permaculture

["Joan Huyser-Honig" <joan@hhcreatives.com>]

Another fine source of wineberries is Oikos Tree Crops in
Kalamazoo, Michigan,
http://www.oikostreecrops.com/store/product.asp?P_ID=868
<http://www.oikostreecrops.com/store/product.asp?P_ID=868&PT
_ID=116&strPageHistory=cat> &PT_ID=116&strPageHistory=cat.
I've ordered other things from them and have been very
impressed with the quality of plants, packaging, and
information.

 

All the best,

Joan Huyser-Honig

 

From: permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:permaculture-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of
Lawrence F. London, Jr.
Sent: Wednesday, April 20, 2011 3:46 PM
To: Market Farming; permaculture; Seed Keepers
Subject: [permaculture] Fwd: [SANET-MG] Wineberries: A
Natural Crop with Promise

 

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [SANET-MG] Wineberries: A Natural Crop with Promise
Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:05:54 -0500
From: Nature's Pace Sanctuary
<herm.naturespace@EARTHLINK.NET>
Reply-To: CEO@Back40Group.com
Organization: Back 40 Group, Incorporated
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU

I don't know why Rubus phoenicolasius, the Wineberry, should
be so
uncommon. It is no more difficult to grow than a raspberry,
to which it
is closely related. What is more, it has something to offer
at most
seasons of the year. Native to Korea and China as well as
Japan, this
vigorous deciduous shrub grows to 2.5m or 3m tall.  These
berries offer
market farmers or direct marketers ease of propagation, a
unique and
tasty product that will sell for a great price.
Unfortunately, 2 states
have classified it as an invasive but the plant is easily
controlled
when properly cultivated.  We have been growing wineberries
in 2 states
for over 10 years and have had no problems at all.

The species is a perennial plant which bears biennial stems
("canes")
from the perennial root system. In its first year, a new
stem grows
vigorously to its full height of 1-3 m, unbranched, and
bearing large
pinnate leaves with three or five leaflets; normally it does
not produce
any flowers. In its second year, the stem does not grow
taller, but
produces several side shoots, which bear smaller leaves
always with
three leaflets; the leaves are white underneath.

Link to fully illustrated article:
http://back40forums.com/index.php?topic=1766.msg2745#msg2745
"Wineberries A Plant with Commercial Promise"

The flowers are produced in late spring on short, very
bristly racemes
on the tips of these side shoots, each flower 6--10 mm
diameter with
five purplish red to pink petals and a bristly calyx. The
fruit is
orange or red, about 1 cm diameter, edible, produced in
summer or early
autumn; in botanical terminology, it is not a berry at all,
but an
aggregate fruit of numerous drupelets around a central core.
Ripening
occurs from early summer. The canes have fine, red thorns,
which appear
much like red hair.

In addition to seed propagation, new plants are formed from
the tips of
existing canes touching the ground. They enjoy moist soil
and grow near
and within wooded areas.

As a fruit develops, it is surrounded by a protective calyx
covered in
hairs that exude tiny drops of sticky fluid.  The Wineberry
has
orange-red bristles thick as down on its arching stems and
protective
calyces. These stems show up well in winter, especially when
sunlight
strikes them. Just like the raspberry it is biennial; that
is, the canes
grow one year and fruit the next. The emerald-green leaves
are up to
18cm long with white felted undersides, and are composed of
three,
coarsely toothed, rounded, ovate or heart-shaped leaflets.

In early summer the small, star-like, whitish-pink,
self-fertile flowers
emerge shyly, encased in a calyx - bristly armour made up of
five long,
triangular bracts. Small, glistening, conical, orange-red
fruit follow
in early August. These remain almost surrounded by the calyx
until they
are ripe.  This keeps the berries safe from the birds until
they are
ready to pick.

You can eat them straight off the canes or cook them in the
same way as
raspberries. As Coral Guppy of Kore Wild Fruits Nursery puts
it: "The
Japanese wineberry nicely bridges the gap between summer and
autumn
raspberries."

Every year I can hardly wait to pop my first wineberry of
the season
into my mouth.  Heavens!  How can such a small, tiny
ruby-red berry
taste so yummy?!  This is a berry bush that has excellent
potential as a
family favorite or as a good seller at farm stands or
farmer's markets.
  It also can be easily propagated by the farmer or gardener
so once you
have some growing plants you won't need to buy more: you can
produce as
many as you want.   This is a good thing since there are
only 2
nurseries in America that offer the plants for sale.

Fortunately, the Resilience Research Farm is licensed as a
Missouri
grower and plants are available from Back40Books.com. The
plants are
available in two sizes and are dug and shipped as orders
arrive so you
are insured of fresh, viable stock.  The plants are shipped
in a
soil-less mix in plastic bags. They are NOT dormant bare
root plants,
they are shipped Priority Mail fully leafed out. Nursery
stock can not
be shipped to Massachusetts or Connecticut.

The plants are available in two sizes (all plants will bear
the year
following planting):

For More Information click here:
http://www.back40books.com/item.asp?b=1
<http://www.back40books.com/item.asp?b=1&n=NPSWBS> &n=NPSWBS

All plants are shipped with planting, maintenance, and
propagation
instructions included or e-mailed.


/**/*Growing tips*
Plant the Japanese wineberry in adequately drained but
fertile soil,
preferably in a sheltered place. You will get the best fruit
against a
sunny wall. Water well in summer. You can tie the canes
along wires,
cutting out those that have fruited and tying in the
replacements.
Because the stems are vigorous you can pinch them back in
spring to
encourage branching. In theory, wineberries should be prone
to pests and
diseases that assail raspberries, but in practice they are
rarely
troubled. Birds and insects find it difficult to get at the
fruits
through the calyces.

*Propagation*
To increase your stock, bury the cane tips in the soil in
late summer.
(Japanese wineberry roots so effectively that you must take
care to
prevent the arching stems of shrubs grown in the open from
touching the
ground.) Or, you can take hardwood cuttings in late autumn.

Feel free to mail the writer if more information is
required, however
there is a nice selection of photos included in the link
above.
Herman Beck
Director
Resilience Research Farm (a.k.a. The Farm at Nature's Pace
Sanctuary)
Herm.NaturesPace@earthlink.net
http://www.back40books.com/item.asp?b=1
<http://www.back40books.com/item.asp?b=1&n=NPSWBS> &n=NPSWBS

www.Back40Forums.com



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