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Berry Class

A. Bramblesraspberries and blackberries1. Location

a. Full sun exposureb. Protection from strong windsc. Allow for some air movement around plants

2. Soil Preparationa. Well drained, organic soilsb. Use organic matter in clay soils or raised beds for better drainage

3. Purchase plants in spring from a reputable nurserya. Verified virus-freeb. Usually sold bare root

4. Spacinga. Plant 2-3 feet apartsuckers will fill in the rowsb. Rows should be about 18 widec. Leave room between rows to cultivate and pick

5. Trellising most brambles need to be trell ised6. Pruning

a. June-bearing raspberries1. Most varieties should not be topped2. When new growth begins remove all dead wood3. No more than seven large canes for every foot of row4. F

ru

it produ

ction is on second year canesb. Ever-bearing raspberries

1. For fruit summer and fall, use pruning techniques for June-bearing berries2. For a heavy crop in the fall, prune all canes down to 2-4, in early spring

c. Blackberriessimilar to June-bearing raspberries1. Should be topped at 2-4 to promote branching and excessive cane growth2. Remove older, large canes every spring to encourage new growth3. Can be pruned to ground every other year

7. Fertilizationa. Nitrogen is the most critical nutrient needed for healthy plants

1. 30 lbs. nitrogen per acre which is equivalent to approx. 1 cup of ammoniumsulfate per 10 feet of row

b. All purpose fertilizer can be applied every 3-5 years, depending on need8. Irrigation

a. Water 1-1.5 of moisture per week; increase to 2-2.5 per week when fruitingb. Apply water as infrequently as possible, depending on soil type

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