North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Maria Schumann <mariaschu@vtlink.net>]

Our neighbors (in northern Vermont, zone 3)  have the most fantastic  
blackberry patch-- huge sweet berries; prolific bushes with wicked  
thorns-- sounds like what you have come across, Sherlock.   This year  
was especially great but even last year with all the rain there was  
enough for many people to pick gallons of berries (and some happy  
bears, too).  I have not yet tried transplanting any-- they said  
other people have tried and it hasn't worked, they thought maybe  
there was something special about their soil  (they don't fertilize  
their berry plants or give them any special care).

Maria

On Nov 30, 2010, at 3:41 PM, tanis cuff wrote:

> Blackberries in south-central WI, where buying zone 5 stuff is a  
> gamble, some very nice wild blackberries exist but don't fruit  
> every year.  I note John B's comment about roadsides.  I think if  
> snowdrifts cover the canes (in road ditch, fencerow, etc.) this is  
> a mulch which protects them from extreme cold, drying, and the  
> occasional dormancy breaking warm spell.  We don't get this much  
> snow every winter.  Soil makes a difference, or perhaps the ones  
> struggling in sand are just a thornier & smaller fruited species.   
> And rain-- we had 5" above normal this summer, and brambles grew  
> VERY well!
>
> The wild blackberries are usually sweeter (sweet & musky-smokey),  
> than the wild black raspberries (more zippy sweet-tart).  I like  
> them both; I don't notice much difference in flavor of either,  
> clone to next clone.  More flavor dif in both from less ripe to  
> more ripe.
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: john.p.bunker@gmail.com
> To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2010 13:55:34 -0500
> Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Zone 4/3 Blackberries
>
> Hello all,
>
> Interesting discussion. Most - perhaps all -commercial
> blackberries are not hardy enough to fruit regularly in zone 4 as far
> as I can tell. Over the years we have discovered a small number of old
> large-fruited cultivated varieties in central and even northern Maine.
> When the blackberries are in bloom, study the roadsides and you will
> be rewarded from time to time. This past season was a banner year up
> this way. We find them on abandoned farm sites and as heirlooms on old
> family farms. They usually no longer have a varietal name, although
> most probably did so long ago. We trial them around amongst ourselves
> and offer them in the catalog from time to time. While easy to
> propagate in small quantities from root pieces, blackberries are not
> super easy to propagate in large quantities without resorting to  
> TC. We
> have worked with Tim Nourse (Nourse Farms) in the past in that regard
> and may do so again this year with one that we like very much. Check
> out our catalog now and then if interested, or contact me off-list.
>
> Best regards,
> John Bunker
> Fedco
> trees@fedcoseeds.com
> www.fedcoseeds.com
> PO Box 520
> Waterville ME 04903
> 207-873-7333                                    
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