Too hot for rasps. I have some Heritage and Caroline that are getting ripped out this year. There were some Anne mixed in by accident and they actually do pretty good so I may order some of them and give them a try.
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Blackberries always do well here, ton’s of them. So many that I decided to remove most of them. I don’t need that many and would rather grow other crops like Honeyberries. So replacing some with honeyberries. Still keeping many though.
Raspberries was a small crop this year due to dryness. Two years of little rain has hurt production. Next year though should be good as I have a large amount of floricanes this year. So the summer crop next year should be very good. I like raspberries way better so no reduction in crop size is planned. I can consume all easily.
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Thanks. What were your best tasting rasps and blacks this year? I understand you did a hybrid rasp that turned out orange or pink?
I’ve read some older threads and folks seem to like Osage black. Do you have it? I might pick one of those up next year.
These are tentative choices for rasps and blacks:
Summer red/purple: Nova, Prelude, Killarney, Royalty
Fall bearer: Caroline, Double Gold, plus maybe Nantalaha or Crimson Knight or Joan J
Blackberries: PrimeArk Freedom, Triple Crown, Osage
I posted this in another thread earlier this year. But, while I was pilfering some wild rasps and blacks back in the early summer, I saw some canes that looked like they were painted white. They didn’t have fruit, but I’m pretty sure they were some kind of bramble, due to the thorns and leaf pattern. Do you think these were some kind of floricane? If so, would they be a rasp or black?
Thanks.
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Thanks very much for starting this thread, it’s always good to have a central place to see what worked and what didn’t, especially for people in a climate like mine.
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`My tastes are not typical. Your choices are good, For raspberries I would suggest Himbo Top as it is by far the best producer, berries are mild in flavor (low acid), still good though. Also Josephine, as it has performed well for Kevin and he is close to you, well closer than me! Taste is good, and berries are huge.
Your blackberry choices are fine, sounds like a good start.
For me I love Tayberries as they taste more like raspberries than blackberries. Production is low, thorny and trailing. You are avoiding those types, and they need a trellis for sure. They are a hassle, but thorns are not bad compared to boysenberry. Which I also like for jam. they make a very good jam. Somewhat tart. I also want these two because they ripen before SWD is around. Very early ripening types.
For raspberries I like Himbo Top and Prelude for production. Cascade Gold for flavor, best yellow in my opinion. Hard to grow though, Berries are huge, summer bearing. I like them all. Polka is a favorite.
My hybrid cross turns orange and when ripe pink, it’s excellent, no suckers yet.
The only thing that sort of look like that are wild Yellow Black raspberries. Canes are yellow. Otherwise nothing I have seen looks like that.
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Double Gold had another productive year. It’s been very reliable for me. It’s a beautiful raspberry that’s a bit delicate as far as handling goes but has very good flavor. Maybe not the best flavor, but very good. It’s also a strong grower, upright, and easy to maintain.
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I agree Double Gold is a winner, it’s sister that came out at the same time from the same program, Crimson Night, has not been as good, but it is in a bad spot. So hard to judge. I’m still keeping it! My pink hybrid (Irene) looks a lot like Double Gold. Both have not fruited at the same time, they will next summer crop, growing for a summer crop. I think my hybrid is lighter in color? I’ll know more next year.
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I would highly recommend PAF, the taste and size are spectacular. I tried very hard to lay the canes down last fall and cover but I was unsuccessful at getting them through the winter. I think what did me in was all our snow melting in February and then it being very cold and windy after that. We do get a decent crop in the fall however from the primocanes.
Overall it was a bumper crop for raspberries in 2017. In 2016 I really felt like my yields had dropped and many canes were very weak and spindly. So, last fall I spread compost from our pile all around the canes, and then this spring I put some raspberry fertilizer from Stark Bros on them in May ( 10-10-10 ). I intended to reapply the fert in late July for the fall crop but I got too busy, however, yields for both the summer and fall crop were way up and the canes were much more sturdy and robust this year.
One nice surprise was a number of wild black raspberries had come up in our patch and the berries were much bigger this year than in past years.
I would say we picked at least 200 lbs of raspberries this year. My main disappointment was Purple Royalty. Most of the canes died over the winter, I think the lack of snow cover and wind contributed to their demise. Hopefully this winter they make it ok.
I coached girls high school tennis this fall and brought 2-3 lbs most days. The Anne and Fall Gold were by far the most popular with them. In fact, players picking through the reds to “hog” the goldens was a controversial issue at times.
