Gab returned triumphantly about a week ago with berry plants purchased from the local BJ's. I swallowed my irritation at the fact that we were about 2 months away from the "no frost threat" date, and thought the best approach was to build some protection.
So, some scrap wood and a housepaint dropcloth later, I had an improvised greenhouse. (Phase 1 of construction can be seen at the top. It ain't pretty.) The weather has been unseasonably gorgeous so far, so it hasn't been put to the test, but the temperatures will be returning to more March-like weather this week, so we'll see if it works.
Planted, east to west, south to north (right to left, top to bottom in the photo):
- Row: Latham raspberry, Logan raspberry (i.e. Loganberry), Arapaho thornless blackberry
- Row: old raspberries
- 2 Rows of: One Blue Crop blueberry, plus remaining "Early glow" strawberries
All from "Living Home Garden" brand.
Some documentation:
The Latham Raspberry, from
here:
The Latham Raspberry, 'Rubus 'Latham', is a popular red raspberry that produces large crops of big juicy berries. It makes a delicious jam or a dessert as well as for fresh eating. A sure cropper for home use, this variety starts ripening in July and continues to ripen over a long period of time. Latham is a hardy, older cultivar bearing somewhat crumbly fruits in fall and is suitable for intermountain regions. This raspberry has become a standard in early-bearing garden and pick-your-own operations.
The berries are versatile and can be used as fresh fruit, in preserves, or in pies and pastries. Raspberries may be grown successfully at an elevation as high as 7,000 feet. They do best in full sun on non-alkaline, fertile loam soil. However, they may be grown in partial shade or under other environmental constraints. Natural protection against strong winter winds are provided in some valleys, but in other areas it is necessary to provide artificial protection during winter months. Although a well-drained soil is essential for success, a sandy soil will need to have plenty of organic matter incorporated in preparation. Raspberries need a plentiful supply of moisture throughout the growing season. Raspberries take little space and live for years. Birds also love the fruit, so you may have to share the harvest.
The loganberry from
here:
Growing
Loganberry plants are sturdy and more disease- and frost-resistant than many other berries. However, they are not very popular with commercial growers due to several problems which increase labour costs. The plants tend to be thorny and the berries are often hidden by the leaves. Additionally, berries of varying maturity may grow on a single plant, making it difficult to completely harvest one. They are therefore usually kept in domestic gardens.
The loganberry bush is usually about 10 canes large. The canes are not as upright as its raspberry parent and tend to vine more like its blackberry parent. It can be undisciplined in its growth and the cane (vine) can grow 5 or more feet in a year. Some gardeners train the canes fanwise along a wall or a wire frame. Old canes die after their second year and should be cut away as they can bring disease, and hinder harvesting. If it is not correctly pruned, it can produce blackberry 'sports'.
This photograph shows loganberries in blossom above others in fruit. The fruit starts green (as shown on the left), then red (as shown above) and finally a deep purple.
Harvest
The loganberry fruits earlier than its blackberry parent. As it has fruit in different stages, from blossom to mature fruit, it produces fruit for approximately 2 months. This is generally between July and September (November-January in the southern hemiphere) depending on which zone you are in. Plants continue to fruit for around 15 years. They can self-propagate. Each bush can produce 7 kg to 8 kg per bush, where each bush has about ten canes.
The berries are generally harvested when they are a deep purple color, rather than the red shown in the illustration above.
The blueberry from
here:
(MID SEASON) Blue Crop – The fruits are medium to large in size. Blue Crop is well known in the industry for its resistance to adverse weather conditions and consistent yields. Blue Crop adapts well to many kinds of soil types. It has been the main cultivar for commercial and u-pick growers. The flavor is mildly sweet with some acidity. Grown successfully in zones 4-8.
Also note from
here:
Blue Crop Blueberry: A mid season bearer, consistent producer, disease resistant and high quality. Very large berries, good flavor, best when fresh, freezes well.
Grows to be 4-6' tall.
Also note that two or more plants are required for propere pollination and production of fruit.
The blackberry from
here:
The Arapaho Blackberry Plant is a self-supporting blackberry plant that ripens earlier than any other thorn-less variety, in the last of May. The large berry of the Arapaho Blackberry Plant is a colorful berry with reds and blacks. The berry of the Arapaho Blackberry is tasty and firm.
The strong canes of the thornless Arapaho Blackberry plants are vigorous and the rhizomes spread rapidly underground to increase the yields for commercial blackberry production.
