Market Farming

[Willie McKemie <mf AT austinfarm.org>]

Allan, we are probably in two different worlds, berrywise.  You're in 
Virginia?  No, West Virginia I see in your sig.  I'm in central Texas, 
about 600 chill hours, about 600' above sea level, 150 miles from the 
Gulf of Mexico and fairly humid; Mark is 200-300 miles west, 400-600 
more chill hours, probably 1000' higher, and VERY dry.

On Mon, Jan 17, 2005 at 10:36:23PM -0500, Allan Balliett wrote:
> My blackberry/bramble questions:
> 
> 1.  Are you using mulches or landscape cloth in your rows?

No. My rows are spaced so I can pull a 8' disk between them.  That cuts 
roots.  During harvest, I tend to mow rather than disk.  The berries do 
a fair job of shading out the weeds that don't get disked, though we do 
hand pull some weeds in the rows.
> 
> 2. Is it possible to get a fall crop from a spring planting

Our berries produce May-July; no fall crops.  Most planting is done 
with root cuttings; that is most cost effective.  As Bill Bradshaw 
points out, our berries are biennial (did I spell that correctly?); 
they set berries on the previous year's growth.  From root cuttings, 
you get mostly prostrate, not erect, growth the first year.  That means 
your first crop (in second year) is near the ground.  Second crop (in 
third year) is "normal".  You MIGHT do a bit better planting "crowns" 
or plants, but at a much higher cost.

> 3. Is  true that thornless berries do not do well at market due to 
> lack of flavor?

Not here with our varieties.  Our thorny varieties are quite tart and 
thornless ones less so.  New, yankee, customers (maybe from Oregon) 
sometimes vociferously object to the tartness.  However, they make 
spectacular pies.  (A flight of fancy: you take those yankees, chop 
them up very finely, add two parts of sugar to one part yankee.....)
> 
> 4. It seems that I read that berries are better in partial shade and 
> it seems to be that way in Nature, and yet it seems to me that I read 
> that they s.b. planted in full sun. Which is it, in your experience?

Our wild berries, from which our domestic berries are descended, do 
best in full sun.  Where my berry rows are near trees, they have 
decreased size and vigor.  Full sun, here.

-- 
Willie, ONWARD!  Through the fog!
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