I’ve been hunting for the Illini Hardy Blackberry but I can’t find em anywhere. My father in law had brought back some dormant blackberries from Northern Minnesota but they haven’t done all that well, and I hear the Illini Hardy type is really Hardy, which I need for our Alaskan winters.
If anyone has some they could ship up here let me know! I’d love to try and connect to make it happen.
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ill do one better. i have nelson blackberry from fedco. so far hardy to my z3b here. berries arent real big but taste better than a store bought blackberry. give me your addy and ill send you some cuttings to try.
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Hey steveb4 that would be awesome! My address is 12380 E Kalwies ln, Palmer AK 99645.
Let me know how I can help! I’d be happy to cover the shipping costs.
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ill try to get them out tom. drove thru your town when i went to visit a friend in wasilla 3 yrs ago. he was originally from Maine. he had a huge cabin on lake louise we stayed in and icefished for a week. my son caught the biggest laker at just under 30lbs. pretty country up there.
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It sounds like a good switch could occur here
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Raspberry is a better fit in the Matanuska Valley
Check out Autumn Bliss and Autumn Britten
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i have autumn britten and its a very good raspberry.
Our Raspberries are really productive. I’m in a bit of a windy zone here in the valley, but they don’t seem to mind. I am looking into black raspberries as well, but the lure of blackberries has always been of interest. If I get some I may plant them in a greenhouse for a couple of years to try and see how they fare there, and try one or two along a fence for wind break.
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i also have ohio treasure black rasp. i can send a few cuttings of if you want to try them. theyre z3 hardy so should do good there.
Thanks! But don’t feel any pressure Steve. And no rush whatever you decide. We’re still buried in snow up here, and will be for a few weeks yet.
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yeah still about 4 ft on the ground here also. i snowblow to my chicken coop and that goes right by the blackberries and black raspberries
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I do have some great looking illini blackberries, since 2003.
Of course they are older variety, and not as disease resistant as the newer ones.
Mine do have some rosette ? double-blossom… it affects the blooms and fruit production… but it started 4-5 years ago and they are still going, and produced a great crop last year.
From what I have read about double blossom it is hard to get rid of, floricans infect the primocanes, so it will always be there. It probably cuts my berry production by 1/4 or so. I just keep giving them compost and taking care of them and they are still doing fine.
Got a very good crop last year and have some fine looking canes out there now for this year.
This is what they looked like a few weeks back - they have leaves now… coming out and looking good.
All primocanes come up right next to crown, they never tip root, have hardly any low branches, very upright. Not sure how you would propagate them, perhaps with cuttings. have never tried that.
TNHunter
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What part of Alaska?
I worked on a Potato farm in Fairbanks years ago
Henry Gettenger Farms
Chena Hot Springs Road