BLACKBERRIES

[applestar]

The blackberries are starting to trickle in. These are Triple Crown Thornless:

Older DD loves them, though I find the seeds a bit too big and annoying. If she and her sister do not end up eating them all as fresh berries, I may strain them and make preserves or something.

Typically, we get a pretty big blackberry harvest.... Plus this year, by bagging the fruit trusses, I'm able to let the berries completely mature without bugs, birds, or animals bothering them. But some of the latest harvest in the white take out container might have grey mold? ...maybe too humid in the confined space...

[sweetiepie]

Ouhh.... I like your little bags. Lots of work but would be easier than putting netting on. I will have to keep my eye out for those for my grapes. The birds are bad in the garden because of the May flys.

[pepperhead212]

Those you gave me finally took off, plus 3 more I added to them. I assume first year isn't very good?

[GardeningCook]

We don't have any planted blackberries, but the wild ones that cover the landscape around here are unusually large & sweet this year.

[Sweyn]

We don't have any planted blackberries, but the wild ones that cover the landscape around here are unusually large & sweet this year.

Some wild ones here in the UK have ripened. The majority are small and sour. Why would that be?

[GardeningCook]

We don't have any planted blackberries, but the wild ones that cover the landscape around here are unusually large & sweet this year.

Some wild ones here in the UK have ripened. The majority are small and sour? Why would that be?

I can't say for sure. Normally folks say that cool &/or wet weather can make blackberries small/tart/sour, but our wild ones are frequently that way regardless of the weather. I must say that I'm quite surprised at how sweet our wild ones are this year (for pretty much the first time), even though we have had quite a lot of rain. (Heat, however, is never lacking here in Virginia this time of year. . .)

[Sweyn]

Thanks, GardeningCook. There has been some mild and wet weather here recently but, it's mostly been warm or hot, as well as very dry. The blackberries have not been too sour but, only a few have ripened so far.

[applestar]

Almost all DEAD RIPE! They can NOT get any blacker as you can see

'Though somewhat tedious, I'm loving bagging the fruits as soon as they turn red. You can let them get completely ripe without worrying about birds or bugs. No more picking a lovely blackberry only to have ants swarming all over my hand, or almost no finding stinkbugs and Japanese beetles had sucked most of the berry dry.

Only issue is that it's occasionally difficult to discern through the bag whether they are underripe. But as long as the bag is not overstuffed with a large truss of big berries, you can test by "picking" with the bag on -- gently bend and if the fruit comes off inside the bag, then it's ripe, if it resists, then almost always there is a slightly underripe section even if it comes off with some effort.

[pepperhead212]

Apple,

I hardly got any BBs this year. Is this normal for the first year after planting? And should I leave those vines/brambles on the trellis, or trim them back, after they die off? Just wondering, since cleanup time is almost here.

[applestar]

I think it does take time for the crowns to establish. You'll know it when they have established, you'll see.

If you've allowed this year's canes to arch over and touch ground, they've rooted at the tip by now. It's a good way to propagate them and get a patch going. Once you have enough, then you have to PREVENT them from touching down -- but they are sneaky so be diligent.

I cut them off after the canes brown and die off down to green cane just above a good healthy node/bud. Sometimes, side shoots/branches grow to about 12-18" up the stem on even the canes that fruited, and THOSE side shoots are the ones that will bear fruit. Once the entire cane dies, I cut at ground level.

Not sure if this is the officially recommended procedure, but it's been working for me so far.

[CharlieBear]

Someone mentioned placing those bags around grapes to keep the birds out. If you are taking Jays, they will just peck right through the bags to get to the grapes and they will work together to push netting in to get as many of the grapes as they can at least out here. I had to finally cage them.

[Puck]

I think blackberries and boysenberries are sweeter when there hasn't been rain for a few days. It's a good idea to pick before it rains. The rain makes them sour.

Also, I think, on the plants, if you trim off the bottom leaves about a few inches off of the ground it will help keep aphids off of them, and mold. Also if you trellis them, that will help keep them off of the ground. I've read that if you fertilize them with 10-10-10 or 20-20-20 in the spring that will help them grow healthy. These are some of the things I've read, that seems like it makes sense.

I've got about 100 boysenberry plants and this is the third year for them. It's April 28, 2017. I live in zone 6A, Cincinnati area. They have a lot of blooms on them. I just fertilized them. They're growing in a "lot" of mulch. They say that three plants are enough for a family of four. I should have plenty.

Boysenberries are a cross between a blackberry, raspberry, and Loganberry. A Loganberry is a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry. Boysenberry is named after Rudolf Boysen, the man that developed the berry.