Growing Small Fruit in the Home Garden

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Wilfrid Townsend
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Small Fruit Site Selection Growing Small Fruit in the Home Garden Full sun Well-drained soil Good air drainage Away from trees & shrubs Peter

length) spring and fall crop stop in heat of summer Other novelty types Musk strawberry Alpine strawberry Ornamental types June Bearing

Nov to December Year 2 remove winter mulch harvest May to July renovate July Year 3, 4, etc.

1 Small Fruit Site Selection Growing Small Fruit in the Home Garden Full sun Well-drained soil Good air drainage Away from trees & shrubs Peter Nitzsche Morris County Agricultural Agent Strawberry Types June-Bearers (short day types) spring crop only Day-Neutrals (not sensitive to day length) spring and fall crop stop in heat of summer Other novelty types Musk strawberry Alpine strawberry Ornamental types June Bearing Strawberry Production Calendar Year 1 plant early spring March/April remove flowers and encourage plants to form a bed over winter mulch late Nov to December Year 2 remove winter mulch harvest May to July renovate July Year 3, 4, etc. harvest May to July renovate July Strawberry Soil Preparation Soil test Adjust ph to 6.0 to 6.5 lime Add amendments compost, well rotted manure Add fertilizer ex. 2 lbs /100 sq ft or

2 Proper Strawberry Planting The Strawberry Plant planting hole too shallow correct depth too deep too shallow NRAES Dormant Strawberry Plant Strawberry Spacing Junebearers apart Day-neutrals apart 4 between rows Mother Strawberry Plant With Runners Strawberry Establishment Keep well watered Control weeds Remove flowers 1st year for Junebearers 6 weeks for day-neutrals 2

3 Strawberry Matted Row Strawberry Ribbon Row Overwintering Strawberries Overwintering Strawberries Apply 4 clean straw just before ground freezes rake straw into rows in early spring when new growth begins Harvest in second year Old Crowns With Winter Injury Healthy Young Crown 3

Renovated Strawberry Bed Strawberry Renovation Mow or trim off leaves Narrow rows to 12 remove or till older plants Fertilize 2 lbs/100

etc. were grown Certified (virus indexed) plants Strawberry Varieties: Spring-bearing Harvest season ~ late May to early July Early

Day Neutral Strawberry Production Calendar Year 1 plant early spring March/April remove flowers for 6 weeks encourage plants to form a

4 Renovated Strawberry Bed Strawberry Renovation Mow or trim off leaves Narrow rows to 12 remove or till older plants Fertilize 2 lbs/100 sq ft Strawberry Cultivar Selection Disease resistance Red Stele Verticillium wilt also avoid planting where tomatoes, peppers, etc. were grown Certified (virus indexed) plants Strawberry Varieties: Spring-bearing Harvest season ~ late May to early July Early Season Earliglow Northeaster Cavendish Midseason Allstar Raritan Darrow Darselect Cabot Late Season Sparkle Lateglow Latestar Ovation Day Neutral Strawberry Production Calendar Year 1 plant early spring March/April remove flowers for 6 weeks encourage plants to form a bed harvest late summer fall over winter mulch late Nov to December Year 2 remove winter mulch harvest May to July renovate July? Year 3, 4, etc.? 4

5 Strawberries Varieties: Day-Neutral Tribute Day Neutral Strawberry Harvest Seasons mid-june to mid-july & early August to mid-sept Tribute Tristar Seascape Albion (trial) Alpine Strawberry Alpine Strawberry Novelty Strawberry types musk strawberry Pink Panda 5

Gray Mold Disease Strawberry Gray Mold /

Avoid splashing mulch beds mulch between rows

leaves in spring and at renovation Fungicide

6 Gray Mold Disease Strawberry Gray Mold / Leather Rot Control Narrow rows Raised beds Avoid splashing mulch beds mulch between rows Sanitation keep berries picked remove dead leaves in spring and at renovation Fungicide Captan Weedy Strawberries Perennial Weeds in Strawberry Weed Control in Strawberries Cultivate or hoe Mulch Handweed Herbicides Corn gluten meal (ex. Preen Organic) the year before planting Frost Control in Strawberries Apply floating rowcovers in late afternoon when frost threatens Remove next morning to allow bee/insect pollination 6

