Berries

My elderberries are doing excellent this year-I hate dealing with them to process, so some years I just try to foist them off on a lady in town who likes to make elderberry syrup out of them:


I have 5 Black Currant bushes that are becoming quite productive, it's just too bad black currants taste like sour socks:


Here is another weird fruit I planted a few years back, these are Russian Quinces, or my one and only quince lol:


I planted a dozen blackberries, last year, forgot the name but it was the latest from the University of Kentucky program-All of the 1st year canes died except for one plant, which is currently setting fruit-but all of them came back from the roots and I'm hoping they will be more robust this winter since they've been growing since spring. Anyone know how to protect blackberry canes in the winter? This place is zone 6, but we did have a few -10 nights that might have done it. This was also the first year I got mulberries and nanking cherries as well. I preordered a Peach tree and a Medlar tree from Raintree for next spring-I've gotten some beautiful specimens from them, so I don't really mind the price. Fruit trees/bushes are really an investment into your land/house and health. #LoveWhatYouGrow @VIVOSUN Official

The funny thing is, those blackberries I planted are flowering and starting to form berries now, even though they are supposed to fruit on 2nd year cane only. These berries are from the University of Arkansas breeding program which is legendary for it's blackberries, this is the latest cultivar they've released called Ponca. They even have a promotional video lol



They are small, but hopefully they will be stronger this winter. I've heard that blackberry canes get stronger and thicker each year, so they are more cold hardy as they age. These got down to about -7 for a couple of days in zone 5a last winter. I'm going to go and buy a bale of barley straw this week and mulch them.

Great day to pick some blueberries - very plentiful this year. Some bushes are over six feet tall.

Berries if it wasn't for Bad luck I'd have none at all.

Thought thicker Strawberries I would have more. Wrong! So I dug up some tilled the area and replanted. They didn't make it.

My Blackberrys were doing good. I was blowing Leaves. Thought just blow them up around my Blackberrys for mulch. Killed every one. Replanted but drought and Heat have killed them.

Blueberries have been fighting Birds, put net over them and got some. Been watering but Drought and Heat has done a number on them.

My main huckleberry picking grounds is at the pond, and the water is so high I couldn't get to the bushes. (hurricane damage keeps me from coming through the woods side) All the planted blueberries are done for the season, but there may be a few of the wild ones left. Again they are mostly at the pond, and getting to them involves wading or a chainsaw.

My thornless blackberry plants produced plenty this year. The Japanese beetles are a nuisance here. I tore out my 6 sea buckthorn plants as the beetles would completely defoliate them.

There is a wild thorned blackberry patch nearby. It's berries are sweeter than mine.

Yelp I put out traps for Japanese Beetles. Fixed it where they would drop in a 5 gallon bucket with some Soapy Water.

Ozumoz66 said:

My thornless blackberry plants produced plenty this year. The Japanese beetles are a nuisance here. I tore out my 6 sea buckthorn plants as the beetles would completely defoliate them.

There is a wild thorned blackberry patch nearby. It's berries are sweeter than mine.

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Those things look like they're breeding and eating at the same time.

A friend grows these. They produce berries twice a year and he claims they're very tasty.

Almost that time again...

I almost killed mine.

weedstoner420 said:

Almost that time again...View attachment 5292580

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A good looking bunch.

We've got just a few blueberries starting to ripen. But the late cold got most of them. Even worse for the huckleberries.

We are dealing with Drought.

Stupid thing is we get enough rain to make everything moist which the Gnats like.

My Sister said she sprays her yard twice a year with Oil, Soap and Peppermint Oil.

Currently picking red and black raspberries. Blackberries just starting to fruit

I get about a quart of blueberries every day or so. Wild blackberries are everywhere around here. Plum’s are coming off now.

For Wild Blueberries it's a fight everyday with Deer and Turkeys.

Blackberries have so many Chiggers.

I have to redo my tame Blueberries plus drought has really hurt them.

Blackberries believe it or not I killed them putting leaves on them for mulch. But going to have many more next year.

Bareback said:

I get about a quart of blueberries every day or so. Wild blackberries are everywhere around here. Plum’s are coming off now.

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I'm still getting four or five a day here at the sandhill.


But I did make it over to the patch at the old house two nights ago. Only one bush really had berries, but I was able to pick a sandwich bag full. I'll stop by again tonight on my midnight ramble. More should be ripe.

Ate my first wineberries of the year today. They're invasive and everywhere around here, yummmmm

ChefKimbo said:

After a good pruning this winter my mulberry tree blesses me with abundance. View attachment 4125825 View attachment 4125827 View attachment 4125826
A Mulberry Vinaigrette is in order.

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Is that a dwarf or a regular Mulberry tree? They can get as old as 300 years. I have been trying to find a non dwarf tree at a nursery with no luck.
I have grapes, a dwarf tree, blueberries, blue plums, apples and black raspberries.