I currently grow black hawk black raspberry. I would like to find a larger more productive black raspberry that is suited for zone six. Any suggestions?
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I have Jewel and like it . Larger than the local wild .
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The orchard we occasionally visit over in central KY grow Mac Black. Have not tasted them but they must like them if they’re still on their farm. They’re in the same zone (6b) as me. I’m looking to maybe adding this variety next year.
Nourse sells them, as well as Indiana Berry.
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Thanks for the link and suggestion
I added Mac black this year . So nothing to report . I also have Niwot fall bearing . I do not like the taste .
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Jewel is larger, more productive ,here Wv. A good berry for market, but Bristle has the the best flavor
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I don’t like the fall berries but the summer crop had large berries and they were very good. Mine died, but I have a couple seedlings from the plant producing 2 crops too. The fall berries are a little better on the seedlings. Probably a cross with Jewel or a self fertile throwback.
i have 8 ohio treasures that i planted last spring. supposedly they produce on primo and florocanes. i should have a decent crop to taste next summer. berry size is similar to most of the commercial black raspberry varieties. wanted to grow some mac black but read they are late producers. for you that grow them, how late do they ripen?
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Mac Black looked interesting to me too. Most of my black raspberries are from volunteers. I’m trialing about 4 of them. I do have Jewel, it’s OK, but I think better is out there somewhere…
I’ve read that tastewise bristol is the best but they won’t grow in my zone. hoping the ohios are tasty. i have nothing to compare too as I’ve never tasted a black rasp. before.
I don’t have any domesticated rasps producing yet. The only one out of all the ones I planted that sprouted was an Eden, which is a summer red.
Our native black rasps usually are done in late June, and the wild blackberries are done in July, although this year we didn’t get a lot to try, I guess the birds got after them.
If I do try any blackcaps, it’d prob be Bristol and Mac Black. As mentioned in other posts, I’m concentrating next year on berry plants, and not trees, except maybe a couple pluots.
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the blacks are even higher than blackberries in antioxidants but only marginal compared to my aronia berries which are at the top of the chart.
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I know very little about aronia, do you eat them freash
you can but the flavor is lacking. i like to mix them with a strong tart berry like black currants or raspberries in a pie or jam. in Europe, where they are more popular, they juice them and mix with other juices. black currant by itself is another top of list antioxidant powerhouse thats really easy to grow. I’ve taken fresh cuttings of both, stuck them next to the mother plant and had them root! neither have any pests bothering them up here. the aronia bush is beautiful. it has dark green glossy leaves that turn fire red come fall! very showy with the contrasting dark berries. many grow it as a ornamental too.
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I would like to grow raspberries for wine but maybe I should look at aronia or currents
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I like raspberry wine much better then blackberry wine.
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elderberry rocks for wine and is the easiest plants to grow from cuttings. you probably have them growing wild around you. i have both european and american elderberry in my yard. they produce berries the second year of growth. very popular for wine making. next year i should have a full crop from mine. if your interested in any I’ve mentioned, message me in may and ill send you a bunch of cuttings.
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never tried either but sounds great! i love both!
We do have some wild elderberry here but the birds I think eat them
if you got them on your property, net them when the berries start to darken. the berries are ripe when you squish one and the juice is dark purple. one bush produces a lot of fruit.
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