7 Strawberry Harvest Avg. yield 1-2 lbs / plant Harvest often Handle carefully Refrigerate immediately Brambles Brambles Bramble Soil Preparation Members of the plant genus Rubus The main stem and lateral branches of cultivated types have prickles (also called spines or thorns) Raspberries red, gold, black, purple Blackberries thorny and thornless Blackberry/Raspberry Hybrids loganberry, youngberry, boysenberry, etc. Soil test Adjust ph to 6.0 to 6.5 lime Add amendments compost, manure 7

24 between plants raspberry 8 between rows blackberry 10 between rows

test Year 1: 5 lbs.. 10-10-10/100 linear ft. Year 2+: 10 lbs.

Red/gold Raspberry Types Floricane Fruiting/Summer-bearing bear fruit on

winter Development of a primocane from a root bud to a floricane

8 24 between plants raspberry 8 between rows blackberry 10 between rows Bramble Spacing Bramble Fertilization Follow recommendations of soil test Year 1: 5 lbs /100 linear ft. Year 2+: 10 lbs /100 linear ft. Red/gold Raspberry Types Floricane Fruiting/Summer-bearing bear fruit on second year canes (floricanes) must prune out spent floricanes each winter Development of a primocane from a root bud to a floricane Primocane Fruiting / Everbearing bear fruit on first (primocanes) and second year canes (floricanes) can mow down in spring for single crop NRAES 8

year after fruiting NRAES Raspberry fruit

9 Summer-bearing Red Raspberry Varieties Season ~ mid-june to mid-july Early Season Reveille Lauren Midseason Sentry Newburgh Claudia Canby Late Season Taylor Encore Latham Summer-bearing Red Raspberry pruning Red Raspberry Dormant Pruning Remove dead canes Remove floricanes after fruiting Thin primocanes to 3-5/linear foot Narrow rows to or Mow one half of plot to ground each year after fruiting NRAES Raspberry fruit in winter - floricane Red Raspberry Unpruned Red Raspberry Pruned 9

10 Live and dead canes in spring Primocane - bearing Raspberry Varieties Red Jaclyn - early Polana - early Caroline - early Heritage - mid-late Josephine - late Harvest Season ~ late August to frost Gold Goldie Kiwigold Anne Anne Primocane unpruned Primocane pruned 10

Summer-bearing Purple Raspberry Varieties Harvest Season ~

raspberries Summer-bearing Purple Raspberry Pruning

row Top remaining canes to 36-40 in height Summer-bearing Black

11 Summer-bearing Purple Raspberry Varieties Harvest Season ~ early July to late July Royalty hybrid of red and black raspberries Summer-bearing Purple Raspberry Pruning Winter/dormant Remove dead canes Thin to 3-4 canes per linear row Top remaining canes to in height Summer-bearing Black Raspberry Varieties Harvest Season ~ mid June to mid July Bristol Jewel Haut Black Hawk 11

12 Black Raspberry - Pruning Black Raspberry - Dormant Pruning Summer Remove 4 of tips when primocanes are tall Winter / Dormant Remove dead canes Thin to 5-10 canes per plant NRAES Tip Layering to Propagate Black Raspberries NRAES Blackberry Pruning Shorten laterals to 18 Thin to 6-8 canes per hill 12

13 Thornless Blackberry Blackberry Varieties unpruned pruned Thornless Arapaho Chester Triple Crown Dirksen Apache (trial) Navaho Thorny Illini Hardy Shawnee Choctaw Chesapeake Darrow Blackberry Dormant Pruning Blackberry psyllid Blackberry psyllid Small sucking insect Control Prune out affected stems and destroy NRAES 13

Gray Mold Disease Raspberry Virus Sanitation Bramble

fruit Raspberry Virus Control Bramble Harvest Certified

Aphids transmit virus from diseased plants Avg.

