Berry Growing Secrets: How to Grow Amazing Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries,
Berry Growing Secrets: How to Grow Amazing Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries, and Cranberries — Easily, Quickly, and Without a Lot of Muss and Fuss If ever I dies an' yo ain't certain I's dead, Just butter some biscuit an' new made bread An' spread em all over with raspberry jam, Then step mighty softly to whar 1 am An' wave dem vittles above my head, If my mouf don't open, I'm certainly dead. - Monroe Sprowl Barbara Grant Lanford Inc. Publishers Contact Information Published by: Lanford Inc. 197 New Market Center #115 Boone, NC 28607 828-262-5885 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.BerryGrowing.com Our Other Sites: http://www.Lanford.com Copyright © Lanford Inc. All rights reserved. Publication Date: April, 2005. Legal Notices Lanford Inc. (the "Publisher") owns all right, title, and interest to this publication. 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Introduction: Bring on the Berries!.......................................................... 5 Getting Started........................................................................................... 7 Selecting Your Berry Site.................................................................................. 7 Container Instructions....................................................................................... 8 Preparing the Soil ........................................................................................... 10 Soil Nutrition ................................................................................................... 12 Mulching ......................................................................................................... 13 Fixing Drainage and Wind Problems .............................................................. 14 Choosing Your Berry Plants................................................................... 15 How to Select Healthy, Hardy Plants .............................................................. 15 Selecting Specific Varieties of Berries ............................................................ 16 Strawberries ................................................................................................ 16 Blueberries .................................................................................................. 17 Blackberries ................................................................................................ 18 Raspberries................................................................................................. 20 Picking Maintenance Free or Low Maintenance Varieties .............................. 20 Wild vs. Domestic Varieties ............................................................................ 21 12 Time Saving Tips for Caring for Your Berries ............................................ 22 Propagation Methods.............................................................................. 24 Planting Your Berries.............................................................................. 25 Blueberries .................................................................................................. 27 Raspberries................................................................................................. 27 Strawberries ................................................................................................ 27 Cranberries ................................................................................................. 28 Watering & Fertilizing.............................................................................. 29 Pests & Predators.................................................................................... 30 Pesticides ....................................................................................................... 30 Infestation Symptoms ..................................................................................... 30 When You Need to Take More Action ............................................................ 31 Keep the Critters Out ...................................................................................... 33 Page 3 of 54 Disease Protection .................................................................................. 33 Disease Symptoms......................................................................................... 33 Berry Harvesting...................................................................................... 35 Harvesting Cranberries ............................................................................... 35 Harvesting Raspberries............................................................................... 36 Harvesting Strawberries.............................................................................. 37 Harvesting Blueberries................................................................................ 37 Harvesting Blackberries .............................................................................. 38 Every Berry is Unique ............................................................................. 38 Bodacious Berry Recipes ....................................................................... 40 Berry Good for You ................................................................................. 42 Very Berry Events.................................................................................... 44 Glossary ................................................................................................... 47 References ............................................................................................... 52 About the Author ..................................................................................... 54 Cover Quotation from Mother Earth News Page 4 of 54 Introduction: Bring on the Berries! There is no sweeter reward than watching a flower blossom into a sun-drenched berry. The sweet taste of a homegrown berry is indeed a sensational pleasure. Planting, caring for, and harvesting berries is a rewarding and relaxing experience. Think about that homegrown, sweet, sun-kissed berry. You reach down in anticipation. You pluck the berry from the plant. You raise it to your mouth. The delicious aroma fills you with contentment. Berries are luscious treats. Ah! The moment of anticipation! The warmth of the sun kisses your face. The sweetness of the berry comforts you. You have cultivated your garden, tilled the soil, watered, and fertilized the plants. Kick back. It’s time for you to savor the mouth-watering fruits of your labor. Yes, bring on the big, plump, juicy sweet berry treasures. This book contains valuable resources. Take my hand. I will give you tips for getting started. I will tell you how to select the ideal site for your berries. Do you have a limited growing space? Let me give you the secrets on container growing. You need to eat a variety of foods to keep your body healthy and strong. Plants, like you, need various nutrients. I'll walk you through what nutrients they need and when they need them. Your berry plants will grow outside. They need protection from the elements. I'll tell all about mulch and how it helps protect the plant. Do you have drainage and wind problems? Not to worry. I will give you easy solutions for dealing with water and wind problems. Do you need help in selecting the berry plants for your growing area? Do you want to know more information about berry plants? Step inside. I'll be glad to help you. My raspberry bushes have provided me with a great deal of satisfaction and enjoyment. Harvest time is coming up. I can't wait to pick these plump, juicy treats. I use the raspberries to make raspberry jam. My parents rave about my raspberry jam. Every year they ask if the berries are ripe and when will I have the jam ready. They are so adorable. They always ask for an extra jar or two for their friends. I'm more than happy to share. Page 5 of 54 I will give you tips on how you can select healthy and hardy plants. This section is valuable because you want to select the best plants possible. You will have these plants for years. I always like to start with the healthiest plants because that means less work for me. You probably don't realize how many varieties of berries there are. You will want to examine the different types of berries before you make your selection. I'll tell you more about the varieties of berries. In addition, there are low maintenance and high maintenance varieties. Don't get overwhelmed. I'll explain it to you in an easy to understand way. I'll even tell you about wild and domestic varieties of berries. I'll give you some tips on propagating your berry plants. I'll tell you why you should be careful about planting those plants that your neighbor generously gave you. You will learn how to plant, water, and give your plant the nutrients they need to stay healthy and grow vigorously. I'll tell you about pests that are bad and how to attract beneficial insects. I'll give you the scoop on using pesticides and herbicides. Keep this book handy. You will want to reference the information about harvesting your amazing berries. Look in the back of the book. You will find some "Bodacious Berry Recipes." Be sure to visit the "Very Berry Events" near the end of this book. I have listed events all across the country. Join in on the festivities and have a berry good time! The glossary in the back contains words that I have used in this book. This reference will come in handy if you stumble across words you are not familiar with. I hope this book will shed some new life on berries. My hope is that you will use this resource in your new hobby of growing healthy, nutritious, and beautiful berries. Come back often to this small book that is filled to the brim with berry information. Always look to expand your knowledge, as this berry growing is a self-fulfilling experience. I hope you love bringing these beautiful plants and berries into your life as much as I have. Page 6 of 54 Berries — Rich Antioxidant Sources What Are Antioxidants? Antioxidants are natural substances found in plants. They aid in preventing heart disease, cancer, and stroke. They boost your immune system. Antioxidants counter the effects of aging by improving things like memory, balance, coordination, and motor skills. The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity — or ORAC Value — of foods is a measurement of the Antioxidant levels. The higher the ORAC Value, the more Antioxidants a food has. It’s believed that foods high in these coveted vitamins give the body its greatest protection. Berries have very high levels of Antioxidants. Source: Driscoll’s http://www.driscolls.com/ Getting Started Selecting Your Berry Site Plant your strawberry, blueberry, and raspberry plants in areas that receive full sunshine. Berries love to soak up the sunshine. Set out your berries in full sunshine so they will grow plump and sweet. Berry plants