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Raspberries, Blueberries and Blackberries

• Message 1. 

  Posted by wendy (U14838922) on Sunday, 1st May 2011

  Hello,
  
  I have been given 3 plants 1 of each Raspberry, Blueberry and Blackberry only small plants maybe 2yrs at most.
  Unfortuanlty they came with no instructions and when I have looked them up it seems complicated can someone dumb it down please.
  
  Type of soil?
  When and how to cut back I'am getting confused about cutting stems for next yr fruit etc.
  And anything else you can help me with.
  
  I really appriciate all the help.
  
  many thanks
  wendy

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• Message 3

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  Posted by Italophile (U12516505) on Monday, 2nd May 2011

  Wendy, it depends what sort of raspberries you have. They can be either summer fruiting or autumn fruiting. If summer fruiting, they should already be showing at least some signs of getting underway.
  
  For summer fruiters, you wait till the fruit has finished before cutting the canes that produced fruit right down to ground level. New canes will have emerged during the season alongside the fruiting canes. They will be green and nowhere near as firm as the fruiting canes. Don't touch those. They will produce the fruit next year.
  
  For autumn fruiters, after fruiting, you cut everything right down to ground level.
  
  Bottom line: you will only know how to deal with them when you know which type you have. Summer should tell you.
  
  Raspberries like full sun providing it doesn't get too hot. Otherwise full morning sun, some afternoon light shade. Dig in plenty of compost and organic material before planting.
  
  You will also need to provide some form of support for the canes. They can and will grow to 6' or more. If you're growing against a wall, peg wires into the wall about every 2 feet up from ground level. Tie the canes to the wires as they develop. If they're going to grow free-standing, you'll need to support them with a couple of tall, sturdy stakes.
  
  Keep them well watered during the fruiting season but knock off the watering later in the season.
  
  I don't know much about blueberries or blackberries. Maybe someone else does.

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  Posted by horththit (U13862695) on Monday, 2nd May 2011

  Hi Wendy
  Thought I'd better warn you that the blueberry will need ericaceous soil or it won't thrive, so I would plant it in a large pot. I bought 3 this year, one early, one middle and one late season one.
  The other two are not fussy, but will be invasive so be careful where you plant them. You will need quite a bit of room for them. Just cut down the rasperry canes after fruiting and they will sprout again for next year.
  The blackberry only needs to be kept tidy.
  Black currants, if you like them are easy and prolific, and make nice tidy bushes. All you need do with them is cut off the whole branch with fruit on it, thereby pruning, as next year's fruit will be borne on this year's growth. The foliage is quite nice too and they make lovely jam.

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  Posted by Clare (U14844744) on Monday, 2nd May 2011

  Hi Wendy, lucky you! Blueberries need acid soil so a big pot of ericaceous compost might be easiest, they fruit on the end of last year's growth so you can prune out old dry wood in the winter when the plant is a bit bigger & well established just to keep it tidy & encourage new shoots from the base.
  The raspberry depends on which sort it is - i grow autumn-fruiting canes which are easy as you just cut them down to about half a foot in late winter (February-time seems to work for me) as they fruit on this year's growth. The summer ones fruit on older wood so you cut out the canes that have had berries when you've finished harvesting right down to the ground, then i think you're also meant to select just a couple of strong stems each year & cut the others out...someone else can probably help more with that.
  The only experience i've had with blackberries is try to clear an old bed of dratted brambles....so i can't help much there except to say even glyphosate doesn't seem to kill it so you probably can't go too far wrong!

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  Posted by leaguer471 (U1318540) on Tuesday, 3rd May 2011

  Hi wendy,
  You'll probably find for this year if you have 2 blueberry plants to fit them in a small to medium container about 5ft apart, this helps with their cross pollination.
  Next year move onto bigger containers, same again keep them apart(i have mine in old hospital trucks that were used for transporting towels around).
  They do not like tap water only use rainwater if you can. When they flower give them enough water to wet the compost as their roots tend to be just below the surface, don't water everyday just enough to dampen everything.Give them a feed every 10 days when flowering and fruiting. They can be very difficult to grow plants from cuttings, i've tried for the last year to grow more but can't. Finally make sure they are covered well as the birds love em! If i think of anything else i'll post it. Good luck.

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