14 Gray Mold Disease Raspberry Virus Sanitation Bramble Gray Mold Control keep berries picked remove rotted fruit Raspberry Virus Control Bramble Harvest Certified (virus indexed) plants Plant away from wild brambles Aphids transmit virus from diseased plants Avg. yield 2-5 lbs / plant Harvest often Handle carefully Refrigerate immediately 14

15 How do I know what type of bramble I have? Blueberry Blueberry fall color Blueberry Soil Preparation Soil test Adjust ph to 4.0 to 4.8 sulfur at least 2 months before planting Add amendments peat moss, compost, manure 15

Blueberry Spacing Blueberry Establishment 4 between plants 10 between rows Add amendments 1gal peat moss in each planting hole Keep well watered Remove flowers

Year 1: 1/4 lb ammonium sulfate/plant after second flush of growth Year 2+: 1/4 lb ammonium sulfate/plant late March 1/4 lb ammonium sulfate/plant late May Or

Self-fruitful cross pollination produces earlier, larger berries plant at least two different varieties Blueberry Pollination Blueberry Cultivar Selection

16 Blueberry Spacing Blueberry Establishment 4 between plants 10 between rows Add amendments 1gal peat moss in each planting hole Keep well watered Remove flowers first two years Mulch 3-4 and add more each year sawdust, wood chips, leaf compost, clean straw Blueberry Fertilization Follow recommendations of soil test Year 1: 1/4 lb ammonium sulfate/plant after second flush of growth Year 2+: 1/4 lb ammonium sulfate/plant late March 1/4 lb ammonium sulfate/plant late May Or Holly-tone, Miracid, etc. Self-fruitful cross pollination produces earlier, larger berries plant at least two different varieties Blueberry Pollination Blueberry Cultivar Selection Certified (virus indexed) plants Extend season with early mid and late season varieties (~2 weeks /cultivar) Early Season Earliblue Collins Patriot BlueRay Blueberry Cultivars Midseason Bluecrop Concord Pioneer Atlantic Half-highs Northblue Northland Northsky Late Season Dixi Elizabeth Darrow Coville 16

17 Blueberry Pruning Blueberry Pruning First 3-4 years remove weak, dead & non-erect canes Fifth year onward remove one of every six of the oldest canes Bird Control in Blueberries Scare tactics balloons ribbons fake birds of prey bird distress calls Netting Blueberry Harvest Ribes Mid-June to mid-august Avg. yield 3-10 lbs /plant Harvest often Handle carefully Refrigerate immediately 17

Can I plant ribes in my home garden? Black currants prohibited in NJ unless resistant variety with Division of Plant Industry, NJ Dept. of Ag.

Ringwood Borough and Wanaque Townships in Passaic County; and Jefferson Township in Morris County Can I plant ribes in my home garden?

) may be moved into and within all other points in NJ except in prohibited towns Ribes Culture Spacing red & white currents, gooseberries 3-4 apart in 6-8 rows Black

susceptible varieties Currants Jonkheer Van Tets Rovada Gooseberries Captivator Pixwell Invicta Fungicide sulfur Currant aphid control Encourage beneficial insects

18 Can I plant ribes in my home garden? Black currants prohibited in NJ unless resistant variety with Division of Plant Industry, NJ Dept. of Ag. permit ($75) - White pine blister rust Currants and gooseberries prohibited in: Montague, Sandyston, Walpack and Vernon Townships in Sussex County; West Milford, Ringwood Borough and Wanaque Townships in Passaic County; and Jefferson Township in Morris County Can I plant ribes in my home garden? Currant plants and gooseberry plants other than the European black currant (Ribes nigrum L.) may be moved into and within all other points in NJ except in prohibited towns Ribes Culture Spacing red & white currents, gooseberries 3-4 apart in 6-8 rows Black currents 4-5 apart in 8-12 rows Pruning Renewal pruning removing all canes older than three years Powdery Mildew Control on Ribes Powdery mildew control Plant less susceptible varieties Currants Jonkheer Van Tets Rovada Gooseberries Captivator Pixwell Invicta Fungicide sulfur Currant aphid control Encourage beneficial insects Currant Aphids Additional Resources website: FS097 Strawberries in the Home Garden I FS098 Strawberries in the Home Garden II FS419 Selecting Blueberry Varieties for the Home Garden FS750 Establishing Blueberries in the Home Garden FS106 Blueberry Pest Management for Home Gardens 18

Growing Strawberries in a Community Garden. Peter Nitzsche County Agent Cooperative Extension of Morris County

Growing Strawberries in a Community Garden Peter Nitzsche County Agent Cooperative Extension of Morris County Strawberry Botany Not a true berry An aggregate fruit Enlarged flower receptacle Achenes on