will tolerate some afternoon shade. It helps shelter the plants from sunburn in hot climates. If the plant does not get enough sun, the fruit will be small and tart. Think sun and think sweet! Cranberries are different than all of the other berries in this book. Cranberries grow in wetlands. You will want to set out other types of berry plants in a welldraining location. Page 7 of 54 Don’t Plant Me There! Follow These Tips For Rotational Planting • Wild berries may give refuge to diseases and pests. • Avoid setting your garden plants within 300 feet of any wild berry plants. • Do not plant blackberries or raspberries where strawberries, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, tobacco, or other cane berries or bramble crops have grown within the past three to four years. • Avoid planting strawberry plants in areas where tomatoes, potatoes, or sod were grown recently. If you do plant in these locations, you entertain the threat of plant damage caused by insects and disease. Container Instructions Berry plants and shrubs flourish in containers. Sun-drenched and colorful berries are pleasant, welcoming treats. Berry bushes are eye-catching alongside walkways, as well as near shrubs and hedges. The foliage makes a delightful display in containers. The shrubbery and colorful berries accent the long summer days and the colors of summer blooming perennials. I use two sizes of containers for planting the berry shrubs. I plant new plants that I have just purchased in 20-inch containers. As the shrubs get larger, the roots tend to collect at the sides of the 20-inch containers. I then transplant the shrubs to a 24-inch container. Bring your berry plants and shrubs closer to your home! Set planters and containers on your deck, porch, or patio. Terra-cotta planters make perfect homes for berry plants and shrubs. Use a strawberry jar for a nice, vertical exhibit of greenery and berries. Add layers of potting soil, plants, and time-released fertilizer to the jar. Push the plants out through the holes in the jar. Continue layering soil, plants, and fertilizer until the pot is full. Page 8 of 54 Berry Container Helpers Container Gardening: Pamper Your Berries! • • • • • Keep container plants watered. Never let a container go dry. Water the pot daily in the summer and less in the winter. Place the plant directly on the deck or ground. Saucers will imprison surplus water and kill your plant. Add time-released fertilizer to the soil. If the leaves turn yellow, insert perhaps 20 wooden match sticks into the soil. Their sulfur tips will add that nutrient to the soil. Push nails into the soil to add iron. Source: Bountiful Berries http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_container_gardening/article/0,1785,HGTV_3558 _1907378,00.html Do you have limited growing space? Do you want to move your plants away from pests? Container gardening is the perfect solution! For instance: To make it easier to grow blueberries, DO NOT plant them in so lowly a place as in the dirt! • • • Blueberries make a brilliant container plant! They are very ornamental as well as fruitful when growing in a container. See: Growing Blueberries in Containers by Ed Laivo. http://www.davewilson.com/homegrown/promotion/bluecontainer.html Page 9 of 54 A Blueberry Heaven Horticulturist Tom Ogren gives these tips for selecting blueberry bushes for your container plantings: • • • • • Select blueberry bushes for your climate zone. If you live in a Northern climate zone, select low growing blueberry bushes three to four feet high for your container. If you live in a warmer climate, select taller bushes that are six to eight feet high. Keep the soil acidic for blueberries (pH less than 7). Feed container berries each month with a solution of one cup of apple cider vinegar added to five gallons of water. This solution doubles as a herbicide. Source: Bountiful Berries on HGTV.com http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_container_gardening/article/0,,HGTV_3558_190737 8,00.html Note: A zone is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) division of country into areas with the same climate. Most plants come with recommendations for the zone they will grow in. Some plants are hardier than others and will tolerate frost pockets and exposure to weather elements of cold and heat. The Top Hat blueberry thrives in containers. This virtually maintenance free plant is heavy with amazing white flowers in the spring. By summer, it has glossy bluegreen leaves, and then finishes off the spectacular yearly show with fiery red fall colors that rival the Burning Bush in its passionate color. The fruit is wonderful for fresh eating, jams, or baking. Preparing the Soil You will need to test the pH value in your soil. pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of soil. Neutral soil has a 7 pH. A higher pH means the soil has more alkaline. A lower pH means the soil has more acid. Cranberries thrive in wet cranberry bogs. Other berries need loose and light soils. Heavy soils tend to remain wet. Plants do not like to get their roots wet. Make sure the soil has enough drainage. If drainage is a problem, set the plants in raised beds or ridges. Prepare the soil before you set the plants out. Work organic matter such as compost or manures deep into the soils. Organic materials help keep the soil Page 10 of 54 loose and aerated. For berry bushes, work the organic matter about two feet into the soil. Plant raspberry plants in loam or sandy soil. Work organic matter such as compost or manures at a depth of two feet into the soil. Strawberries thrive in loamy soil. They prefer well-drained soil that contains organic matter. Strawberry plants do not like to get their feet wet. They are sensitive to excessive soil moisture. Blueberry bushes require acidic soil similar to the soil required by azaleas and rhododendrons. Test the pH in the soil before planning blueberries. Test the soil again each year. The blueberries need acidic soil to thrive. The ideal pH for blueberry bushes is in the 4.5 to 5.5 range. Lower the pH by mixing sulfur powder into the top eight inches of soil. If the pH is between 5 and 6.5, mix four to six inches of composted sawdust, bark, peat moss, or wood chips into the top eight inches of soil. If the soil pH is above 6.5 pH, plant blueberry bushes in raised beds 8 inches deep. Fill with equal parts peat moss and soil. Soil below the bed must drain well. The Road To Larger, Plumper Berries Soil 101 — Don't Disturb The Dirt! A small amount of preparation before setting your plants will pay off with larger and plumper berries. Follow these tips: • • • • • • • Check with your Cooperative Extension Office. They may perform free soil tests for you. Be sure to test the soil each year. Test the pH level of the soil. Different berries have different pH and soil requirements. Prepare the soil before you set your plants. The plants will show the effect of poor soil conditions. Work organic matter into the soil before setting the plants. Add fertilizer designed for the type of plant. Do not use fertilizers designed for flowers or non-edible plants. Check the soil for pests. Make sure the plot has adequate drainage. You can find more details and information about preparing your soil for every type of berry by visiting the Washington State University Master Gardener page. http://spokane-county.wsu.edu/spokane/eastside/resource%20library.htm Page 11 of 54 Soil Nutrition Blueberry bushes have a shallow, fibrous root system. These bushes prefer soils with high organic matter and good water holding capacity. Make sure to keep the soil acidic. Before planting strawberries, work 5-10-5 or 5-10-10 fertilizer or 21-0-0 ammonium sulfate into the soil in accordance with the instructions on the package. Apply ammonium sulfate 21-0-0 or 5-10-10 or 5-10-5 fertilizer in bands six inches from raspberry plants soon after the roots begin growing. Water the plants well. Cranberries need acid peat soil, a top layer of sand, and an abundant fresh water supply. Boysenberries are a hybrid made from raspberries, blackberries, and loganberries and thrive in similar conditions. A Strawberry Inspiration Strawberries — Nature’s Disease-Fighting Foods! Berries are some of the most delicious and powerful disease-fighting foods available! A daily serving of (8 medium) strawberries provides: • 45 Calories with 12g Carbohydrate, 1g Protein, and 0g Fat • 160% of your day's supply of vitamin C (more than one orange!) • 16% of your day's supply of fiber • 20% of your day's supply of folic acid (aids in the prevention of birth defects) • 3520 ORAC Value (provides anti-cancer and anti-aging benefits) Source: Driscoll’s http://www.driscolls.com/ Page 12 of 54 Mulching Before planting, mulch the site. A thick mulch of organic material also helps keep the soil cool. Mulch conserves moisture and aids in weed control. Mulch protects roots from extreme temperatures. Straw is excellent pre-planting mulch. Sawdust and decayed or wet leaves clump and prevent rains from reaching the soil. Mulch strawberry plants during the establishment year. The establishment year is the year that the plants are planted. Do not mulch strawberry plants after establishment of the plants. Mulch keeps the strawberries from touching the ground and keeps the fruit clean. Strawberries rot easily if they come into contact with soil. Mulch aids in soil moisture conservation and in weed management. Weed-free patches produce more and larger berries. Select acid-free and weed-free materials such as straw or aged wood chips. Mulching Facts Hassle Free Mulching Mulching enriches and protects soil, helping provide a better growing environment. Mulching is one of the simplest and most beneficial practices you can use in the garden. Mulch is simply a protective layer of a material that is spread on top of the soil. Source: United States Department of Agriculture Conservation Service http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/feature/backyard/Mulching.html Apply 3-4 inches of seasoned wood chips to the planted strawberry strip. In the fall, maintain a 4-6 inch base of wood chips. Move the mulch away from runners and guide the runner in its way to the soil. Gardeners in northern climate zones must shield the crowns of strawberry plants from rapid thawing and freezing. Mulch the plants after about six to ten hard frosts and especially after the plants start into dormancy. Early in the spring, mulch from the top of crowns before the new growth becomes visible. Note: A cane is the stem of the plant. A crown is the part of a plant, usually at ground level, where the stem meets the roots of the plant. Page 13 of 54 A Word On Planting Brambles (Yes, Berries!) Ground Cover: There Is No Naked Land In The Wilderness Visit Ask The Berry Man for more information about mulching and planting the berry patch. http://asktheberryman.com/planting_guide/brambles_guide1.html Mulch blueberry plants when planting the first year. Apply four inches of pine or sawdust. Straw is a good