Blackberries, Raspberries and Hybrids

Cascade Harvest looks like a workhorse. It is just now becoming available. Im going to add some.

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This has thorns… so probably wont go over well and wont be in box stores etc… so likely this one wont last long in the market. So i am going to get a couple before they disappear.

Primocane fruit ripens mid september… whereas PrimeArk Freedom ripens here for me somewhere near my first frost if it ripens at all. I have green berries now… so probably no pcane crop for me on PA Freedom…

Celestial should be one of the highest yielding blackberry plants… rivaling Chester and TC. However… it ripens in mid to late August which isnt cool… but it is one of the most heat tolerant berries. I think i will just get one plant myself. Those that dont want to be picking in late August or wary of SWD should probably pass on it…i think. Very similar to Twilight ripening… and the new U of Ark release that they say people have been wanting a late ripening variety.

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I’m interested, but too new to send a PM (I’m assuming - the option is not available). I’ve been following the thread for about the last six months and finally decided to take the plunge and get some plants.

I’d love to get some of the more exotic stuff that is not available in stores (Newberry, Siskiyou, Kotata, Victory, etc). Whatever you are willing to send/think is worth having. Happy to pay!

If it’s too late, then I understand. I should have kept a closer eye on it. Next time.

Here’s what I’ve got (I tried to go with recommendations from the various threads on this site):
Blackberry:
Marion, Columbia Star, Triple Crown, Osage, Sweetie Pie, Prime Ark Horizon
Raspberry:
Gold - Fall Gold, Anne, Cascade Gold,
Red - Caroline, Polka, Josephine
Black - Bristol, Jewel, Allen, Mac Black, Black Cap
White - Snowbank (this was just for fun - probably a newb trap)
Purple - Double Gold, Royalty, Glencoe, Amythest, Brandywine
Others - Tayberry, Loganberry, Thornless Boysen

Thanks so much! I’ll start posting more regularly when I actually have something meaningful to contribute (pictures, questions, etc).

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Since this is public…

I’m probably getting close to maxed out for my first year, but if anyone sees any “must haves” that I have missed, let me know. I’ll snag them. Thanks!

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Crimson Night raspberry is a must have in my opinion. I absolutely love it

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Thanks so much!

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Hmm… not sure what the criteria is but sure send me a PM when you can.

No its not too late… i have a small handful of things propagating for folks like me that enjoy growing them.

What growing zone are you in? What state?

Where did you get Josephine Red Rasp and when?

Not sure where you are at with Thornless Boysen but unless you live in southern California i havent really seen very many growers with good results from that plant. Supposedly they did really well in Arkansas for the Pense family but maybe there are bad versions of that plant going around. Good luck with it regardless.

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Compared to? I like it myself but im not in love with it. Plants are very ornamental with dark blood red canes. Nice erect growth habit. Flavor to me is inconsistant… with the best flavor coming from the deep dark blood red berries that are near to falling off. The stage right before that is underwhelming. I have Caroline near it and ripening time is very similar… if i eat some Caroline then CN tastes very bland after. However if i eat some CN first then the Caroline is divine. CN to me would make a nice addition to jam due to coloring but for fresh eating not so much. Not meaning to belittle the plant at all… and im not sure if i will grow the floricane crop. perhaps it is better tasting?

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All these new thornless varieties when grown here out in my orchard… end up being deer food. They just repeatedly mow them down eating any leaves and lots of the cane. When they do bloom… they eat those tooo.

Kiowa (nice thorns) has survived out in my orchard. It may be the only one I continue to grow there.

I have 4 mulberry trees planted in the orchard now… will probably have 4 more before done.
I think mulberries will eventually eliminate my need for lots of blackberries.

It seems the only place I can grow thornless canes… is right up next to my house (east wall) morning sun. They do well there and the deer are not brave enough to come that close.

The east wall of our new home will be landscaped with thornless logans, and other hybrids, blackberries.

TNHunter

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That’s weird because my Caroline doesn’t taste nearly as good as my Crimson nights and i can pick them almost as soon as they start turning red. I don’t ever wait until they’re dark red because the bugs would get to it before i do at that point. :thinking:

How are you growing it? That might be the key.

