Small Fruit Production Mike Pace USU Extension Agent Box Elder County
Small Fruit Site Selection Loam or sandy loam soil Full sunlight Adequate drainage Avoid low pockets ph of 7.5 or less Weed control Raised beds Low salt tolerance
Planting Brambles Planted in the spring of the year from bare root plants Use certified, virus free nursery stock Keep roots moist while planting Dig a hole in the center of the bed Plant at proper depth
Planting Brambles 2 to 3 feet apart in rows 5 to 10 feet between rows Maintain a bed width of 2 feet at the base Keep plant roots moist not wet Control weeds
Fruiting Wood June-bearing raspberries have 2 types of wood: Primocane - this years growth - vegetative Floricanes - last years growth - fruiting Blackberries are very similar to June-bearing raspberries Fall-bearing raspberries fruit on this years new vegetative growth. Ever-bearing raspberries
Trellis Types and Pruning Methods V System 2-wire System Cross arm System Lincoln System Shift Trellis System
Harvesting Raspberries Pick every other day Pick in the early morning hours Fruit should pull off the receptacle or plug easily Collect in a shallow tray to prevent damage Keep dry and refrigerate
Red Raspberries June/Summer Canby - cold hardy, thornless, good eating quality, great for jams and preserves. Red Latham - good vigor and disease resistance, very sweet, good processing berry Titan - red very large berry, mild flavor, high yields, nearly thornless Boyne - hardy in cold conditions, good fresh & frozen Tulameen: 50 day harvest, large, good flavor. Chilliwack
Other Raspberries Royalty & Brandywine Purple June bearing. Kiwigold and other yellow raspberries. Black raspberries. -5oF Jewel Cumberland Black Hawk Allen
Raspberries Fall bearing Heritage - firm flesh, good flavor, excellent quality, very good fall bearing berry Fall Gold - Medium berry, sweet fruit, amber color Goldie - round firm berries, deep yellow color, no sunscald Ruby: Large, good flavor. Polana: Large, good flavor. Autumn Bliss, Redwing, Summit, Amity, Caroline:
Fall Bearing Raspberries Pruning is easy Winter injury to canes can be avoided Pest management is easier because life cycles are broken They are easily manipulated A summer crop is possible
Blackberries Less cold hardy than reds and purples 5 degrees F Navaho thornless, semi-erect Black Satin thornless, semi-erect Triple Crown thornless, semi-erect Cherokee thorny, upright, -10 to -20 degrees F Chester thornless, semi-erect, -10 to -20 degrees F Darrow a tall semi-erect variety, most cold hardy variety
Blackberries - continued Apache thornless, free standing Arapaho thornless, free standing Dirksen
Typical fall raspberry season in the North 30 % of total yield 25 Frost 20 15 10 5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Weeks after August 20th
Accelerate development and fruiting
Yield (kg/ha) 700 600 500 400 300 March-applied April-applied Control 200 100 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 Days after August 10th
Raspberry Diseases & Problems Iron Chlorosis Poor drainage Cool wet spring Too much water Root Rots Wilts Botrytis
Raspberry Insects and Diseases Raspberry Horntail Wasp April, about 2 inches below the tips Hatched larva tunnel down the cane Crown Borer Yellow Jackets
Grape Production in the Home Garden
Site Preparation Bed should be about 4 feet wide and as long as you need them 10 to 12 feet from center to center
Planting Grapes Can be planted in the spring or fall Spread the roots out in the hole Plant at the same depth they grew at in the nursery Cover and water in
Watering and Fertilizing Grapes
Pruning & Training Grapes First & Second Year Remove all fruiting clusters Establish the trellis Water and fertilize Remove weeds
Pruning the 3rd Year Vine Prune to four strong lateral canes that developed from the second years growth Train canes to the trellis Will produce a small amount of fruit this year
Pruning the 4th Year Vine Prune to four lateral canes with 6 to 8 buds on each vine Be sure to leave two renewal spurs near the trunk for next years fruiting canes Remove all other growth
Table Grape Varieties Interlaken- a golden yellow seedless, excellent for raisins, small to medium clusters, earliest ripen. 15F Suffolk Red - red seedless grape, excellent flavor, medium winter hardy Canadice - red seedless grape, medium berries, very productive and hardy, excellent for raisins
Table Grape Varieties Himrod - greenish yellow grape, excellent for fresh eating -15F Lakemont - greenish white seedless grape, medium berries with tender skins
Juice Grape Varieties Fredonia - Blue-black grape, ripens 2-3 weeks before Concord -40F Buffalo- a high quality dessert grape. Juice is not as good as Concord or Fredonia Concord- blue-black grape unequaled in juice flavor and quality. Very hardy and productive when pruned properly. 15F
Planting Strawberries Order virus free plants Reputable nursery Bareroot or packs Plant in the spring after the danger of a hard frost Do not allow the roots to dry out prior to planting
Matted Row Planting Bed Plants are 18 to 24 inches apart in the beds 36 to 42 wide beds Allow runners to fill in empty spaces Mother plants Daughter plants
Matted Row
Hill System Plants are spaced 12 to 15 inches apart in the row Beds are 3 feet wide Runners are removed Generally produce larger berries
Annual Hill (Plasticulture)
Strawberry Cultivars Three types June-bearers Ever-bearers Day Neutrals
June-bearing Strawberries Single crop usually in June Flowers initiated previous fall 10 hours of light per day Most common commercially Tend to out produce other type of strawberries Preferred for jams and jellies Crop can be lost due to late spring frosts
June-bearing Hood- Med berry, excellent flavor, yield somewhat lower Honeoye - Large, good yields, excellent flavor, good canning Guardian - ES, hardy, large fruit Robinson - large good producer, fair flavor, good disease resistance
June-bearing Surecrop - med berry, slight tart flavor, excellent for desserts and freezing Tioga - med to large berry, very good flavor, good dessert berry Sequoia - med to large berry, very productive, outstanding flavor
Ever-bearing Strawberries Two major harvests - spring and fall Need 12 hours of sunlight Limited harvest throughout season Flowers initiated: continually Tend to produce fewer runners
Ever-Bearing Ogallala - large plump fruit, good drought resistance, very hardy Ft. Laramie - large bright red fruit, good for preserving and freezing Quinault small berries, soft and good flavor Ozark Beauty - large firm berries, excellent flavor, good disease resistance
Day Neutral Flower and fruit under any day length Produce fruit spring through fall with several peaks Excellent container plants
Day Neutrals Selva - large red fruit, excellent flavor, heavy yields Tribute - medium berry, pleasant flavor, good processing qualities Tristar - medium berry, pleasant flavor, good processing qualities
Strawberries for Home Use Use all for longest availability Use June bearers for greatest total yield
Elderberries Grows wild in US Cross pollination Hardy to zone 4-20 to -30F Makes excellent jams, jelly, pies, wine, etc
Elderberries Well drained moist soils 4-6 of mulch for moisture and weed control Fertilize lightly Prune to keep size 4 year old wood
Currants Easy to grow Winter hardy Drought resistant Self pollinating Bears fruit on 1-3 year wood Need to thin out older wood Makes wonderful jams and jellies
Blueberries
Mike Pace USU Extension Agent Box Elder County 435-734-9945 mike.pace@usu.edu http://extension.usu.edu/boxelder/