much for acidic soils. Blueberries are shallow rooted and are susceptible to winter kill. Mulch and water the plant in the fall to prevent dieback. Dieback is a disease of plants characterized by the gradual dying of the young shoots starting at the tips and progressing to the larger branches. Mulch the plant again in the spring. Extend the mulch one foot farther out than the widest branches. Maintain moisture and humus content in raspberry, blackberry, boysenberry, and loganberry patches. Add a one-foot layer of straw mulch when planting. Replenish the mulch each year. Fixing Drainage and Wind Problems If drainage is problematic in your selected area, plant berries in raised beds or mound up the soil into ridges before placing your plants. Raised beds are ideal for many reasons. You can plant more plants in a square area than you can in rows in a garden. Drainage is much better in a raised bed than in flat beds. The soil stays aerated and loose. The roots of the plant can be watched more closely and better protected from drainage problems. It is easier to walk around raised beds than rows in gardens. Leave about two feet between the beds. You will need room to work and to walk around the beds. The beds can vary from a simple mound of soil to much more highly structured raised beds. Use your imagination! You might consider building the raised beds using brick, stone, or wood. If wind is a problem in your area, plant hedges or taller plants around the berry plants and bushes to protect them from the wind. Wind-blocking tip: Set your plants near the house or another building and this will provide a block from a good deal of the wind. Page 14 of 54 Determine Your “Wind Factor” The Easy Way To Fix Wind Problems Currants and gooseberries thrive in locations too windy for other berries. Wind prevents mildew, a common problem with gooseberries. Plant gooseberry bushes as a windbreak for other plants on an exposed side of a garden. Remember, your berry plants can be very hardy if maintained correctly from the beginning. Growing plants will need proper shading and wind protection until they are firmly settled in and have become acclimated to your area’s conditions, including perhaps full sun and the winds. Choosing Your Berry Plants How to Select Healthy, Hardy Plants Spring is a great time to select and plant berry plants. Many varieties of berry plants, shrubs, and vines are available online. Mail order nurseries tend to offer more varieties than garden centers. If you are unsure about which variety to buy, a local nursery will carry plants that thrive in your area. Local garden outlets have their finest selection of berry plants at this time of year. Select plants, shrubs, and runners that will do well in your climate zone. W. Atlee Burpee & Company has an interactive search tool for finding your growing zone. Open the following hyperlink and type in your zip code. Your growing zone will display on the screen. http://www.burpee.com/shopping/search/zipzonemain.jsp Page 15 of 54 When Strawberries Ripen Standard strawberry plants produce a large crop all at once. The crop grows the season after planting. These berries tend to be of better quality than everbearing berries. Use these berries for jams or freezing. Everbearing berries produce throughout the summer. These plants produce a full crop the first season they are planted. Use these berries for desserts and snacking. Source: The Garden Helper http://www.thegardenhelper.com/strawberries.html Selecting Specific Varieties of Berries Select plants for the soils native to your area. For example, blueberries require high acidic soil and need acid replacements on a regular basis. Blueberries may not thrive in naturally alkaline type soils. Select two- or threeyear-old blueberry plants as these more easily thrive. Strawberries Strawberry plants are a winter-hardy perennial. They are quite easy to grow. Healthy plants will put forth an abundance of berries. Strawberry plants may be of two major types, June-bearing or day-neutral. Dayneutral strawberry plants produce a full crop the first season they are planted. These plants produce a steady supply of fruit all summer. Fruiting continues until frost stops the fruiting. These plants yield much more fruit than everbearers and the fruit size and quality are better. These plants produce just a few runners. Popular varieties include Tristar and Tribute. Each produces small berries and provides good freezing and dessert quality. June-bearing strawberry plants produce a full crop during the season after planting. These plants produce a crop during a two-to-three week period in the spring. June-bearers produce flowers, fruits and runners. They are classified into early, mid-season and late varieties. Popular June-bearing plants include Earliglow, Redchief, Surecrop, Guardian, and Midway. Earliglow strawberries are medium to large in size. They have very good freezing quality. These strawberries also have an excellent dessert quality. Always be sure to select your cultivars for disease resistance, season, and fruit quality! Disease resistance is the tendency not to be infected by a particular Page 16 of 54 pathogen. When you carefully select your plants, you will help ensure that every moment you spend with your berry garden will be refreshing and enjoyable. Everest Strawberries Made for Your Growing Zone Everest is a day-neutral variety that is hardy in all growing zones with best results in zones 4 through 8. This variety is very well suited for growing in containers or in the ground. It produces large crops of large, firm, bright red and flavorful berries. Source: Gardener’s Supply Company http://vg.com/gardening/PROD_BULL_PDFs/Strawb.pdf Blueberries Three main types of blueberries are Highbush, Rabbiteye, and Southern Highbush. Highbush blueberries are recommended for northern climates. Plants are generally not hardy when temperatures drop below -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Rabbiteye and Southern Highbush blueberries are recommended for areas in the southern United States. Blueberries are stunning ornamentals for your yard and home. They have glistening bay-like leaves and the flowers are reminiscent of lily of the valley. They rival any small shrub for their beauty. Plants prosper with no spray and they give bountiful harvest year after year, with a bit of TLC and attention. Their fall colors can range into vivid reds, and they hold their leaves into December. These types have various ripening times, sizes of bush, and flavors. Excellent all around choices: • Duke • Bluecrop • Northland • Chandler Page 17 of 54 Popular Blueberry Plants Vigorous, Upright Bluetta and Collins • • • These plants have an early ripening season. Bluetta fruit is medium sized and fair quality. Collins plants produce large fruit with good fruit quality. Berkeley, Bluejay, and Bluecrop • • These plants are mid-season plants. The fruit borne by these plants is of medium quality and large size. Herbert and Elliott • • • These plants are late season producers. Herbert fruit size is large with excellent fruit quality. Elliot plants bear very large fruit with good fruit quality. Source: Growing Blueberries in the Home Garden http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1422.html Blackberries The two types of blackberry plants are erect or upright, and trailing. Erect blackberry plants have stiff, arching canes. These plants are very thorny — a true example of a Bramble Bush! The plants propagate by suckers or sprouts from the roots. The canes are somewhat selfsupporting. Trailing blackberries have canes that are not self-supporting. Plants of this type include Boysenberry, Loganberry, Marionberry, Youngberry, and Thornless Evergreen. The plants have slender canes. The canes grow new plants if they come in contact with the soil. Page 18 of 54 Blackberry Plants Erect • • • • Triple Crown Thornless Blackberries are a semi-erect variety. The large-sized fruit has a wonderful sweet flavor. The plant is hardy and disease resistant. Brazos berries have a strong flavor and tart aftertaste. Navaho, Shawnee, and Kiowa are popular varieties. Erect plants are more cold hardy than trailing plants. Trailing • • • These berries are usually less tart than berries from erect plants. While these plants are not as hardy as erect plants, you can grow them in colder areas if you mulch them and leave the canes on the ground. Varieties include Youngberry, Thornless Boysenberry, and Loganberry. Blackberries For Life! Vitamin C News A Daily Serving (1 Cup) Of Blackberries Provides: • • • • • 60 Calories with 14g Carbohydrate, 2g Protein, and 1g Fat 50% of your day's supply of vitamin C 32% of your day's supply of fiber 9% of your day's supply of folic acid (aids in the prevention of birth defects) 4654 ORAC Value (provides anti-cancer and anti-aging benefits) Source: Driscoll’s http://www.driscolls.com/ Page 19 of 54 Raspberries Raspberry varieties include Boyne, Nova, Festival, and Royalty. Boyne berries are dark and quite soft. The fruit ripens in early midseason. Nova and Festival berries are midseason fruits. The berries are medium sized and have a good flavor. Royalty berries are late season berries. They have a mild, pleasant flavor. Raspberries — Nature’s Heath Food Nutrients a Plenty in One Cup a Day! A Daily Serving (1 Cup) Of Raspberries Provides: • • • • • 60 Calories with 15g Carbohydrate, 1g Protein, and 1g Fat 50% of your day's supply of vitamin C 32% of your day's supply of fiber 6% of your day's supply of folic acid (aids in the prevention of birth defects) 2789 ORAC Value (provides anti-cancer and anti-aging benefits) Source: Driscoll’s http://www.driscolls.com/ Picking Maintenance Free or Low Maintenance Varieties Maintenance is the work of keeping something in proper condition. Maintenance in gardening refers to the amount of upkeep the plants will need. All plants need some type of maintenance. At the least they will need water and nutrients. You will need to weed the plants. Low maintenance plants will save you time once they are established. Some plants require low maintenance, including watering, weeding and feeding the plants. Other plants require more maintenance, such as trimming and staking the plants. Before you purchase berry plants, find out how much maintenance the plant needs. If you purchase your plants locally, look on the tag of the plant to read what kind of maintenance the plant requires. Most tags will indicate whether the plant needs low or high maintenance. Your local garden center staff will help answer your plant maintenance questions. If you are ordering the plants online or through a mail order catalog, look for maintenance instructions about the plants or ask the supplier questions about how much maintenance the plants need. Some plants put off shoots. You will want to trim the shoots to keep the main plants healthy. Other plants put off runners. You will want to keep some of the Page 20 of 54 runners, but till most of the runners underground. In studying the