Growing Brambles In The Home Garden

Raspberries and blackberries are the group of cultivated fruit crops referred to as brambles. Raspberries and blackberries are distinguished in the following way: when picked, the white receptacle (core) comes off with the blackberry fruit, and it remains attached to the raspberry plant.

Considerations before you plant Brambles

Cultivars Selection:

Many cultivars of raspberries and blackberries are available to the home grower. It is important to choose cultivars which can withstand the winter temperatures in your area. Also consider productivity, use, season of ripening and quality as well. The thornless blackberries are of marginal hardiness in the Northeast, and should be planted only in a protected area. In addition, they are susceptible to rodent damage.

Summer-bearing red raspberries: - Reveille, Killarney, Canby*, Festival*, Newburgh, Taylor, Titan.
Summer-bearing yellow raspberries: - Amber.
Fall-bearing red raspberries: - August Red, Ruby, Heritage.
Fall-bearing yellow raspberries: - Kiwigold, Fallgold, Goldie.
Summer-bearing black raspberries: - Allen, Bristol, Alleghany, Jewel, Huron.
Summer-bearing purple raspberries: - Brandywine, Royalty.

* = nearly thornless

Blackberries (Thornless): Black Satin, Thornfree, Chester, Dirksen, Hull.
Blackberries (Thorny)*: Darrow, Illini, Shawnee.

* = Resource: Bramble Production Guide, NRAES-35.

Listing of the types of Berries

Blackberries - Upright (erect) Varieties
Apache - Largest thorn less, upright berry available. Sweet, cone shaped berry. Last season. Excellent quality. Cold hardy and yielding. New release from Univ. Ark. Available Fall 2000.
Arapaho - Thorn less, cold hard, disease resistant, well rooted. Excellent quality. Ripen 11 days prior to Navaho. Patent Pending.
Cheyenne - Thorny with very large berries. Excellent quality and very attractive. Fruit is great for pies, jams, or frozen packs.
Chicksaw - Thorny upright and very vigorous. Disease resistant. Large, sweet fruit. Long and slightly flat in shape. Size comparable to Kiowa. New release from Univ. Ark. Available Fall 2000.
Choctaw - Thorny, high quality productive variety. Ripens earlier in season than other varieties and will provide for an expanded blackberry fruiting season. Fruit ripened uniformly. Almost seedless. Patent #6678.
Kiowa - Extremely large thorny berry. The best quality and best firmness of all varieties. Long harvest season of 6 weeks. Heavy Producer. 1996 Univ. of Ark.
Navaho - Thorn less Late ripening and had the quality equal to Cheyenne and Shawnee Best overall variety. Stand temperatures down to -9 degrees F. Highly Recommended. Patent Pending.
Rosebrough - Thorny, very large fruit. Sweet heavy yields. Early variety with excellent quality. Very hardy. Average ripening date is the middle of May. Ripens over a long period, approx. 25 days. Withstands moderately dry weather.
Shawnee - Thorny, high quality and very productive. Has consistently high fruit yields and large fruit size. Ripens late and over a longer period of time than most. Fruit is shiny, firm and large. Disease resistant. Patent #5686.

Blackberries - Trailing Varieties
Black Satin - Thorn less and vigorous. Disease resistant. Berries are large, oblong, dark, and firm. Excellent for jams, jellies, pies, or fresh eating. Not recommended for coastal plains or gulf coast.
Chester - Thorn less, large berry. Firm flesh, long ripening period. Will grow where cold is not too intense.
Hull - Thorn less, superior in quality, ripens in late June to early July, vigorous and relatively disease free.

Raspberries

Black Hawk - Trailing and very vigorous. Shows resistance to anthracnose. One of the hardiest black raspberries. Fruit is medium size, firm and has a good flavor. Ripens mid season.
Cumberland Black - Trailing, black, large firm berries of fine flavor, vigorous and productive. Good or South and North. Ripens mid season.
Dorma Red - A trailing heavy producer of excellent quality. Has large red berries. Early season.
Heritage - Upright and the best ever bearing red raspberry on the market. Berries are large, firm and extremely attractive. Very disease free. Produces vigorous canes. Late season
Southland - Trailing with fruit medium to large red berries. Recommended for further south than other variety. Vigorous and productive. Very late season.
Boysenberry - This is an improved Loganberry and is a much juicier, larger-lobed fruit than the blackberry. Method of growing is similar to the blackberry except that the new canes tend to run along the ground and must be tied up after the fruiting canes have furnished. Thornless and very large. Ripens over a long period of time. A favorite of many.
Dewberry - Much like the blackberry except the canes are more procumbent and are easier to work on a fence. Plants tend to run on ground. Pruning and training are the same as blackberries.

