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nafex - [NAFEX] Primocane Fruiting Black Raspberry

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  • From: Pete Tallman <pete_tallman@hotmail.com>
  • To: nafex <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [NAFEX] Primocane Fruiting Black Raspberry
  • Date: Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:16:36 -0600


I receive a question like this every year or two. I thought the answer might
be of general interest for posting here.

Question from Matt Sloat, June 16:
I recently noticed that one primocane, the rest are floricane fruiting, of my
Jewel black raspberry has flowers on it. Would it be worthwhile to collect
seeds and try to propagate or maybe tip layer to propagate.

My answer:
Jim Ballington, a retired breeder at North Carolina State University, said a
long time ago that Jewel is known to occasionally produce a fruiting
primocane in some of the southern states. However, Jewel is a long way from
being reliably primocane fruiting. I would want primocane fruiting on every
healthy primocane in every year. (I had enough heat here in 2007 to produce
one fruiting primocane on Jewel, and in 2008 I had one on a MacBlack.)

It could also be that what you are seeing is a "crown lateral", which is a
fruiting lateral that is originating from the crown area instead of from a
floricane, or else very low down on a floricane. (Terminology is from
Harvey. K. Hall, a breeder in New Zealand.) A crown lateral can occur on any
black raspberry variety if the floricane is mowed down or injured in the
spring. The differentiation between crown lateral and fruiting primocane can
be difficult with 100% certainty until the following winter, when a crown
lateral dies and a primocane survives to the next spring as a floricane. I've
been fooled on more than one occasion. I suppose there could be an easy way
to tell in the summer when it appears, but I haven't found one yet.

Unless you are in the really deep south with a much earlier season than what
I'm used to, then, based on the flowering schedule in mid June, I'm thinking
that what you are seeing may well be a crown lateral. The flowering schedule
for crown lateral is several weeks later than a floricane and several weeks
earlier than a primocane. My own primocane flower buds are not expected to
start forming for a few more weeks.

My advice is just enjoy the berries when they come in.

Pete Tallman
5690 Steeplechase Dr.
Longmont, CO zone 5 or so
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  • [NAFEX] Primocane Fruiting Black Raspberry, Pete Tallman, 06/17/2009

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