My Kiowa blackberry have been blooming for about a week now… pretty much in full bloom now.
My Illini hardy… have not bloomed yet… but should soon.
Illini start ripening mid June for me.
With Kiowa blooming earlier… I am thinking they at least have a chance of ripening earlier too.
Hope so.
TNHunter
May have hit an area with high alkaline soil. Throw some soil acidifier on it and see if it does anything in 2 weeks?
Hi, Whatever they are, they are going to be thorny,
My Kiowa seen to be blooming earlier too. It’s their third year in ground, perhaps the more mature plants are a bit earlier. PAF that are the same age are super early, they started blooming as soon as it got warm and they’ve already set a bunch of berries.
You’ve just reminded me of all my raspberry sprouts but i think the slugs ate them all 
Here is the patent blooming dates from the 1980’s… So you are way ahead of Arkansas climate 40 sum years ago.
Not sure if its due to ‘climate change’ or what but good for you.
Julian dates translated- April 14, May 2, May 30 (with variations for leap years).
these were the first flower dates for a few of mine:
Brison: 3/24
Oallieberry: 3/25
PAF: 3/25
Kiowa: 3/26
Womack: 3/26
Black Gem: 3/26
Columbia Star: 3/26
I stopped writing it down after those because there were just so many flowering 
edit: and yes my Kiowa bloomed earlier this year as well, strange that it happened to all three of us.
Also, even though the PAF and Kiowa started flowering at the same time, the PAF bloomed all at once, whereas the Kiowa is still slowly producing more and more flowers, so it will be an extended harvest (hopefully)
Where in Idaho did you get your Kotata? I’m in Hailey, ID zone 4/5 and would love one.
I think i have some extras.
Last call for Kotata if anyone else is interested. I will do a count and see what i can do.
Message me if this one interests you. I doubt i have more than 5 or 6.
Could anyone please share pictures of his/her brandywine ? I dont really find anything worthwile via google, and sellers sometimes put images on the article description, that resemble a variety, but aren’t from the variety. I now received brandywine from a 3rd seller. On the sellers page it is written, that it has a small amount of thorns. There seems to be none on mine. This document states prickles ‘Brandywine’ Purple Raspberry1 in: HortScience Volume 12 Issue 3 (1977). How thorny is this variety, and are the thorns very pronounced on small shoots ?
I have one in a pot that i propagated and nearly the same size… canes are purple/red and thorny. Berries can be quite large.
if that’s smooth it’s glencoe.
glencoe makes purple raspberries that look similar to brandywine, but aren’t quite as flavorful
my glencoe started making flowers 2 weeks ago, and my brandywine hasn’t started yet
Not sure, the second year canes on my glencoe are completely purple, these are dark brown. I guess I’ll put it in a pot to see what starts growing.
Maybe it is still some purple variety.
sorry i guess there are a few other smooth raspberry canes, but I don’t think they make purple raspberries
Caroline floricanes blooming now in mid TN. Primocanes are about 6”-8”.
Just planted bare root Joan J and tissue culture plugs of Prime-Ark Freedom from Nourse Farms. I’m always impressed at the quality of product from that nursery. They really standout compared to the other nurseries I’ve purchased plants from this spring.
Anyone have anything to note on these two varieties 
?
my opinion of PAF is:
@EmptyBadger I am in 6B, southern Indiana near Louisville, KY. I have had PAF for several years. It grows very vigorously, and the primocanes easily reach 7-8 feet if not tipped in early summer. I have never had any primocane flowering or fruit, but I was told to try cutting the primocanes back in early summer to see if they will produce a primocane crop instead of just growing thick and hugely tall. They probably would produce a primocane crop better in areas with later first frosts. I am going to top them this year and see if I get some fruit.
The floracanes fruit just fine, but in cold winters with lows of -5 to -10 degrees, the primocanes freeze out or partially die back. So, probably not an issue on zone 7, but in some winters here I get some cane die back. Looks like they made it alive through this winter and are putting out leaves.
Having said all that, I love the fruit on PAF. It is very large and tastes great to me. Of course, everyone has different taste preferences. I just stand there gobbling the berries down in the garden, and not that many make it to the house. 
Sandra
Not far from you but probably slightly warmer in New Albany. I usually start getting primocane berries in August. To me they dont taste as good as the Floricane berries, and theres quite a bit of cane dieback too. Seems like they put too much growth but dont harden in time for winter. For PA Freedom its better to just manage them for the floricane fruit, tip them a couple times to get more laterals for next years fruit.
@treefrogtim yes, I believe we are often 1-3 degrees colder out here in the country versus the city nearby. That is very interesting about the primocane fruit not tasting as good as the floracane to you. It would be nice to taste a primocane fruit just once, though.
I think I will tip them a couple of times and try to get lots of laterals for a good floracane crop. I prefer to get berries in early summer, but wouldn’t mind tasting a few later ones, too.
Sandra