Site Selection and Soil

Brambles grow best on a sunny site in sandy loam soil. Although brambles tolerate a broad range of soil types, they require soil with good drainage. A common cause of death in brambles is the disease Phytophthora root rot, which tends to infect plants predisposed by "wet feet" - meaning there is standing water in the subsoil. In addition, excessive water, either on the soil surface or below, can be troublesome during winter when alternate freezing and thawing of surplus moisture in flat ground causes considerable damage from heaving. For this reason do not plant raspberries in sites where water accumulates after a rainfall or where the water table is within 4 feet of the soil surface. If this is not possible, plant raspberries on a raised bed at least 10 inches in height. Selecting a site somewhat higher than nearby land improves drainage and reduces the danger of cold injury and late spring frosts.

Keeping the planting free of disease is most important for successful growth. Because the principal source of disease is wild brambles, choose a site far from woodlots and old fields and if possible destroy all wild brambles growing within 500 feet of your site.

A previously cultivated site is best, but only if crops susceptible to the disease Verticillium wilt - raspberries, strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers or eggplants - have not grown there before. If you choose a new site, till the sod under and plant a cover crop one year before planting.

Adequate moisture during the growing season is essential for good cane growth and fruit production, particularly during periods of drought. For ease of irrigation during the growing season, locate the planting near a water source.

Early Care

Planting:

Set plants at least 30 inches apart within rows, 9 to 10 feet between rows, and 1 inch deeper than grown in the nursery. Plant rooted canes early in spring, and set tissue culture plantlets after danger of frost has passed. Remove old canes which may be attached to the new plant, because they are a source of disease. Place a ridge of soil along each row one month after planting. Do not fertilize for several weeks after planting, and water liberally because brambles have shallow root systems.

Maintenance

Fertilization and Irrigation: Brambles are easily injured by too much fertilizer. Apply no more than 5 pounds of 10- 10-10 per 100 linear feet of row the first year and no more than 10 pounds in subsequent years. Apply fertilizer only in the early spring before flowering. Avoid using fertilizers which contain chlorides. For best performance, have a leaf analysis and soil test done every two to three years and follow subsequent recommendations.

Irrigation will likely be required between bloom and harvest. When necessary irrigate early in the day after plants have dried from morning dew. Plants which remain wet during warm nights are more susceptible to disease.

Trickle irrigation is particularly suited to small fruit crops and is an effective and efficient way of using available water. Drip tubes, tricklers or emitters drip water continuously or intermittently into the root zone around the plant so that the plant receives as much water as it can use but no more. Inter-row spaces remain firm and dry, and the root zone remains moist at all times. Very little water is lost from evaporation, wind drift, or too deep penetration.

Cultivation:

Cultivate the area between rows from early spring to mid-July to control weeds and eliminate suckers. To avoid injuring roots, cultivate no deeper than 2 inches. A grass strip can eventually be established between rows. Grass seed germinates best if seeded in September.

Pruning Systems

Pruning has a major effect on the production of quality fruit. The systems used affect growth rate, fruit number, size, sweetness, and susceptibility to diseases.

Primocane Fruiting Raspberries

This type of raspberry plant produces fruit at the top of first year canes in late summer and on the lower portion of these same canes in early summer of the second year. Most growers choose to sacrifice the early summer crop in favor of a smaller but higher-quality late summer crop, because pruning is then easier and fruit quality is higher. When pruning primocane fruiting raspberry plants for a single late season crop, cut canes to the ground in early spring. Primocanes grow and fruit in late summer of the same year. It is important to cut old canes as close to the ground as possible so buds break from below the soil surface.

Floricane Fruiting Raspberries and Blackberries

Floricane fruiting types produce buds on second year canes. Unlike primocane fruiting types, canes must remain intact throughout the winter and until the completion of harvest the second year. During second year flowering and fruiting, new canes are growing. These primocanes can interfere with spraying and harvesting, shade leaves and laterals of fruiting canes, and compete with floricanes for water because each shares a single root system. It is important to minimize this interference by proper pruning and trellising.

The traditional method of management is to permit primocanes to grow through the season and fruit the next year, then cut them at ground level after fruiting. In early spring, the remaining canes are topped to a reasonable height and thinned to a desired number. Diseased or winter-damaged wood is removed.

Another way to reduce plant interference and competition is to mow half of the planting alternately each year during the dormant season. During the spring after mowing, primocanes emerge and grow without interference from fruiting canes. The following year, the floricanes flower and fruit and are then cut to the ground. Advantages of this system are that cane thinning and pruning are not necessary and spray material costs are reduced. Disadvantages include a reduction in fruit quality, berry size and yield.

A third alternative is to remove all but 4 or 5 primocanes per linear foot of row in June. With this system, primocanes are selected that will be carried into the following year for fruiting. Primocanes that are not selected are cut when they reach about 8 inches. Advantages of this system are that those primocanes not selected are removed when they are small and succulent rather than when they are large and thorny, and fruit size and production of the current season's crop are increased.