different varieties of berries, it’s easy to see that some maintenance will be necessary. Wild vs. Domestic Varieties Cultivated varieties have larger berries than the wild types. But that is after thousands of years of cultivation! Today, a family member of the blueberry plant is amongst the oldest living things on our planet, some 13,000 years old. Wild bears will not eat anything else except the luscious, ripe blueberries when they are in season and have been known to travel dozens of miles on an empty stomach in search of the succulent plants. Blueberries were here when the first settlers arrived, and were noted by early explorers as well as Lewis & Clark. The Native American Indian highly esteemed the wild blueberry, because the blossom end on a blueberry fruit forms a fivepoint star. They believed that the Great Spirit sent these star-shaped berries to fill empty stomachs of children during times of starvation. Native people also used the lowly wild blueberries for healing purposes as well as making a strong, pungent tea from the root. Berries — Among The Highest For Antioxidant Levels Boost Your Antioxidant Levels Now! • • • • Berries, with their high Antioxidant levels, are some of the most delicious and powerful disease-fighting foods available! Blueberries are among the fruits and vegetables with the highest Antioxidant levels with an ORAC Value of 5486. Right behind blueberries are blackberries with an ORAC Value of 4654, strawberries at 3520 and raspberries, 2789. Berry ORAC levels top that of many other fruits and vegetables such as oranges, grapefruit, cherries, plums, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and spinach. Source: Driscoll’s http://www.driscolls.com/ Page 21 of 54 12 Time Saving Tips for Caring for Your Berries Here are 12 tips I'd like to share with you from some of my favorite books and sources: 1. "The only work required with my everbearing raspberry canes is pruning. The time to prune is right after harvest. In fall, I cut off the top third of canes that bore fruit leaving the bottom 2/3 of the cane to give fruit next summer. After the summer harvest, I cut off the old canes that have given fruit at ground level, then thin out the canes that are left to about six inches apart. When thinning out, I select the healthiest canes to keep and that's it! If you happen to have summer bearing raspberries, the canes that bore fruit should be cut at ground level after fruiting, then thinned out as described above.” (Growing Raspberries and Jam Making, 2005.) 2. "Raspberries will grow in all zones and they need full sun and regular water. Plants need water, especially when blossoming and fruiting. Feed at blossoming time with an all-purpose fertilizer. Well-drained soil is essential. The best planting time is in winter before growth starts. Set plants 2 1/2-3 ft. apart.” (Growing Raspberries and Jam Making, 2005.) 3. "Japanese Beetles are a big problem for berry growers in many parts of the country, and here [it is recommended] using malathion and/or Milky Spore for their control. The latter is still a good idea, but recent research on malathion has determined it to be dangerously toxic even in previously ‘safe’ doses. A better alternative might be rotenone-pyrethrin, which is commonly used by organic growers to protect against JB's.” (Growing Raspberries and Jam Making, 2005.) 4. "Blackberries, Black Raspberries, Red Raspberries and Yellow Raspberries are very closely related. Botanists separate the Raspberries from Blackberries by determining if the core stays in the ripe fruit or if the core is lost during picking. Berries with the core intact are Blackberries and berries that lose the core and resemble a thimble are called Raspberries. A few berries are a cross between the two. Boysenberries and Olallieberries are a cross between Blackberries and Raspberries and are called Trailing Blackberries.” (Planting Raspberries and Blackberries, 2005.) 5. "Remember that after flowering and fruiting, any cane that bore fruit dies back to the crown. When establishing a new planting, it is very important to cut the top back on the bare-root transplants if this has not already been done at the nursery. All the new growth that will arise from the transplant will come from primary buds just below the soil surface. If you examine the crown of the plant, you will see 2-5 small buds or shoots just above the roots at the base of the crown. All the top growth above the primary buds is the cane that grew in the nursery row the previous summer; it’s now two years old, and programmed to flower and fruit. If you leave this 2-year-old top growth intact, it will start blooming and try to fruit Page 22 of 54 at the expense of the new cane growth that you are trying to encourage from the primary buds." (Planting Raspberries and Blackberries, 2005.) 6. For all berries such as blackberries, raspberries and their kindred: "Fertilizer and irrigation should be avoided until the primary buds force and new canes begin to grow." (Planting Raspberries and Blackberries, 2005.) 7. "Blueberries prefer an acidic, well-drained soil. Mulching with acidic materials has proved beneficial for soils that are not ideal for blueberry growing. Fir sawdust or bark dust, applied to a depth of two to four inches, also eliminates most of the need for cultivation and conserves moisture. Blueberries’ shallow, compact root system makes regular irrigation a necessity.” (Planting Raspberries and Blackberries, 2005.) 8. More timely tips on blueberries: "Two different varieties must be planted to ensure cross-pollination and fruit set. Any two varieties will crosspollinate regardless of ripening time. The early varieties begin ripening in June and the late varieties in early August. When planting two- or threeyear-old plants, the blossoms can be removed for a year or two to promote vegetative growth. Blueberries tend to over-bear rather than under-bear. Thinning blossoms will promote larger fruit and a healthier bush. A large plant may produce 15 to 20 pounds of fruit." (Planting Raspberries and Blackberries, 2005.) 9. "…Nothing can compare to the vibrant color of berries during the winter. Berry palates range from bright red to yellow to pale blue and white, so there is something sure to please your eye. Many berries will also attract a variety of birds to your garden… Add a bit of pizzazz to the drab winter landscape.” (Brighten Up Your Winter Garden With Colorful Berries, 2005.) 10. Strawberry growers: "Choose vigorous, ‘virus free’ plants from an established nursery. Buying from a local nursery ensures that the cultivar you have chosen will do well in your area, but mail order nurseries will offer the widest selection." (Strawberries: Choosing Strawberry Cultivars, 2005.) 11. "Strawberries need full sun to produce the best crop, but you can get a harvestable crop with as little as 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. Increasing the amount of sunlight that your strawberries receive will result in more and better quality berries.” (Strawberries: Choosing Strawberry Cultivars, 2005.) 12. More strawberry tips: "The site selected should be free from weeds, grubs, and soil-borne diseases. Areas where sod has grown should be tilled and cultivated the year before planting to eliminate grass that will compete with the strawberries." (Strawberries: Choosing Strawberry Cultivars, 2005.) Page 23 of 54 Propagation Methods Use only healthy plants that are virus and disease free. Look for the certification on plants that you purchase. Avoid using plants and cuttings from a neighbor’s garden. These plants and cuttings could introduce viruses and root rot organisms into your garden. June-bearing strawberries produce runners. Day-neutral strawberries produce just a few runners. These above ground shoots have very tiny leaves. A crown is the part of a plant, usually at ground level, where the stem meets the roots of the plant. You may be familiar with crowns growing on the base of trees. These crowns become unsightly and rob the tree of nutrients and water. A strawberry plant also grows crowns. Each plant may produce a dozen crowns. You want to keep the plant healthy. Therefore, you should till most of the crowns under the ground. Let the runners of the strawberries grow in fertile soil. Raspberries develop shoot suckers from the root system. A shoot sucker is a secondary shoot produced from the base or roots of a woody plant that gives rise to a new plant. Simply break the suckers off and propagate the plants. Transplant the young suckers in early summer. Keep the soil watered to prevent wilting after transplanting. Propagate black and purple raspberries in late summer. Use the tip layering method: Bend the attached shoot tips downwards. Insert the tips three inches into the soil. Secure the tip in the soil with a dowel stick or piece of plastic. Keep the tip moist. Roots and shoots grow from the buried portion of the shoot. Transplant the new plant. Page 24 of 54 Planting Your Berries The soil is ready. The plants are eager to begin growing. Get ready! It is time to set out your plants. I always go by this handy reference from Mother Earth News for spacing my berry plants. • Plant raspberries at a distance two to three feet between plants. Leave a distance of six to eight feet between rows. • Plant strawberries at a distance two feet between plants. Leave a distance of three and one half feet between rows. • Plant blackberries at a distance of two to three feet between plants. Leave a distance of six to eight feet between rows. • Plant blueberries at a distance of five feet between plants. Leave a distance of five feet between rows. Source: Mother Earth News http://www.motherearthnews.com/arc/5496/ Page 25 of 54 Boost Plant Survival Rates! Remove Previous Growth from Raspberry and Blueberry Plants All new growth comes from the primary buds. These buds are just below the soil line. Look at your plants. Find the two to five buds or shoots from the primary buds. These are just above the roots at the base of the crown. All growth above the primary buds grew in the nursery the previous summer. Trim all growth off from above the primary buds. This growth is two years old. Remove it before it flowers and tries to fruit. You want new cane growth, not old. The plants require the establishment of a good root system. You need to cut away the old cane so the plants develop a new, healthy root system. The plants might become stressed and even die if you don’t take the excess cane off the plant. Before planting, trim the plants. This will make them stronger, help them put out better growth, and help make them thrive. Transplanted plants undergo stress. Cut back the raspberry and blackberry tops to relieve a lot of that stress. Soak the blackberry and raspberry roots in water for an hour before planting. The plants have been dormant. This way, when you set them, the roots keep most of the moisture from this soaking. Then, the soil takes over, having enough moisture for the root growth. Remember, the plants