Berries & Vines

Most berries grow in tight compact clusters and tend to be easier to grow and harvest than fruit trees. Berries are best homegrown since they are rapidly perishable and the flavor is quickly lost on a supermarket shelf. They can be harvested at their peak ripeness as the tender fruit drips with succulent sweet flavor in your home garden. They typically begin fruiting in one to two years of planting. Blackberries and Raspberries can be
planted in almost any sort of well-drained soil. Start by digging a large hole big enough to encompass all of the roots of the plant without bending or circling. Raspberries should be planted in the spring. They are usually spaced 2-3 feet in the row with 8-10 feet between the rows. Plant raspberries about one inch deeper than the plant grew in the nursery. The plant, as purchased from the nursery, may be cut back to a few inches as most of the growth will arise from the roots or from the base of the planted cane. Any white sprouts arising from the crown should be covered with soil to prevent burning by the sun.