[NAFEX] Trellising blackberries on steriods
Lon J. Rombough
lonrom at hevanet.com
Wed Nov 21 13:04:42 EST 2007
Dr. Albert Heinrich used a system of double trellises. He planted the
berries between two trellises and alternated them. That is, if you
looked down the row, the bearing canes were trained to one side and the
new shoots were trained to the other side as they came along. When the
bearing canes were done, he just cut them off at the base and pulled
the whole mass off that trellis, which then became the open trellis for
the next batch of new shoots.
-Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at
http://www.bunchgrapes.com Winner of the Garden Writers Association
"Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003.
For even more grape lessons, go to http://www.grapeschool.com
For all other things grape, http://www.vitisearch.com
On Nov 21, 2007, at 9:19 AM, Mark & Helen Angermayer wrote:
Thanks Don,
Evidently my trellis is a bit short. I have a 5' trellis with wires at
2',
3', 4' and the top at 5'. I also may have my plants too close, spaced
at 3'
apart. This summer I cut the canes at the top of the trellis (5').
They
did spread laterally, but it seems most of the growth was at the top.
My
question is, how many canes would you recommend I leave on each wire for
good quality fruit? Also is it too late to start cutting out some of
this
summers canes if there are too many, or have the fruit buds already
formed
and the damage done? This is the first year for these Triple Crown and
they're so vigorous.
Mark
KS
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Yellman" <don.yellman at webformation.com>
To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 12:55 AM
Subject: [NAFEX] Trellising Triple Crown
> Mark:
>
> The solution to your cane crowding problems may be some fundamental
changes in your cultural practices with this cultivar, particularly with
respect to pruning. The fact that this very vigorous blackberry grows
fast, with a lot of long canes, does not mean you should leave them all.
Plants should be spaced at a minimum distance of 4 feet apart under the
trellis, and 6 feet is better. The trellis should be at least 6 feet
tall,
and preferably a little taller. Only three horizontal wires stretched
across the trellis, spaced at roughly 18 inches apart are needed. You
can
get by with two. The top wire should be very close to the top bar of
the
trellis. Individual primocanes coming up from below should be tied to
the
horizontal wires in a rough fan shape, and the main canes pinched back
when
they reach the top. This will lead to formation of lateral canes which
are
also tied to the wires, and allowed to grow up to a length of 2-4 feet,
depending on the degree of crowding
> . The objective is to expose all the fruiting laterals to sunlight,
> which
they will need when the time comes to produce blackberries the following
season. Bundles of canes tied together will produce few berries of
lower
quality than fewer canes properly spaced.
>
> As you have observed, tying all the canes together, whether at the top
> of
the trellis or at any other point will result in a jumbled mess of
canes and
will not favor the production of blackberries. If you can't spread
them out
on your trellis so that each cane is exposed to light, cut some of them
out
entirely. Next July, when you begin picking blackberries, new
primocanes
will already be halfway up or more up the trellis. Floricanes may be
removed anytime after the last berry has been picked, which is not a
difficult task if the trellis is not overcrowded. Then you begin the
pinching, pruning and training cycle over again with the new primocanes.
>
> Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA
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