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[John Barbowski <jbarbowski@gmail.com>]

I have two blackberry bushes. One is Black Satin, purchased from a nursery in the spring of 2003. The other is an unknown thornless one that my mother scavenged from a neighbour's plant - seems very similar to Bl Sa - don't know how to tell the difference. I also have a boisenberry bush, planted in the spring of 2004.

 

I did get a handful of blackberries in 2004 while the plants were establishing. I was looking forward to increased amounts in 2005.

 

I don't know if the winter of '04 did them in or the cool spring. All unprotected canes were dead. One runner that was covered by some leaf mulch that I had spread was still alive when it was uncovered in early Apr. The buds started to flush, but soon after, the growth stagnated and the cane died.

 

I am in Can Zone 6B, my mother is slightly warmer in 6A (I don't know how this relates to the US zones, but I have heard that we might be equivalent to US Zone 5 - Canadians like to be considered distinct from our neighbours). She and her neighbour experienced high cane mortality in 2005 with almost no berry production.

 

This year, I have covered my canes as much as possible with a leaf mulch and will not  expose them in the spring till my apples start to leaf out.

 

I know of a thorned variety that survived, however, its production in 2005 was not as good as 2004. I purposely stayed away from the thornies because I heard they were extremely invasive; and besides,  I am very sensitive to pain.

 

jb