Hello everyone,
I’ve read online that black raspberries are more susceptible to some diseases/pests and they should not be grown with red/yellow/purple raspberries. Is this still true? Or was this an issue with older cultivars that aren’t generally grown anymore? Also has anyone taste ohios treasure and another black raspberry cultivar? What do you think of the taste quality?
Thank you!
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I guess that’s still a pretty good guideline. Blackberries can carry viruses that won’t affect them much but will kill another species. The same is true for red raspberries to a lesser extent. Jewel black rasberry is being marketed as less susceptible than the others.
That said, mine are growing side by side XD I would still never bring anything from the wild to the garden. I wouldn’t worry too much about it if it’s just a small plot.
do you think wild plants carry more virusus than cultivated ones?
If always considered monocultures and the plague insects they encourage to spread disease a major factor in many plant diseases/virusus. And also the human species that spreads those plants over vast distances a greater risk factor than a wild plant in a hedge somewhere.
id be curious if the “same” plant in the middle of a forrest had more or less virusus than one on a allotment or garden centre.
But that sentiment is more based on emotion than scientific facts. I’ll have to search if this has been researched someday.
The fact that we’r often backcrossing to wild specimens to introduce disease resistance also matters in my eye’s.
However i can imagine the wild specimens maybe carrying more lanten virusus that don’t hurt them, but might hurt cultivated varieties. And definitly if you get clean tissue propegated or virus free certified plants, than wild ones might be considered a risk.
Well we do get certified virus free plants from most nurseries. . I talked to many bramble experts at MSU and The university of California. Specifically those in charge of maintaining stock.
All brambles are considered infected after ten years. As they have yet to find any that are not. So yes almost all wild types are infected. We go to them for resistance because they must have some to even survive. I like having black raspberries around as they are the canaries in the coal mine. Alerting you to possible virus issues. Having said that the most resistant bramble I have is wild black raspberry that bears large fruit. Like the fig community we have to learn to live with these viruses as they are not going anywhere. I have been using this wild in breeding with fantastic results. My Niwot and Allen blacks I think died from infection Jewel is hanging on. My crosses of Niwot x Ontario and Jewel x Ontario are thriving year after year. As is the original wild Ontario that is now 9 years old. Either they are asymptomatic or completely immune. The Niwot cross produces the biggest berries I have seen. Larger than some reds. Flavor is excellent too. I named it Lynn’s Black. It is only third leaf. Time will tell how resistant it is. The best black I ever had. Did I mention it’s primocane fruiting too? The Niwot x Jewel is doing ok too so far. Jewel does seem to have some resistance. I have a few other crosses too. Some volunteers also. My current project is to make a primocane fruiting yellow cap. Oh Lynn’s black is 4th leaf my bad. I have been having a hard time getting tip rooted plants from it. I heard cuttings will root I will do this year once dormant I’m going to cut up a primocane and try to root multiple plants. As I can only get one or two tip rootings a year and have to forego primocane berries. It’s not working for me! Anybody want to try rooting cuttings I can send out next March. Although be aware you may be introducing viruses to your other brambles. Pm me in any interest. You can see the plant under the subject “ black raspberries in October “
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@Adamsmasherz - I just last spring started growing raspberries…
I started with a purchase of 3 heritage red, and 3 fall gold.
What I did not know for a while, was that I actually got 3 heritage red, 2 fall gold and 1 Mystery Black (june bearing) raspberry. It could be a Jewell, or 3-4 other blacks that the nursery I bought from has for sale I suppose.
I also added some Ohio Treasure Black this spring… will hopefully get some fruit from them this fall.
And my Mystery black… already has fruit set now… so perhaps in a few more weeks, will get to try some of those.
I have a Loganberry, and last year it had first ripe fruit on May 22.
I am not sure exactly when my mystery black will start ripening berries… but it is just a little behind my Logan on berry size now. My Logan is loaded as usual, mostly dime size green berries now… the Mystery Black is about half that size.
One thing I have noticed about the Reds, Golds, Blacks… the Reds (Herritage) that I have just seem to be much more hardy, easier to propagate, they root sucker like crazy, and live, live live…
I have had some success at prop’n blacks and golds, but have had some to kick the bucket too and not survive that.
Every single red has lived and grown like crazy.
Not sure if all reds are as vigorous as the Heritage… but here in my TN location, the Heritage are loving it and living and spreading like crazy. Last fall we got fruit from them and the golds from early Sept until Dec 3… and they were both very good IMO.
The Reds are loaded with little berries now and can’t wait for this spring/summer crop… and then again in the Fall.
PS… I started with 3 Heritage Reds last spring, and now have added +20 from propagating root shoots.
TNHunter
Anthracnose is tough on black raspberry.
Yes
keep them away from the red raspberry.
locally
black raspberry is a wild native.
They seem to reseed aggressively but the plants don’t last long in any one place
A few weeks back this conversation came up and some very experienced raspberry growers had the opinion that it was fine to grow blacks with reds golds purple…
Best I remember the blacks were sort of considered the canarie in the coal mine… they will give you early warnings of problems that need attention.
Tnhunter
I agree most blacks dont last long but exceptions exist. I have a yellow cap going on 8th leaf with no signs of quitting. It’s loaded this year. This one will go decades
Part way thru the post link above… you will find where others gave their opinion on growing blacks with others…
TNHunter
I have some Jewel blacks that are just bearing this year for the first time. The boxelder bugs are decimating them but that is a different issue. The berries are huge because of all the rain (?) but they cling to their center and hardly any come off whole. Even when soft enough to be fully ripe. They mash rather then release. And their flavor is not at all what I remember blacks to be. A bit sour and bland. Any ideas? I had a single berry off the same plants last year and it was intense and flavorful and sweet. I could see the constant rain we have had the last week or two affecting the flavor but why are they clinging to their stem?
It might be a few things. Bad pollination or drought stress. Also possibly viral infection.
Jewel does tend to hold tightly onto it’s berries so that part is normal. As for the taste they should taste pretty intense if everything goes well. The rain might be a factor.
I planted black raspberries ( Cumberland and Black hawk ) near red raspberry last year, and am planning to add more red and also yellow nearby. It sounds like I will need to now remove the black raspberries to avoid disease spreading through all of the plants?
@YumYumTrees from what I gather they can successfully be grown together but if one gets a virus they will share it readily. I believe that’s why they suggest planting them apart.
Good to know about Jewel. They are releasing better now, but still not what I remember from ones I grew in the past. Flavor is better now with the rain stopped.