do not have leaves. They are dormant when you set them. Don’t over-water your plants because it encourages root rot. Source: Payne's Nursery and Greenhouse http://www.paynes.com/Tips/Berries_cult_tips.html Page 26 of 54 Blueberries Plant dormant blueberry plants as early in the spring as possible. Prune the bushes hard after planting. Leave five to eight feet between each planting. Slow the plant growth in the first year of planting. Strip blueberry blossoms. Remove dead branches. Do not fertilize. Prevent the plants from setting fruit. Mulch the plant. These actions will make the plants stronger. Strip most of the blueberry blossoms in the second year. Mulch the plants to a depth of three to four inches. Fertilize the plants. Strip a few of the blossoms in the third year. Remove damaged, weak, or dead branches. Prune the plants lightly. Mulch the plants to a depth of three to four inches. Fertilize the plants. Raspberries Plant raspberry plants in early spring. Plant the berries two to three feet apart along a fence or trellis. After setting the plants, cut the canes back to two-inch shoots. New canes will grow from the roots. Immediately after harvest each year, cut old raspberry canes to the ground level. Keep four to five of the thickest new canes per hill. Turn the weaker canes to the ground. Strawberries Strawberry plants have roots, leaves, and a crown. The crown is a short stem between the roots and leaves. Trim the roots four to five inches long. Dig a hole or trench six inches deep. Cover the roots and only half of the crown with soil. Plant strawberry plants 12 to 24 inches apart. Page 27 of 54 Planting Strawberries What is Your USDA Climate Zone? The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) publishes maps of climate zones. If you live in an area where winters are severe (USDA zones 1-5), plant your strawberry plants in early spring while the temperatures are still cold. If the soil is too wet in the spring, wait until the soil dries before planting. Do not plant the strawberry plants in the fall if you live in USDA climates 1-5. The freezing and thawing of the ground may injure the plants. If you live in areas with mild winters, plant the strawberry plants in the fall. You will have a crop the first spring. Source: The Garden Helper http://www.thegardenhelper.com/strawberries.html Throughout the first growing season, remove runners and flower stalks from June-bearing strawberry plants. This allows the plants to grow stronger and larger before fruiting. Remove the blossoms of day-neutral strawberry plants through the middle of June during the first year. After June, allow flowers to grow into fruit for harvest. Cranberries The cranberry is an evergreen groundcover that has two types of growing habits — runners (actually rhizomes) and uprights, which are “carried” on the runners and bring forth the flowers and fruit. Cranberries thrive in wetlands. The vines grow white or pink flowers. The flowers bring forth tart tasting, red berries. Cranberry vines need an inch of water a week to grow. They grow in a bog. First, you need to drain the bog. Next, clear and level the bog and spread a layer of sand in there. Set vine cuttings in the sand. The roots will then begin to take in the soil. The bog will bear a full crop in three to five years. Make sure you protect the vines from frost. Flood the bogs over the top of the vines. Allow the water to freeze to a depth of about eight inches. Drain the water under the protective coating. This lets the vines breathe. Irrigate the vines in the summer. Page 28 of 54 Watering & Fertilizing Do not over-water or over-fertilize the plants. Give your plants about one inch of water weekly during the growing season. Add more water if conditions are extremely dry, hot and/or windy. Over-watering and over-fertilizing encourages plant and fruit rotting, and diseases. Try to keep foliage dry. If the soil is too wet, cut back on watering. If the soil is too dry, water more frequently or for a longer period of time. Berry plants and bushes form most of their flower buds for the following year's crop, from July until October. If the plants dry out during the growing season, it will not produce as much fruit the following year. Apply adequate water from spring through harvest. Upon reading the tips in this book, one of the primary things to remember is to water and fertilize according to what is best for your particular plants. For example, this is the yield you should have from your strawberries, if all else has been properly done: You should get more strawberry fruit in a limited space than from any other berry! Twenty-five plants are capable of producing twenty-five quarts of berries! The amount of berries produced per plant depends upon the variety of each plant. For example, most varieties of blackberries produce one to two quarts per plant. Some varieties produce a gallon per plant. The Doyle’s Thornless Blackberry™ is an amazing plant that yields 10 to 20 gallons per plant. That is one to two bushels! If you want to purchase this spectacular plant, head over to Doyle's Thornless Berry at http://www.fruitsandberries.com/. Fruit grows in large bunches with 40 to 100 berries per bunch. It has been my experience to yield one to two pounds of red raspberries per plant. I usually obtain about three pounds of black raspberries per plant. My blackberry plants yield five to seven pounds of fruit per plant. Mother Earth has published a chart of approximate yields per berry plant. According to their chart, raspberries yield one quart per plant. Strawberries yield 3/4 pint per plant. Blackberries produce 1 1/4 quarts per plant. Blueberries yield five to six pounds per plant. Source: Mother Earth News at http://www.motherearthnews.com/arc/5496/ Page 29 of 54 Pests & Predators Pesticides Stop! Don’t reach for the pesticides just yet. Think of the consequences first. Many insects are beneficial to your plants and shrubs. Beneficial insects eat harmful insects and their eggs. “Beneficials” are available for purchase through the Internet or in some garden centers. Do not use pesticides for at least one month before you release beneficial insects. Ladybugs feed on spider mites, aphids, mealy bugs and other insects. Lacewings feed on thrips, caterpillars, leafhoppers, mealy bugs, whiteflies, and scales. Chemicals disrupt the natural ecosystem. When you apply chemicals, you expose yourself and the landscape to toxic chemicals. You expose birds and other wildlife to dangerous chemicals. Virginia State University has a listing and images of beneficial insects: http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/entomology/ornamentals/beneficials.html These sites have beneficial insects available. The Beneficial Insect Company announces “It’s a bug eat bug out there.” http://www.thebeneficialinsectco.com/ Gardens Alive! http://www.gardensalive.com/category.asp?c=13 Arbico Organics http://www.arbico-organics.com/ Infestation Symptoms • • • • • • • Take steps to prevent insect damage to your plants. Take good care of your plants. Insects attack unhealthy plants. Watch for insect infestation. Remove infested plants. Remove insect eggs from the leaves of the plants. Dispose of the eggs. Cultivate the soil. Expose those pests and their eggs to the cold temperatures and to the birds and predators. Page 30 of 54 • • Clean up the garden at the end of the season. Do not give the larvae and nymphs a place to live. When You Need to Take More Action If you need extra help in ridding insects, try natural insecticides, diatomaceous earth (DE), insecticidal soaps, or Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Be cautious when using these chemicals. Use them sparingly. Integrated Pest Management has information and graphics about insects. This is a wonderful source on insects and how to remove them from the garden. Source: Integrated Pest Management http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/index.html Click these links for information on specific types of insects. • Aphids http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/fruits/insects/aphids/index.html • Eastern Flower Thrips http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/fruits/insects/eastern_flower_thrips/index.html • Leafrollers http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/fruits/insects/strawberry_leafroller/index.html • Mites http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/fruits/insects/strawberry_mites/index.html Spider mites are tiny, red, eight-legged mites. You will notice spider mites feeding on the undersides of leaves. Put your hand under the leaves and tap your hand upwards. The spider mites will fall into your hand. Look for cobwebs. If you see cobwebs, check for spider mites. Spider mites thrive in hot, dry, dusty conditions. Insects and predatory mites help control spider mites. Hose the spider mites from the plants using a strong stream of water. Do not reach for insecticides which will kill predatory mites and insects. Instead, use a slow-release or low nitrogen fertilizer. Mites thrive on high levels of nitrogen in the foliage. Visit Integrated Pest Management for more information about mites. http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/fruits/insects/strawberry_mites/index.html Page 31 of 54 • Slugs http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/fruits/insects/garden_slugs/index.html • Strawberry Sap Beetle http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/fruits/insects/strawberry_sap_beetle/index.html • Strawberry Crown Borer http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/fruits/insects/strawberry_crown_borer/index.html • White Grubs http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/fruits/insects/white_grubs/index.html • Strawberry Root Weevil http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/fruits/insects/strawberry_root_weevil/index.html • Tarnished Plant Bug http://www.ipm.uiuc.edu/fruits/insects/tarnished_plant_bug/index.html It is better to water your berry plants heavily but less frequently than to lightly shower every day. Heavy watering promotes the roots to grow deeper into the soil. The plant will adapt better to drought conditions if the roots grow deeper. If you only give the plants light showers, the roots will remain shallow and take water from the surface. Surface water evaporates quickly, leaving the plants no water. This is a real problem during drought conditions. Keep the leaves dry. Try to avoid spraying water on the leaves. Keep an eye on your plants. When they begin to droop, give them about one inch of water. It is time to water again when the soil feels dry to a depth of three to four inches below the surface. Water your plants in the morning. Never water them at night. If you water your plants at night, mildew may form on the plants. Do Not Give Your Plants Too Much… • Water (give one inch of water when soil is dry to a depth of three to four inches) • Fertilizer (apply according to package directions) • Pesticides (apply