North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Mark & Helen Angermayer" <hangermayer@isp.com>]

Thanks again Michael and Jim,

I'll plan on trying to use all the trellis then and let the Triple Crown
grow to five feet this year.  It sounds like the blackberries won't outgrow
the trellis or me.

I only trellised the Triple Crown.  All the others are supposed to be pretty
erect, so I thought I'd try them without a trellis (they take a while to
build).  I like Jim's method for picking.  I may be able to lay the Triple
Crown primocanes down, but I doubt the other varieties will lay down.  The
canes can get pretty thick and stiff.

I'm getting to like mulch more and more.  Nice to know blackberries respond
well to it.  This is the first year we've ever mulched (most of) the garden.
The moisture retention is phenomenal compared to unmulched areas.  Also a
definite difference in the few trees that are mulched vs. the others.

Thanks,
Mark
Kansas

Wet, Wet-  almost 9" the last three days


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Dossett" <>
To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2007 8:08 PM
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Blackberry Pruning


> Mark,
>
> If you cut the primocanes off at 5 feet, there will be
> some branches that may get a bit taller than that, but
> I wouldn't worry about it too much as these will be
> shortened at the end of the season and they can also
> be wrapped around a little.
>
> In the second season, there will be a lateral from
> wherever there was a leaf the first year, and the
> laterals will each get a foot or so long, so they'll
> stick up above the trellis a little bit (they'll come
> out some, so they won't be straight up) but they are
> stout and won't need extra support.  I guess my main
> concern at that point would be not knowing how tall
> you are and how high up you want to reach to pick.  If
> you top them at 5 feet this year to induce branching
> and things end up being a little high to be
> comfortable for you to reach, you can always shorten
> it by 6 inches or so to make it easier to pick.  If
> you manage the primocanes each year properly, I think
> that will be more of an issue than the plant
> outgrowing the trellis
>
> Hopefully I explained this clearly enough...
>
> Michael
>

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Fruth" <>
To: "NAFEX" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Friday, June 29, 2007 8:24 AM
Subject: [NAFEX] Blackberry trellising and mulching

Mark,
    Trellising blackberries really facilitates picking.  I use twine so, at
the end of the season, I clip each old cane and clip the twine and toss the
whole works on the burn pile.
    When I first start picking, I make windrows of the primocanes, laying
them down so I can get at the berries unhampered (by primocanes in the way).
Then I step over each windrow and all the fruit is exposed, easy to pick.
Occasionally a stem will resist being laid over and will break off but I'd
rather have a few broken canes than to be constantly moving upright
primocanes out of the way so I can pick.

    Mulching:  I mulch everything, including the garden veggies and aisles
(and all have T-tape drip irrigation.  I like to make the mulch 4" to 6"
thick so the are never any weeds to pull.

Jim Fruth
Brambleberry Farm
Pequot Lakes, MN  56472
For jams, jellies & syrups:
www.bberryfarm.com
(218)568-8483 [Store]
(218)831-7018 [My Cell]