on the suckers (new plant shoots) that grow outside this width. Someone please correct me if Im wrong. Black Satin I believe these are considered "semi erect." So they will grow upright for a while and then the canes will flop over. When the flop onto the ground, the canes will tip root (mine did) and multiply. So you will need a trellis to keep them off the ground and additional support as the plant gets larger. You can prune the tips of the canes at (3-4 ft) (depending on the height of your trellis lines) and then attach the canes to your line. The plant will start to produce lateral branches once cut which you can train to your lines as well. I will see if I can find the page I used for my trellis designs and then send it to you. In the meantime, you can check out the following page for info: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/html/ec/ec1303/ They have a good page on raspberries as well. Thanks again everyone!!! Terry
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Yeah I agree you could probably establish the Lowes/HD plants easier, so I think I may even disagree with myself! Well at least you have other sources if you want a particular type. I have heard many say they all taste the same, and I would strongly disagree with that. Although all raspberries are decent! Some blackberries are not! Soil I like to use 1/3 potting or garden soil or both. 1/3 peat moss, and 1/3 compost. I also mix in trace minerals. Use premium potting or garden soil. Every year in the spring I mix 2/3 compost 1/3 peat to the top. About an inch coating. As you can see mine are in beds. Not all but most of mine are in beds. The Fall Gold is not, and it is in clay loam, and is doing well! The problem with my mix, is it dries super quick! So you have to water a lot. We have super wet springs, so the soil prevents any wet feet problems. It can rain everyday and the soil will not saturate! I use rain water to water, and also add some sulfur to the soil, to keep it below 7.0. My city water is 7.8, and at times I have to use it, so the sulfur keeps the PH under 7. Just a touch. I have sulfur for my blueberries, but what the hey, share the wealth! Currently on the new plants I'm using a water soluble inorganic fertilizer at 1/2 dose recommended, but next year once plants have established will switch to organic. I use fertilizer meant for raspberries, but a good one is Holly tone. Meant for acid plants, raspberries and strawberries don't like severe acid, but some is OK, counteracts my 7.8 water PH. Contains sulfur and microbes.
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I lost about 50% of my triple crown *TC's) floricanes this year but I'm still getting a reasonably good harvest from them. The hardiness zone rating provides a 'general' guideline for growing fruits and vegetables. The actual location of your planting may also impact your plant's cold weather hardiness. Exposed locations that get a lot of wind will increase the likelihood of cold injury whereas protected locations may help reduce cold injury. My TC's were in the most exposed location in my berry patch, and they took a beating when temperature fell to below -5F five times (-7F max) and we had sustained 20mph winds. My Ouachita's are in a more protected spot and didn't get much injury from cold. My parents grow Chester blackberries and they are highly productive. The flavor is mildly tart but fine for eating fresh or for cooking. Ouachita is only marginally better in flavor but less productive. The other plus for Ouachita is that they are easy to manage because they are erect plants that need little trellis support. Chester and triple crown are both very large plants that need a robust support structure. I think Triple crown has the best taste of the three and probably the best taste among all of the other eastern varieties that I have tasted.
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Raw_Nature
11 years ago
Everyone talks about berriesunlimited, they are even rated top 5 for reviews! They seem very good.. But I am always putvoff by prices.. I could get the same gallon plant local for $5, they want $15.. But they do have good selection! Plus, you probably get what you pay for! Once you buy a plant, you will have it forever.. Maybe I'll even buy some plants from unlimited..

Thanks,
Joe
larry_gene
11 years ago
Year 1: None or a handful
Year2: Enough for a pie or two
Year3: Eat lots of berries!
Scott F Smith
11 years ago
Joe, I think Berries Unlimited is a pretty awesome place, I could not believe how much roots I got on the plants from them. If you think of the price per pound of roots they are the best deal out there.

ltbee, nobody answered your question about varieties. Triple Crown is considered the best. Several of the Indian named varieties are also very good; I don't grow them so I forget which ones. If you call up the folks at Edible Landscaping they may be able to help you. Depending on where in Virginia you are you may even be able to drive to their nursery.

Scott
Ernie
11 years ago
I bought quite a few of my cane berries as bare root plants from Indiana Berry in 2011, and I was very happy with the quality, price, and size. I had a small fall crop on the Caroline and Autumn Bliss primocane varieties, but, by and large, everything else has followed larry_gene's timeline.

One standout has been Shawnee, one of the Indian named varieties that Scott mentioned. I had a small but deliciously sweet crop last spring, and I'm looking forward to a much larger crop this spring. The flavor really stood out in comparison to my Chester and Prime Jim blackberries, and it's proven to be very vigorous in spite of cane borer damage and bears early in the season. I also got a few berries from my newly planted Apache blackberries last year. They were quite good, as well, but I'd still give the edge to Shawnee. Because the Apaches fruited later, I noticed a fair amount of white drupelets -- presumably from sun damage.
drew51 SE MI Z5b/6a
11 years ago
I just received three raspberries, and a currant from Indiana Berry, and the raspberries are huge, single cane over pencil size, ton's of roots, and were only $3.25 and $3.00. The currant was a little small, but I didn't expect a giant plant anyway. So great price, large size, if you need to pinch pennies, this is your company. All were bare root and dormant. Packaged extremely well. This company is awesome to say the least! I would order from them with pleasure any day.
The next day I received one bare root from American Meadows. The raspberry was small, not packaged well at all, and dried out. It may not make it? Have you seen the raspberry packaging at Home Depot, well it was like that, unsealed, dry, and put in a box too small, so the cane was bent and broke a few inches above dirt. It was not damaged in shipping, it was damaged putting it in the too small box! Idiots! I know this will not hurt the plant at all, but it just goes to show how this company could give a rip. Avoid them like the plague! Four times the cost too! The only place I could find that had Kiwi Gold. A shame because this is an excellent cultivar. It has lost favor for whatever reason?
Looking for Valentina. Willing to trade suckers. I have many cultivars here. All the gold ones I could find. Cascade Gold, Honey Queen, Fall Gold, Double Gold, Kiwi Gold (if it makes it?), and Anne.
Raw_Nature
11 years ago
Scott:

I might have to give them a shot, thanks my friend! You wouldn't believe the roots i received from burgess, I couldn't believe everyone was giving them such bad reviews! I guess I'm the lucky one!

Joe
abz5b
11 years ago
Their are a ton of good very varieties that i Just cant get locally. I planted half a dozen varietes and will be condensing to the few that i really like with maybe a few new test cases. But to get back to the thread topic. If you want blackberries, they come in so many varieties it isnt even funny. Erect, Semi-erect, Trailing. then which ones are zone appropriate. As well as hybrids. which i tend to like the best. Ill give you a quick rundown of my favorite varieties.

Erect Chickasaw. Big Size/ good taste/vigorous
Hybrid Boysen Fantastic taste, vigorous (thorny)
Trailing Triple Crown Big berries 10 foot canes easy
*Trailing(chester) Hardiest of the thornless that i have
good for jams/wines etc...

I have both Prime Jan and Prime Ark. they are both in their third years and i will probably be replacing them with either boysenberries or triplecrowns.

Full production on berries with care usually appear about year 3. Plan on making some wine this year have to see how it turns out.

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