Trellising

Many growers of primocane fruiting raspberries have found that a temporary trellis is necessary during the fall harvest season. One system that works well consists of T- shaped wooden or metal posts approximately 7 feet long with 3-foot cross arms (Figure 1). The end of each cross arm contains a screw eye or other device that holds a length of bailing twine, which is cheap and disposable yet strong enough to hold canes erect temporarily. Holes are dug 25 to 30 feet apart in the center of each row; they are 3 feet deep and slightly wider than the diameter of the bases of the posts. Immediately after the holes are dug, a 3-foot section of plastic pipe is set into each hole to maintain integrity. Near the time of harvest, the T-posts are inserted into the plastic-lined holes. After harvest, the twine is cut and the posts are removed and stored for another year. Because the plastic pipes are buried, they do not interfere with cane-cutting operations.

Trellising of floricane fruiting raspberry and blackberry plants helps reduce primocane interference and improves production. Without trellising, fruiting canes must be cut short in the dormant season to prevent canes from breaking or tipping over. Because most of the fruit buds are on the top half of the cane, topping low can significantly reduce the productivity of a planting.

Staking brambles in a hill is a trellis system that is occasionally used. Advantages are low cost, ease of harvest, and suitability for two-way cultivation. The disadvantage is low yields per unit area.

Trellising to a single wire 3 or 4 feet above the ground prevents cane breakage but allows only a small amount of light to reach the lower portions of canes and forces primocane growth toward the aisles; this growth can interfere significantly with spraying and harvesting.

Cane interference can be reduced and yields increased by using a trellis that separates the fruiting canes from vegetative canes. One such system is the V-trellis. This trellis can be constructed with two sets of opposing posts, each placed into the ground at a 200 to 300 angle (Figure 2). Fruiting canes are tied to wires on the outside of the V in early spring, and primocanes are permitted to grow in the middle of the V. Spraying, harvesting, and pruning are easier because floricanes are pulled to the outside where they are accessible and primocane interference is minimal. The presence of primocanes in the middle forces lateral growth outward. Yields of several raspberry cultivars have been increased using a V-trellis, primarily because the amount of light reaching the plant canopy is increased.

A similar system can be constructed using two T-posts. Generally, the T-post requires an additional cross arm between the ground and upper arm to support the fruiting canes. The disadvantage of the T-trellis is that adjustments to accommodate annual variations in cane height are difficult to make. Although cane heights are estimated before constructing any trellis system, the V-trellis allows adjustments of the wire heights to be made at any time.

Select trellis posts and anchors from readily available materials. Mono filament plastic wire, now the material of choice for trellis systems, is as strong as wire but much lighter and easier to handle. Inexpensive devices are available to hold the mono filament taut at the anchoring post and to rejoin lines that have accidentally been cut. When designing a trellis and choosing materials, keep in mind the potential fifteen-year life of the planting.

Pruning Specifics

Different types of brambles require specific pruning treatments.

Red Raspberries

Prune off winter-damaged tips in mid-March. Top canes as high as the trellis permits but below the point of winter injury. Tie canes loosely to the trellis wire to prevent wind damage. Leave 3 or 4 canes per linear foot of row when thinning out canes.

Black Raspberries

Remove at least 4 inches of tip from primocanes when black raspberries reach a height of 24 inches. By the end of the season, primocanes will be branched with long laterals; these should be supported by trellis wires in winter to prevent breakage from snow. Shorten laterals in early spring to remove any winter-damaged wood and to maintain berry size. Leave 2 to 3 canes per linear foot of row when thinning out canes.

Purple Raspberries

Vertical growth of purple raspberries is substantial. Primocane pinching will reduce cane height, but cane diseases may invade the wound left by pinching. To thin, leave 3 fruiting canes per linear foot of row.

Thorny Blackberries

Tip primocanes when they reach a height of 3 to 4 feet to stiffen canes and induce lateral branching. Shorten lateral branches to 12 to 16 inches in early spring, and thin canes to 2 per linear foot of row. Alternate-year mowing helps avoid the difficult task of pruning.

Thornless Blackberries

Shorten fruiting canes to the top trellis wire in early spring or weave around the wire. Shorten laterals to about 18 inches. Low-growing laterals are more easily protected during winter than upright canes. For good production maintain 6 to 8 canes per hill.

Harvest

Raspberries do not keep well on the plant and must be harvested every 2 or 3 days. Expect a small crop the first year after planting. Everbearing reds may produce a small crop in fall of the planting year. Production reaches its peak the third year after planting and slowly declines in subsequent years. Many growers choose to replant a site after 10 years.

To store raspberries for later use, proper post-harvest care is critical. Select only berries in good condition and immediately cool them to as close to 33�F as possible. Wrap in plastic; allow them to come to room temperature before removing the plastic wrap to make sure condensation forms on the wrap, not on the berries.

The information for this fact sheet was taken from: The Home Fruit Planting, Information Bulletin 156, A Cornell Cooperative Extension Publication, by Marcia Eames-Sheavly and Marvin P. Pritts, 6/95.