Growing Small Fruits

HIGHBUSH BLUEBERRIES

Most high bush blueberries will grow upwards of 4 feet in height as mature plants and will yield large berries in late summer. Choose a well-drained, loamy or sandy soil with a pH of 4.5-5.2. You can reduce your soil pH by mixing in sphagnum peat moss or by mixing in compost made from pine needles, oak leaves and/or bark. Work plenty of nutrient-rich compost into the top few inches of soil. Space plants 4 feet apart, alternating cultivars for effective cross-pollination. Rows should be 7 feet apart. You should use a special fertilizer for acid loving plants. Water frequently and mulch heavily around plants. Growth is slow and production will peak at 6-8 years of age. Yearly pruning of mature plants will encourage larger fruit and heavier production.

RASPBERRIES

Choose a sunny site in your garden with good air circulation and water drainage and a pH of 6.0-7.0. Keep roots moist until planting. Work plenty of organic matter into the soil and mulch to keep out weeds. Plant as soon as the soil has warmed. Dig a hole large enough so as not to bend roots. Trim canes to encourage new growth. Plants should be set out at least 2 feet apart in rows 5-6 feet apart.

Trellising is beneficial for cane support. These summer-bearing berries produce fruit on second year canes (floricanes). In the fall of the 2nd year, prune spent canes at ground level and thin others to approximately 4 canes per foot of row. Cut off suckers which grow outside of rows. Trim remaining raspberry canes to 4-5 feet.

STRAWBERRIES

Plant your strawberry roots as soon as your soil has warmed. If you must keep them for a short period, keep the roots slightly moist and cool. Choose a sunny location in your garden with a soil pH of 6-6.5 and set plants out on a cloudy day or in the evening to avoid the stress of heat on the young plants. While preparing the beds, soak roots with water. Till in compost and dig a shallow trench for each row with rows 4? apart. With your hands, form a small dome of soil every 12? apart in the row. Trim your strawberry roots to 5? long to encourage healthier, new root development. Drape roots over soil dome, with the crown centered at the peak. Add soil, tamp down and water. Crown of plant should be at the soil surface.

Keep the bed weed free and side-dress one month after planting. Pinch off all flowers the first summer to send more energy to the development of runners (daughter plants). The exception is with day neutral, ever bearing types such as 'Seascape', where the blossoms should NOT be pinched off Suring the first summer. Use a seed and weed free mulch in the late fall and place directly over the plants to protect from freeze and thaw cycles. Remove mulch after last frost in spring and place into paths between rows. During the second year, after strawberries have produced their crop of berries in June, the plants should be mowed down and fertilized to encourage new runner production.

Even a well looked after stand of strawberries begins to wear out after 2-3 years of production, so to ensure continued harvest, plant a new crop during the 2nd year of production. After the third year of fruit production the strawberries should be tilled under. Strawberries should not be grown in the same place for 2-3 years to prevent build-up of diseases

BLACKBERRIES

Choose a sunny site in your garden with good air circulation and water drainage and a pH of 6.0-7.0. Keep roots moist until planting. Work plenty of organic matter into the soil and mulch to keep out weeds. Plant as soon as the soil has warmed. Dig a hole large enough so as not to bend roots. Trim canes to encourage new growth.

Plants should be set out at least 2 feet apart in rows 7 feet apart. Trellising is beneficial for cane support. These summer-bearing berries produce fruit on second year canes (floricanes).

In the fall of the 2nd year, prune spent canes to ground level and thin others to approximately 4 canes per foot of row. Cut off suckers which grow outside of rows. Trim remaining blackberry canes to 7 feet. Protect blackberries by bending the canes over in the late fall and covering with soil or other means to hold them down. A covering of straw or brush helps trap snow.

GOOSEBERRIES

Choose a sunny location that has good air movement to reduce disease problems. Currants can be long lived so be sure to prepare the soil well before planting. Add compost or well-rotted manure to the hole before planting. Plant the canes slightly deeper than they were growing previously (look for soil mark on stem). Plants should be spaced 3 feet apart in rows 6 feet apart. Prune back to 2 buds to encourage vigorous growth. It is important to have 2-4 inches of mulch around the plants as they like cool, moist soil. Straw, bark, or grass clippings all work well. Plants should be pruned in late winter or early spring when the plant is dormant. Black currants will bear fruit on 1 year old wood, so each year, older canes should be removed. About 12 canes per plant is an ideal number to maintain. Gooseberries bear fruit primarily on 2 and 3 year old wood, so equal numbers of 1, 2 and 3 year old shoots should be maintained to ensure a constant renewal of fruiting wood.