I grow a lot of fruit and I am starting to grow a lot of nuts.

I have lots of wild black raspberries on my farm and some not very good blackberries. I only have 1 red and 1 yellow, domestic raspberry bush.

I am planning on planting a lot of raspberry and some domestic blackberry bushes this Spring. What varieties do you like best?

I am looking at purchasing plants from Indiana Berry or Nourse Farms. Do any of you have any experience with them? Is there a better company to purchase from?

Are any of the odder varieties of berries any good? What about aronia, nanking bush cherries, goji berries and honeyberries?

Thanks for the input.

Keith

When you cut back the raspberries and blackberrys each year stick the cutting in your soil. You'll be surprised how many take.

Thanks. I'll pot up some cuttings from my 2 domestic bushes. What length cutting work best?

I have been cloning a lot of plants that way, including lots of elderberry and grapes.

Keith

Keith, the one thing to keep in mind is that brambles tend to get viruses so I recommend getting virus free stock to start with. One fall raspberry that I like a lot for its fantastic quality is 'Jaclyn'. It is also one of the earliest, has large size and is very productive. I know that Gurneys carries it.

There are also some primocane bearing blackberries now available. I'm not fond of the flavor of the newer blackberry selections, but lots of people do like them.

Just remember to give the blackberries and raspberries plenty of space between them or you'll kill your raspberries.

I tried to grow Gogi berries but didn't have much luck. They are native to areas of fairly sweet soils so you would have to lime heavily to be successful. You may want to play with lingonberries as they have some pretty productive varieties these days and produce wonderful preserves. Lingonberry jam on your waffles is a true treat.

Cuttings can vary but if they are on the longer side the ends tend to die. 12 to 18 inches take pretty good. I've had them root on hillsides and in pots very well. Doesn't take much effort so why not.

On those cuttings try to root the lower part of the cutting because the outer buds will be fruiting buds rather than vegetative, which is what you want.

Careful with blackberries. Most varieties are very invasive, even if they claim to be mildly invasive. They’ll mess up an area and are difficult to kill. Give them their own place and don’t let them get outta hand.

Best to wait till spring and dig the new shoots coming up and transplant them with raspberries. The old stalks can carry disease that would normally be held in check by pruning them back yearly.

Good luck with your berries.

I don't why anyone would plant blackberries unless its for making brandy. Black raspberries are a different story! Sorry I don't know what varieties are best, never met one I didn't like if they get enough water.

Are you looking for June or summer bearing plants or fall bearing plants for your raspberries. There are quite different management concerns between the two. The summer bearing like Latham etc. need to be caned(all the older fruit bearing canes)every summer and the new growth left for the next year. The fall berries you can just bush hog down the whole patch after harvest. As to which ones are more or less disease resistant I don't know. I have Lathams at home and am starting a patch of fall bearing at my son's. If you are interested in commercial sales then taste, texture and yield are issues you want to factor in as well. You will also want to develop a plan to control the outward growth of the rhizomes as they spread all over. In your rows that is great, spreading across your garden etc. not so good.

Bryce

I have always put to tip of a cane it a pot of dirt and they sprout quickly. After they sprout just cut the sprout from the cane and you have a potted plant. You can just cover the tip with dirt but then you have to dig it up to move it. Mike

Yes ive done this many times too. JUst have to buy one plant and spread from there

We grow black raspberries and we love them, do well in poor soil , and produce well.

Absolutely!!!

I live in a different zone than you (3-4) so I'm not sure how well things will grow there but I've tried lots of nuts, fruits, and berries. Limited success with any because too cold in winter and blossom timing. But I've had great success with rankings. I like them for fresh eating and they make great jelly/jam. Supposedly also make great wine. The ones I plant are the sticks that you can buy from local soil conservation. Short lived bush but nice and can reach most cherries from the ground. Recommend to anyone and everyone.

Goji berry or wolfberry is an acquired taste. Had limited success with a few vines so not sure what works with them but super good for you. I think they are best dried.

Have had good success with aronia. Same sticks from soil conservation. Acquired taste. My friend makes them into like dried fruit rolls and they are good.also very good for you.

Honeyberrys and haskaps do well for me if I buy them as started plants from local nursery. 0% success from catalogs or online purchases. I like them fresh. Make good jelly/jam. But I like them the best baked in cake or muffins like blueberry. They are smaller bushes and everything that can get to them eats them. Birds, rabbits, deer. Need to buy different varieties for pollination.

Currants are good and easy to grow. I like fresh and in jelly.

Sand cherry are east to grow. I do not like fresh. Blend with other cherry in jelly. Sparingly.

Carmine jewel cherry grew well. Nice little tree. Produces heavy like advertised only mine were a year later than advertised. Good fresh or in jelly.

Again I live in a different growing zone than you. But I've planted over a 1000 trees, bushes ,and shrubs over they last ten years. I've had the best success with the tiny little sticks that I buy from my local soil conservation. I get a list of trees from them and preorder usually by mid February. Unfortunately they have limited variety and supplies. But everything they sell will be zoned for your area. They are usually cheap, inexpensive. The only down side is that they may take a year or so longer to produce.
The next place I go is to the local nursery or garden shop. I've also had very good success with everything I purchase at these places. But they are the most expensive. But they are also usually older and produce sooner.
The last place I look is anything that comes by mail or delivered. I've had almost 0% success this way. Except Carmine jewel cherry and goji berry.

What's worked for me.

Red raspberries grow well here. Grow like weeds here.Best luck with Latham.
Sorry no luck with blackberries

The THORNLESS varieties. see if your companies sell those, if not just Google search them.

Carl, Diane likes lingonberries a lot. I bought her 3 lingonberry plants last Summer, that appear to be doing well. I ordered 24 more lingonberry plants last night, that should arrive in March. I ordered Ertedank, Ertesegen, Linnea and Magenta lingonberry plants.

Keith

Thanks. I'll give it a try.

Keith

Thanks to everybody who responded .

Keith