things i didn't know about blackberries + raspberries‼️
plus floricult hats for sale!
This will be short. The garden task list today is long. Bring in the seedlings. Water everything. Finish tilling the new plot for re-seeding. Finalize plant lists for this week’s garden installs. Switch the baby chicks over to pine bedding. Plant beans. Turn the compost. Make progress on the garden design due this week. Answer all of this week’s garden inquiries. Unload the truck. And lastly, finish this section of school about small berries.
Which is why I’m writing.
The more I garden (& the more I come to terms with how many more years I likely will live on this same property), the more appealing perennial food sources become: Blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, asparagus, fruit trees, grapes, kiwi, etc.
I am taking NC State’s Garden & Landscape Certificate of Mastery program this year. Some is redundant to my prior horticulture classes but some, like learning about berries and fruit trees, is ~ new and exciting! ~
The coursework is unnecessarily confusing to my brain because of how I learn — so as my own personal learning exercise, here is my personal crash course on Blackberries & Raspberries!
PS - For shorthand, I will be referring to them as R&Bs.
A SUMMARY OF BIGGEST SURPRISES 😱
Most cultivars on the market don’t have thorns anymore. Absolutely wild news.
Raspberries can grow in part shade and do best under trees. Who knew.
Blackberries shouldn’t be picked when shiny black but the very last minute when “dull black.” This is when sugar content is highest and why grocery store blackberries are often blah.
The plant is a perennial, but the canes are biennial.
The brambly highway mess that spreads rapidly will not be replicated in your yard because those are trailing types, and we cultivate erect or semi erect types.
The botanical name for red raspberries is Rubus idaeus. Legend has it that they were originally white, and the nymph Ida pricked her finger on a thorn while picking them for the infant Zeus and her blood turned them red.
BLACKBERRIES & RASPBERRIES ARE SIMILAR BUT NOT
I always though these were full-sun-kind-of-guys which is why I haven’t planted them. (My full sun space is limited.) But in nature, they live at the edge of forests and brush lines, signaling that they actually like protection and a little bit of shade.
While Blackberries do prefer “mostly sun”, studies have actually shown that raspberries produce 2x the fruit when grown in high tunnels or under tall trees!
They’re nearly identical in care, but raspberries just need a little less space, a little less sun, & require a little less pruning.
They can be expected to live for 5-8 years, which is nice to know if you moved into a home with them and they suddenly died. Perennials do not live forever - they just live for a long time. (Google the lifespan of a perennial flower or shrub if you’ve just had one die on you.)
THEY HAVE HIGH-TURNOVER BRANCHES (CANES)
Every year, new shoots come up from R&B’s at the ground level. The first year, a new shoot is called a Primocane. The second year, we call it a Floricane. Generally, you get fruit on the 2nd year cane - and then, because canes are biennial, they die after fruiting. 😱
My takeaway is: the life of an R&B is in the roots, but the branches (canes) we see above ground are temporary. We need to get comfortable with pruning them each year, keeping only the young (1 or 2 year) canes that produce fruit.
PRIMOCANES ARE NOW COOL & MORE USEFUL
Okay but pay attention here! Many varieties on the market now are “Primocane fruiting types” which means the canes can produce fruit that first year, rather than waiting to the second year (it’s Floricane year). It also fruits all the way until frost!
When you buy berries, ask if its a Primo- or Floricane-fruiting type. If they don’t know, that’s okay, just make sure you get the name of the variety and you can google it.
I want to stress that either type is A GOOD OPTION for your backyard. You just have to know which it is. Either way, once a section of a cane has finished fruiting, it can be pruned.
HOW FAR APART TO PLANT
Erect Blackberries: 3 feet apart [best for limited space]
Semi-Trailing/Semi-Erect Blackberries: 6 feet apart
Raspberries: 2-3 feet apart [so close!!]
WHAT IS ‘ERECT’ AND ‘SEMI-TRAILING’?!
These are “growth habits” or the natural shape & behavior a plant takes. The growth habit will dictate the way you prune and trellis them.
Most cultivars on the market will likely be Erect (and don’t need to be trellised!) or Semi-Erect, but you should always double check. Avoid full Trailing types because of the amount of space and trellising they take.
SO DO THEY ALL NEED TRELLISING?
Erect blackberries do not. Semi-erect do. Black Raspberries have arching canes which makes it optional, but it’s still recommended. Red Raspberries really need trellising because the top 1/3 of the cane produces the most fruit, and you don’t want that dragging on the ground.
BEST VARIETIES FOR THE CAROLINAS
Raspberries apparently are better in cool climates and don’t do great in hot, humid areas. But, there is a variety called ‘Dorman Red’ that will thrive here - so LET ME KNOW IF YOU SEE IT AROUND TOWN.
For blackberries, there’s a full comparison here from NC State and it’s recommended to do a mix of early, mid & late season so that you always have some to pick. :)
HOW TO PRUNE THEM
Videos are best for this sort of thing. Here’s the one we watched for class!
SOME OTHER NICE IMAGES THAT HELP EXPLAIN THINGS
OK I’M SOLD WHERE DO I GET THEM?
Honestly they are not too easy to find. I’ve heard from nurseries that people don’t purchase them much, so they don’t bring many in, if at all. Plant availability is just like participating in local government. Make phone calls! Tell them you want things! These phone calls make a big difference to independent growers and nurseries.
I’ve had luck at Mitchell’s Nursery up in King, NC and occasionally from different vendors at Piedmont Farmers Market and AB Seed. Sometimes Myers Greenhouse has them. I’ve been seeing Proven Winners selling really tiny bush versions at Ace Hardware and Tractor Supply for people that want them in pots.
It’s likely best to contact berry farmers and ask to buy some. Berries are incredibly easy to propagate!
Happy Sunday, thank you for reading, and as always, check out my lil online shop if there are garden resources you need. <3
Lauren
“You're going to pass something down no matter what you do or if you do nothing. Even if you let yourself go fallow, the weeds will grow and the brambles. Something will grow.” - John Steinbeck, East of Eden
Hi! Are the hats still available for sale?