according to package directions) • Fungicides (apply according to package directions) Plants will rot if you over-water them. If you over-fertilize plants, you will damage the plants and invite infestation and disease into your garden. Page 32 of 54 Keep the Critters Out Ah, the wild life is so beautiful to observe. Birds and bees will help keep your gardens pollinated. Birds will eat many times their weight in insects. Critters can be a problem for your berry garden. They may bring in diseases and trample your young plants. They may eat more than you want to share with them. You can buy devices that make sounds to repel moles, mice, and gophers. You can use sonic devices to deter deer, skunks, and raccoons. Put up short fences to keep rabbits out. Rubber snakes from a toy store also keep rabbits away. Install an 8- to 10-foot-tall fence to keep deer out. Slant the fence at a 45-degree angle in the direction deer are most likely to come. Are the birds stealing too many berries? Build a tent with netting to keep the birds out. Uncover the berries to allow ripening. Scarecrows, flags, and noise makers keep birds away. Disease Protection Disease Symptoms Carefully check your garden and berry plants for disease symptoms. You don't want the diseases to attack your plants. Diseases attack unhealthy plants. Always remove diseased plants. Make sure you clean up the garden at the end of the season. Above all, do not give diseases a place to grow. Do not compost diseased materials. The diseases will find their way back into your berry garden. Fungal disease affects canes, leaves, and fruit. The berries may spot, grow abnormally small, and ripen unevenly. Discourage fungal disease by selecting fungal resistant varieties of berries. Gray, powdery fungal growth damages the fruit. It may attack the berry leaves, stems, flowers, and buds. Virus diseases stunt, crinkle, and mottle berry plants. Select plants that are resistant to viruses. Control aphids because they carry virus diseases to other plants. Avoid planting new plants next to old virus-infected plants. Page 33 of 54 Crop rotation is an important consideration when growing berries. Crop rotation means growing crops of a specific family of plants in different areas of the garden each year to avoid nutrient depletion and soil-borne diseases. Avoid planting berries in sites where disease may be a problem, such as places where tomatoes, asparagus, or potatoes have grown. Avoid planting strawberries in previously planted black raspberry, potato, tomato, eggplants, or pepper sites. Plants Thrive in Space Just Say No to Competition! • Give your plants space to grow. • Thin the plants. • Make sure there is good air circulation between the plants. • Do not force your plants to compete with weeds. • Give your plants healthy soil and nutrients. • Add organic matter to the soil. • Mulch the plants. Plants, like people and other living beings, need tender loving care. Your berry plants will reward you many times over if you take care of them. A little care goes a long way to assuring a healthy, hearty crop of the freshest berries you have ever tasted. Keep your berries healthy. You will be glad you did. Page 34 of 54 Berry Harvesting Berries. They have many virtues. Berries are wonderful, colorful pleasures. They are easy to prepare. Berries are mouth watering and delicious. You can serve them for dessert or eat them all by themselves. Berries are nutritious by themselves or in desserts and jams and jellies. Harvesting Cranberries Avoid picking wet fruit when it is wet. If you pick wet fruit, it will spoil quickly. Do not cool your berries with water. If you cool them with water, they will rot faster. Make sure that you pick your berries when they are a deep, rich color, dry and firm. Berries reach their peak of color and sugar development when they are firm and ready to pick. You will know that your berries are ripe when they pull easily from the plant. If you need to tug on the berry, give it a little longer to grow. It is not yet ripe. Cranberries do not ripen after picking. Wait for the cranberries to turn dark in color. Pick the berries in the early morning if possible. Promptly refrigerate the berries. Berries have a natural protective covering. Preserve the natural covering. Wash or rinse berries just before using, serving or processing. Sort berries carefully. Place berries loosely in a shallow container to allow air circulation and to prevent the berries on top from crushing those underneath. Harvest cranberries when they are plump, deep red in color, and quite firm to the touch. Store cranberries in the refrigerator. They will last for about two weeks in the refrigerator and one year in the freezer. Page 35 of 54 Cranberries Tannins — Mouth-Puckering Tartness Cranberries are too tart to eat without adding sugar. Cranberries contain tannins. This substance contributes to the tartness. Cranberries apparently help prevent urinary tract infections. Researchers believe the tannins help fight certain bacteria. Cranberries and a number of other berries also contain ellagic acid, a cancer-fighting phytochemical. Source: Whole Health MD.com http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/foods_view/1,1523,144,00.html Bright Red Cranberries Substitute dried cranberries for raisins or other dried fruits in compotes, cookies, and muffins. Source: Whole Health MD.com http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/foods_view/1,1523,144,00.html Harvesting Raspberries Raspberries should be deep red, black, yellow or purple. Raspberries should not be pink. Ripe raspberries are large, shiny, bright, attractive, firm, and uniform in color and ripeness. The red raspberry is the first to ripen, followed by black and then purple and yellow. Most raspberries ripen in July, some in September or October, and some in either season according to when they are pruned. Some varieties produce two crops a year and are called everbearing or fallbearing. Raspberries last only two to three days in the refrigerator. Page 36 of 54 Black Raspberries Show Multiple Defenses in Thwarting Cancer A Cup of Black Raspberries a Day Researchers in Columbus, Ohio, have discovered a cup of black raspberries a day may help keep esophageal cancer at bay. "Black raspberries are loaded with nutrients and phytochemicals that may prevent the development of cancer," said Gary Stoner, a study coauthor and a professor of public health and researcher at the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Ohio State University. Source: Ohio State Research News http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/canberry.htm Harvesting Strawberries Strawberries will last about seven days in the refrigerator but for best flavor, eat them within two days. • Begin harvesting strawberries two years after planting. • Pick berries when they are very red with no green showing at the tips. • Snip or pinch the stems. • Don’t ever take hold of the berries themselves or you will risk bruising them. Harvesting Blueberries Blueberries at harvesting time will be plump and firm with a dark blue, purple, or blue-black color and waxy, silvery “bloom.” • Be patient. Endure. • Don’t pick the blueberries that have just changed into that enticing shade of blue — those blushing babies need about a week more to truly develop. • Place a container beneath a bunch of berries. Rub your thumb over them, and the ripe berries will easily fall off. • You can pick from one cluster for up to about a month — blueberries ripen a few at a time. Page 37 of 54 Harvesting Blackberries Blackberries should be just about pitch-black. When blackberries ripen, they become dull-black in color. Blackberries should be solid. Look for plump, juicy fruitlets. Harvest blackberries as soon as they're fully ripe. • Use blackberries right away, for either eating, or you can preserve them, or they are delicious baked into pies, quick breads, or muffins. Every Berry is Unique Berries! By Any Other Name Would TASTE As Sweet. (Sorry, Shakespeare!) Whatever we call them, berries are fun for some, and a true passion for others. Perhaps it is said best by Mother Earth News: “One of the tastiest spots on your farm is the berry patch. “Of course, it won't have just berries in it. Strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, their names notwithstanding, aren't berries at all in the botanical sense. “Grapes and currants, on the other hand, are just to balance things out, some with ‘berries’ as part of their names really are berries — blueberries, cranberries, and gooseberries, for instance.” (Mother Earth News). At this point in the discussion, it’s easy to see that every berry is distinct and unique, with growing sequences and seasons all unto their own — and zesty flavors that belong to ONLY each one. Growing your own berries simply adds to the zest of the entire Berry Picture! A Bit Of Cranberry Wisdom Wash cranberries in a container filled with water. The unripe berries and leaves will float to the surface. Do not soak the berries. Page 38 of 54 Indians "Brot" Cranberries To Early Settlers This account, dated April 26, 1680, is one of the earliest written references to cranberries in New Jersey. Mahon Stacy wrote a letter to his brother in England. It read in part: We have from the time called May until Michaelmas a great store of very good wild fruits as strawberries, cranberries, and hurtleberries. The cranberries, much like cherries for color and bigness, may be kept until fruit comes in again. An excellent sauce is made of them for venison, turkeys and other great fowl and they are better to make tarts than either gooseberries or cherries. We have them brot to our homes by the Indians in great plenty. Source: Burlington County Library, Cranberries in New Jersey http://www.burlco.lib.nj.us/pinelands/cranber.htm A Bit of Cranberry Healing Power Berries Contain Phytochemicals and Antioxidants Color and Power of Berries Compared to other fruit sources, berries offer the highest content of antioxidants and phytochemicals for fighting disease. Antioxidants and photochemicals promote health and / or prevent chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Page 39 of 54 Bodacious Berry Recipes bo·da·cious also bow·da·cious (b_-d_'sh_s) Remarkable, Prodigious, Audacious, Gutsy Ah, the treat of eating berries — one of summer's most luscious pleasures! For your cooking and baking pleasure, keep these things in mind… Wash berries gently in cold water immediately before serving them. Lift the berries out of the water and let them drain. Never soak berries in water. Remove berries which are too soft or decayed. Never forget to sit and dream a while. Savor. Relax. Things are berryific! Select A Berry Recipe Driscoll’s Berry Recipes Are you looking for a new berry recipe? Try the all-occasion recipe favorites at Driscoll’s. Select a berry or a meal. Enjoy a featured recipe. Driscoll’s has recipes for strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and mixed berries. Search for a sugar free or fat free