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Around here the primocanes, or first year canes, of wild black raspberries are very pale green, almost white, and of course no berries that first year. The second year they have a “woody” look to them and produce berries.
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Thanks. Himbo Top and Josephine sound intriguing, but the only place that I know that sells them is Nourse, but I don’t want to have to buy their minimum of 5 of them.
Where did you get Cascade Gold? Would you rate those above Fall Gold or Anne? Is CG a summer bearer?
What do you mean yellow black? You mean yellow caned black rasp floricanes? I think these white canes might be blackcaps, as there were other canes producing them in that spot this year. Those were green/brown colored. We have a whole lot more wild blackberries that black rasps, but that might be changing a bit. Over the winter I think I’m going to mow down some of the wild BB’s, they are out of control in some areas.
Thanks, I just mentioned that in my response to Drew. Hopefully they’ll produce black caps next year. Compared to our wild BB’s, the rasps were definitely more tasty.
Were the summer reds not as tasty as the golden ones, or was it just because of the color?
Wow, 200lb?!? We’re most of those wild berries?
Did you grow any other blackberries?
Would also like to hear about folks’ strawberry, gooseberry and blueberry harvests for this year. We should get some strawbs next year, but our GB and bloobs still need another year.
Most kids prefer the goldens because of how sweet they are, no tartness.
Nope, most were purchased cultivars, Red Latham, Prelude, Heritage, Anne, Crimson Night, Double Gold and Fall Gold. I would say the wild blacks made up less than 5% of the harvest. Most of my patch was established back in 2012. The other blackberries I grow are Prime Jim, Prime Jan, and PrimeArk 45. Jim and Jan are pretty tart, we like the flavor of PAF and PA45 the best. I’ve never gotten any kind of decent winter cane survival and the resulting summer harvest with blackberries. We pretty much have to wait till September and then get Primocane berries for a few weeks.
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Interesting that you have some old school rasps like Heritage and Latham. How are they flavor and production wise? Same question for Crimson Night? Am I right or all your BB and rasps fall-bearers (primocanes) other than Prelude?
Does Prelude give a fall crop as well on floricanes?
Yeah, I’m surprised you can get any blackberries in Minn. Definitely no floricane berries from what it sounds like.
I got mine from Stark Brothers. I still had to buy three of them,
From Raintree they no longer offer it. Yes a summer bearer. I like Anne and Fall Gold too, I think CG though tastes different and will not be confused with the others. It is a solid yellow, not translucent, and it is very firm. JT I think? Likes Cascade Delight, the red version, on my short list!
Yes confusing. it is a yellow cap. Black raspberries are a different species than reds, both produce yellow versions. So it is a variegated black raspberry. I grow a wild one here I got from the wild in Ontario.
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Purple Royalty and Red Latham only fruit on second year canes. The rest are all fall and summer bearing. I love the flavor of Latham, it’s a good producer as well. Heritage is my least favorite raspberry, but hey, they’re still good.
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I was checking out Pense Nursery out of Arkansas. They have Josephine, Himbo Top, Joan J, and the other rasps I’m interested in, plus, the three blackberry varieties I’m looking into as well.
Their prices are very reasonable, most of the rasps and the blacks are $2.75 apiece. To get free shipping you have to order $45 worth of products, otherwise it’s $20.
Anyone on here bought anything from Pense, and if so, how were the plants, and how have they performed?
Thanks.
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The reviews on Pense are mixed I think mainly due to a loss that occurred in the family. I’m taking a chance on them with a 100 prime ark 45’s this fall. I will update later in the year how they did http://www.growingfruit.org/t/extending-the-blackberry-season/10533. If you ever want to know about a company google “ what’s the scoop on Pense Nursery” the reviews will come up. Dave’s garden has more negative reviews than what I like to see but read them and see the companies response. I’m willing to give them a chance. Most recent reviews are good and the majority of problems were in 2010. You can see what the plants and packaging look like in the link above. The price is good on the plants.
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I ordered from Pence last spring and they treated me very well. I also looked at reviews and saw the turbulence from the loss of a family member, but the operation seems to be moving forward now. I ordered a few trees, but noted lots of great reviews for the size and health of their berry plants.
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Thanks @clarkinks and @Palmer. I did read Dave’s Garden reviews, and they seem to get good reviews, so they might be worth a shot.
Is there a reason you went with the PA-45’s, over other PrimeArk varieties or other blackberry varieties?
I noticed they don’t have Royalty purple rasp, but it wouldn’t be a deal breaker. But to get free shipping, I’d have to order 16 berry plants. Don’t know if I need that many, but I’ll keep them in mind.
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