recipe. Driscoll’s has recipes for appetizers, entrées, desserts, beverages, and salads. Source: Driscoll’s http://www.driscolls.com/ Cranberries Cook cranberries with a small amount of liquid. Frozen juice, such as apple juice, helps sweeten the berries. Cranberries are too bitter to be eaten without sweetening. Cook the berries until they pop. Page 40 of 54 What is a Cranberry? Bright Red Berry — Wild Shrub or Trailing Vine? A cranberry is a bright red, very tart berry. It grows in the wild. You can grow it in a sandy bog. Cranberries have the ability to help prevent and treat urinary tract infections. Studies suggest the cranberry may promote gastrointestinal and oral health, prevent the formation of kidney stones, lower LDL and raise HDL (good) cholesterol, aid in recovery from stroke, and even prevent cancer. Source: The World's Healthiest Foods: Feeling Great http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=145 Maine Cranberry Growers Association Visit the Maine Cranberry Growers Association for unique and delicious cranberry recipes. How about Cranberry Cheesecake or Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies? Source: Maine Cranberry Growers Association http://iluv2paint.iwarp.com/mcga/recipes.htm Berry Cookie Tacos These crisp little shells may be made into sweet tacos or chalupas… Source: Berry Cookie Tacos — Festival Foods http://www.greatstuffatfest.com/recipeShow.cfm?recipe_id=49237 Sustainable Peace and Harmony – And Cranberry Bogs “It is good for people to eat food that is grown without chemicals but it is even better for the surrounding plant and animal life. Birds, frogs, crayfish, and many amazing insects thrive on our bog.” Source: About Our Farm — Cranberry recipes http://www.organiccranberries.com/recipes.html Page 41 of 54 Berries Recipes at Recipezarr Start a Personal Cookbook of Your Favorite Recipes The Recipezarr has some of the most amazing recipes. Try “Goldilocks and the Three Berries,” nuts and berries, “Strawberry Divine,” berry pies, and “Zinfandel Cranberry Relish.” Be daring! Try “Raspberry Cranberry Shortbread” or “Chocolate Covered Raspberry Truffles.” The “Fresh Blueberry Cobbler” is out of this world delicious! Source: Recipezarr http://www.recipezaar.com/r/350 Berry Good for You Berries are rich in important nutrients that our bodies need in order to stay healthy. Try exchanging some things to add variety as well as keeping the necessary daily nutrients. A cup of strawberries contains over 100 mg of vitamin C, almost as much as a cup of orange juice. We need vitamin C for a healthy immune system and for strong connective tissue to keep away the wrinkles. Strawberries also add a bit of calcium, magnesium, folic acid, and potassium and only 53 calories. (2005 About, Inc.) Page 42 of 54 Berry Nutrient A Healthy Source Berries are fat-free, sodium-free, cholesterol-free, and low in calories. Berries are strong sources of vitamin C, dietary fiber, folic acid, and phytochemicals (or phyto-nutrients as they are sometimes called). Source: Driscoll’s http://www.driscolls.com/ Berry Good Bakery Idea! Nuts & Grains Meet Berry Flavor! Think of the possibilities! Combine your berries with the other healthy grain and nut items in your diet. Berries are great in whole grain muffins or breads. Simply add them as baking ingredients. Savor the smell of your berry-filled house, as much as the warm baked goods straight from your oven. Because they are high in sugar, jams and jellies may not be the way to go, but berries preserved without sugar could be used instead — just spread on your bread and enjoy! Blueberries Ranked #1 in Antioxidant Activity Good Advice from Researchers! Scientists at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston ranked blueberries number one in antioxidant activity compared with 40 other commercially available fruits and vegetables as measured using ORAC units. Source: Wyman’s http://www.wymans.com/Health/antioxidants.htm Page 43 of 54 Very Berry Events Berry Events You Don’t Want To Miss! Go West, Young Cranberry Cranberry Bogs and a Cranberry Court Where do cranberries grow? Did you say only in the East? That’s not necessarily so! Sure, you will see them growing in cranberry bogs in New England, New Jersey, and Delaware. Go West, my friend, and you will find them growing in Brandon, Oregon — home to cranberry bogs and a cranberry court. Cranberries thrive in Oregon’s sandy soil and mild climate. Oregon ranks 4th among the states in cranberry production and top among Western states. Washington state ranks third. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1216/is_3_205/ai_64702587 Alabama Blueberry Festival Join the festivities in June. Free admission. Campus of Jefferson Davis Community College. Join the festivities with original arts and crafts, live entertainment, children’s games, blueberries, blueberry bushes, cookbooks and lots of blueberry foods. http://www.800alabama.com/events/details.cfm?id=547 Bear Lake Valley — Raspberry Days Treat yourself to a famous Bear Lake raspberry shake all summer long! This festival is usually held annually the first Thursday through Saturday in August in Bear Lake, Idaho. http://www.bearlake.org/raspdays.html Berry Festival in Kentucky The annual downtown Berry Festival features a baby show, live music, children's games, food, and craft booths. http://www.kyfestivals.com/ Page 44 of 54 Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Blueberry Festival Late July brings great food, old-fashioned entertainment, colonial demonstrations, crafts, tours, children's activities, and baby farm animals along with educational and entertaining for all ages. http://www.historicbethlehem.org/calendar.jsp California Strawberry Festival The California Strawberry Festival brings friends and families together each year the third weekend in May. The gathering ranks among the nation’s top outdoor festivals. http://www.strawberry-fest.org/information/information-festival_facts.html Cedarburg, Wisconsin’s Strawberry Festival Strawberries mean summer in Wisconsin. Join in the celebration of this area's most luscious fruit of the season during Historic Cedarburg's Strawberry Festival, in late June. http://www.cedarburgfestivals.org/Strawberry.html Chatsworth, New Jersey Cranberry Festival Join the festivities at the Chatsworth Cranberry Festival in mid October. The Cranberry Festival is a celebration of New Jersey's cranberry harvest, the 3rd largest in the United States, and offers a tribute to the Pine Barrens & Culture. http://www.cranfest.org/festival.html Great Country Farms Strawberry Jubilee This is the largest Strawberry Festival in Loudoun County, Virginia. Welcome spring with strawberry packed weekends. Do some picking at peak strawberry time! http://www.greatcountryfarms.com/base.cgim?template=special_events#Great_Co untry_Farms_Strawberry_Jubilee Greater Hammonton Chamber of Commerce Red, White, and Blueberry Festival in New Jersey Enjoy blueberry specialties, great food, blueberry pie, eating contests, Cruisin’ Classics Antique Car Show, and Arts & Crafts. http://hammontonnj.us/ Lake George, Minnesota Blueberry Festival Look for this festival in late July. Visit the Pine Country Café and the Beer Wagon. Stop in to the Flea Market Arts and Crafts Sale. http://www.exploreminnesota.com/listing/index.cfm?id=7995 Marshall County Blueberry Festival On the Labor Day Weekend in September at Centennial Park, a quiet wooded area in Plymouth, Indiana, will come alive with the many activities of the annual Marshall County Blueberry Festival. http://www.blueberryfestival.org/ Page 45 of 54 National Blueberry Festival in South Haven, Michigan Ah, August at the National Blueberry Festival. What more could you want? http://www.blueberryfestival.com/ North Carolina Blueberry Festival Pender County hosts the North Carolina Blueberry Festival in late June in historic downtown Burgaw, North Carolina. http://www.visitpender.com/content/blueberry.htm Paradise, Michigan Annual Wild Blueberry Festival During the third week in August of every year, the town of Paradise puts on its "Blue Clothes" and invites everyone to the Annual Wild Blueberry Festival. The Arts and Crafts Fair and wild blueberry celebration is always a fun-filled weekend. http://www.exploringthenorth.com/blue/berry.html Texas Blueberry Festival, Nacogdoches, Texas The festival is held annually on the second weekend of June in historic downtown Nacogdoches. The festival is the only state sanctioned blueberry festival in Texas, making it unique and extremely popular. http://www.visitnacogdoches.org/BB_about%20festival.htm Union Fair Blueberry Festival, Union, Maine Join the fun during the last week of August. Visit the Wild Blueberry Corner Exhibition Hall and the Wild Blueberry Hut. http://www.union-fair.com/Blueberry.cfm Warrens Cranberry Festival, Warrens, Wisconsin Enjoy this festival in late September. http://www.cranfest.com/ Page 46 of 54 Glossary Acidity — Having a pH of less than 7; quality of being sour; degree of sourness. Alkalinity — Having a pH greater than 7. Bare root — A plant that is sold or shipped dormant with no soil surrounding its roots. Berry — A small, juicy, fleshy and stoneless fruit that contains seeds. Some berries include strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and cranberries. Blueberry — A plant bearing blueberries. Blueberries are sweet, edible dark blue berries of either low-growing or high-growing blueberry plants. These small and pulpy edible fruits are used as desserts or in making jams, jellies, and preserves. Branch — A part of the shrub that grows from the stem of the plant or from another branch of a plant. Bud — A small, developing part of a plant that will grow into a flower, a new leaf or a stem. Cane — The stem of a blackberry or raspberry or similar plants. Chlorophyll — Green pigments in plants that facilitate photosynthesis. Crop rotation — Growing crops of a specific family in different areas of the garden each year to avoid nutrient depletion and soil-borne diseases. Crown — The part of a plant, usually at ground level, where the stem meets the roots of the plant. Cultivation — Preparation of the soil for growing plants. Day-neutral strawberry plants — These plants produce a full crop the first season they are planted and produce a steady supply of fruit all summer. Fruiting continues until frost stops the fruiting. These plants yield much more fruit than everbearers and the fruit size and quality are better. These plants produce just a few runners. Dieback — A disease of plants characterized by the gradual dying of the young shoots starting at the tips and progressing to the larger branches. Disease resistance — The tendency not to be infected by a particular pathogen. Page 47 of 54 Disease tolerance — The ability of a plant to continue growing without severe symptoms despite being infected by a pathogen. Dormancy — A period in which a plant has no active growth. Plants go dormant in response to cold seasons, droughts, and other harsh environmental conditions. The plant rests and ceases growth or development during dormancy. Drought — A prolonged period of dryness that can cause damage to plants. Ecosystem — A system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment Establishment year — This is the year that the plants are planted. Everbearing strawberry plants — These plants produce three periods of flowers and fruit during the spring, summer, and fall. These plants do not produce many runners. Family — A family of plants contains a group of plants with similar qualities. Fertilization — The application of nutrients for plant growth. Foliage — The leaves of plants. Frost pocket — A depression in the terrain into which cold air drains, but cannot escape. Fruit — The part of a flowering plant that contains the seeds. Examples of fruits include berries, oranges, apples, oranges, watermelon, and lemon. Fungus — Organisms that obtain energy by breaking down dead organic material and that produce spores. Some fungi include mold, mildew, yeast, penicillin, and mushrooms. Graft — A shoot or bud that has been joined to another plant. Growing zone — See Zone. Grub — Short, fat, worm-like larva, especially of beetles. Hardiness — The ability to withstand harsh environmental conditions such as frost, drought and cold climates. Herbicide — A chemical used to destroy or inhibit the growth of plants, especially weeds. Horticulture — Science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants. Page 48 of 54 Host — The plant or animal on which or in which another organism lives. Parasites use hosts for food and/or shelter. Parasites do nothing for the host and can make the host weak or kill it. Humus — Brown or black organic portion of the soil composed of partially or wholly decayed vegetable or animal matter. Humus provides nutrients for plants and increases ability of soil to retain water. Insects — Small animals characterized by three pairs of legs (six) and a body segmented into head, thorax and abdomen and usually having two pairs of wings. Common insects include bees, beetles, flies, crickets, and mosquitoes. June-bearing strawberry plants — These plants produce a full crop during the season after planting. These plants produce a crop during a two to three week period in the spring. June-bearers produce flowers, fruits, and runners. They are classified into early, mid-season, and late varieties. Larva — The immature, wingless, and often wormlike feeding form that hatches from the egg of many insects, alters chiefly in size while passing through several molts, and is finally transformed into a pupa or chrysalis from which the adult emerges. Leaf — A green, flattened outgrowth of a plant that grows from a node in the stem. Their main function is to make food energy from photosynthesis. Leaflet — A small leaf or leaflike part. Maintenance — The work of keeping something in proper condition; upkeep. Mature height — The distance from the ground to the top of the plant. Mature height will vary with zone, location, shade, sun, exposure, soil weed competition, plant competition, and wet and dry growing conditions. Mid-season — The middle of the growing season for a particular growing zone. Mildew — Any of various fungi that form a superficial, usually whitish growth on plants and various organic materials. Mildew is a parasitic fungus that grows on a host plant. Mineral — An inorganic element, such as calcium, iron, potassium, sodium, or zinc, that is essential to the nutrition of humans, animals, and plants. Mold — A type of fungus (and not a plant) that lives off the food produced by plants or animals, or decaying matter. Molds reproduce with spores. Organic — Of plant or animal origin. Page 49 of 54 Parasite — An animal or plant that lives in or on a host (another animal or plant) for food and/or shelter. Parasites often weaken or kill plants. Peat — A type of soil that is composed of incompletely decomposed plant material. Peat is used as fertilizer for plants. Perennial — A plant that grows and produces flowers and/or fruit for three seasons or more. Plants will die back. pH — A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of soil. Neutral soil has a 7 pH. A higher pH indicates more alkalinity and a lower pH indicates more acidity. Photosynthesis — The process in green plants and certain other organisms by which carbohydrates are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water using light as an energy source. Most forms of photosynthesis release oxygen as a byproduct. Pinch — Breaking off the terminal growing point of a plant to urge buds to grow. Plant — A living organism that undergoes photosynthesis. Plant also means to place or set seeds or plants into the ground to grow. Primary root — The first root of a plant to develop in the germinating seed. Primary growth — Plant growth that occurs at tips of the stem or tip of the roots. Prune — To cut back plants for better shape, disease control or improved fruiting. Raised bed — A gardening area where the soil has been elevated above ground level. This gardening technique is especially used where soil drainage is poor. Raspberry — Woody brambles bearing usually red but sometimes black or yellow fruits. Raspberries are rounder and smaller than blackberries Root — The underground portion of a plant that lacks buds, leaves or nodes and serves as support for the plant. Roots draw minerals and water from the soil and store energy. Runners — A slender creeping stem that puts forth roots from nodes spaced at intervals along its length. A plant, such as the strawberry, having such a stem. Secondary growth — Plant growth that does not occur at the tips of the stems or the tip of the roots. Set out — To plant a plant. Shoot — The young growth or new growth on a plant. It can be a bud, young leaf or other new growth on a plant. Page 50 of 54 Shoot sucker — A secondary shoot produced from the base or roots of a woody plant that gives rise to a new plant. Soil — The top layer of the earth's surface, consisting of minerals, organic materials, and living organisms. Plants grow in soil. Spacing — An area provided for a plant to grow. Spacing refers to how far apart your need to plant the plants in order for them to have their own growing room. Sprout — A shoot (new growth on a plant) or a very young plant Stake — Piece of pointed wood or metal, driven into the ground to support a plant. Strawberry — Sweet, fleshy, red fruit. The strawberry plant has many runners and bears white flowers followed by edible fruits. Stem — The main trunk of a plant. It develops buds and shoots. Sucker root — A root that emerges from the ground and sends up a shoot, which supports the plant. Tap root — The main root of the plant; the tap root extends straight down under the plant with very little side branches. Traditional everbearing fruit types — Fruit the first two weeks of the growing season for a particular zone (May to July depending on zone). They produce a small amount of fruit again in late August. Topsoil — Uppermost layer of soil, usually darker and richer than the subsoil. Toxicity — Intensity of a poison. Vine — Weak-stemmed plant that derives support from climbing, twining or creeping along a surface. Zone — United States Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) division of country into areas with the same climate. Most plants come with recommendations for the zone they will grow in. Some plants are hardier than others and will tolerate frost pockets and exposure to weather elements of cold and heat. Page 51 of 54 References About.com. (2005). Nutritional Benefits of Eating Berries. Retrieved February 7, 2005, from: http://nutrition.about.com/od/healthyfood1/a/berries.htm GardenGuides.com. (2005). Strawberries: Choosing Strawberry Cultivars. Retrieved February 19, 2005, from: http://www.gardenguides.com/TipsandTechniques/strawberries.htm Gao, Gary. Growing Blueberries in the Home Garden. Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet HYG-1421-98. Retrieved February 6, 2005, from: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1422.html Gao, Gary. Raspberries for the Backyard Fruit Planting. Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet HYG-1421-98. Retrieved February 7, 2005, from: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1421.html Gao, Gary. Strawberries are an Excellent Fruit for the Home Garden. Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet HYG-1424-98. Retrieved February 7, 2005, from: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1424.html Henderson, Bonnie. (September 2000). Go West, Young Cranberry — Tourism In Bandon, Oregon. Retrieved February 3, 2005, from: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1216/is_3_205/ai_64702587 How to Grow Sweet, Delicious Strawberries. The Garden Helper. Retrieved February 7, 2005, from: http://www.thegardenhelper.com/strawberries.html Mother Earth News.com. Berries. Retrieved February 7, 2005, from: http://www.motherearthnews.com/arc/5027/ Peaceful Valley Farm Supply, Inc. (2005). Growing Berries & Currants: Planting Raspberries and Blackberries. Retrieved February 17, 2005, from: http://www.groworganic.com/d/d3_99.html Resinger, Monica. (2005) Growing Raspberries and Jam Making. At website: Creative Homemaking. Dedicated to your homemaking needs. Retrieved February 19, 2005, from: http://www.creativehomemaking.com/articles/062300b.shtml Page 52 of 54 Riotte, Louise. (1993, 2005). The Complete Guide to Growing Berries and Grapes. At website: Amazon.com. Retrieved February 19, 2005, at: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/087833825X/104-96741197327160 The Helpful Gardener. (2005). Brighten Up Your Winter Garden With Colorful Berries. Retrieved February 19, 2005, from: http://www.helpfulgardener.com/tips/03/berries.html Page 53 of 54 About the Author My name is Barbara Grant, and I am a Master Gardener living in Canfield, Ohio. I have had a lifelong hobby of growing sweet, delicious berries. I wait in anticipation for the growing season to begin here in the early spring. Gardening is a pleasure for me. I love walking through my gardens with the sweet aromas drifting off my plants. My gardens help me reminisce of the days I spent in my grandmother's gardens. The flower and fruit plants in her garden were stupendous. I remember to this day reaching up and picking oh so perfect berries. The aromas of each juicy bite in those sun-drenched gardens will always be with me. I wrote this book from years and years of experience working the fields and gardens creating extraordinary berries of all types. I wanted to share my love of berries with you, and the 'secrets' that have taken me a lifetime to learn. In addition, I got much of the research materials from the Internet. The Internet has many interesting sites for you to visit and learn more about gardening and growing plants of all kinds. Enjoy your reading. I hope you receive much enjoyment from reading this book and working in your gardens. Page 54 of 54
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