Mine are in first year/primocane fruit in pots and fed monthly with 10/10/10 fox farm fertilzer along with an automatic water timer.

Like I’ve read people say fall gold is crumbly but mine stick together and are juicy? I’ve never seen anyone else say theirs get juicy though.

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Also we’ve had what i would call good fall raspberry weather where I’m at.

Cool but not cold at night (45-55), warm but not super hot during the day (60-75).

Like, my fall gold are so juicy that as soon as it’s picked, you can see juice droplets forming in the middle. Haven’t seen anyone else comment on this before.

Also my Joan j were sour bland :laughing: in Colorado and in Washington.

My anne is reacting differently in Washington state as well. It’s actually sweet and delicious here. Was sour bland like Joan j in Colorado. And extremely vigorous as well with side shoots coming everywhere with fruits. This was not the case in Colorado.

I’m wondering if location/altitude affects it as well

Fall Gold was a good raspberry here… by far my wifes favorite… a little sweeter than the reds. Nice pretty well formed berries.

But they were not prolific at all…

I bought 3 fall golds and 3 herritage reds in 2020.

My last fall gold died this year (drought conditions)… and those 3 herritage reds have multiplied to near 100 canes.

TNHunter

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Yay! Thanks! I’ll message you as soon as the system allows it.

I’m in Zone 9B. Bay Area, California. Around 1000 - 1400 chill hours depending on the year (according to UC Davis).

I got the Josephine off Ebay earlier this week. (Edit: Correction - I got the Josephine from Hand Picked Nursery)

I wasn’t paying attention when I got the Boysen. I meant to get the thorny. I’ll get another one.

FWIW - Growing in pots on a balcony. So, becoming deer food is not an issue.

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I have been snooping around the Indiana Berry website and it looks like they are going to be offering Glencoe purple raspberry bare root plants for the first time, as far as I know, starting December 1st for the 2025 growing season.

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Yeah, I am really curious to see what the characteristics are where I live in the Bay Area (east bay). Mediterranean climate with long, modestly warm summers (highs 70s - 80s most of the time, but with spikes into the 90s). We’re still in the upper 70s now, for example. That should turn soon, but another month around 70 would be typical.

Winters that are cool enough to get up over 1000 chill hours, but rarely cold (below 35). Most of those chill hours are overnight/evening. Daytime highs are rarely much below 50. We only get a handful of highs in the 40s each year.

I’m totally new to this, so I have no idea how that will affect plants. Does length of winter matter or is it just total chill hours? According to chill hours standards, I can grow most of these colder climate varietals, but I don’t know if they need a long dormant period or not. The “cold” period here is only 3 to 4 months.

Another thing is that we get insane amounts of sun. Clouds are rare from May through October. Can plants get too much sun (assuming it isn’t hot)?

Anyway, it will be interesting to see what happens.

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Not sure if you were looking for the Josephine that was talked about on this forum and others years ago… if so then read on.

Hand Picked Nursery sells a raspberry stating it is from Denmark and named after Princess Josephine.

Not to be confused with Josephine that was bred by Harry J. Swartz/U of MD, Virginia Tech etc. I think that one was sold by Nourse and later by Pense Nursery… then both were removed due to such late fruiting of primocanes as far as i can tell.

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Ah! I thought it was the Josephine discussed here. I did most of the research for the varietals to grow in the spring. I read this thread and many other older ones. If I wrote it down, then at least a few people thought it was really good.

Oops! Oh well. We will see whether this new Josephine is any good.

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This late in the year?

All of my berries are grown in water restriction during ripening unless a good rain ruins my crop. The only berry plants that get any water are ones that i have planted that have not established a mature crown or root system or if there is a drought during flower set.

Kind of the same with peaches and other fruits… the most water restricted fruits have the most concentrated flavor and usually higher brix…

Its in the brambles nature to spend the cane to fruit… so no real concern about leaves curling during fruiting.

As far as fertilizing… i only do so at first flower bud. There is a massive amount of energy needed to fruit and also to provide a primocane at the same time. That would be the best time to water… but that is usually when i receive rain… if i dont then i will water at that phase or after pollination…then none after that.

Not saying there is any right or wrong way to do anything… and not saying that my way is right at all… its just what works best for me.

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My only water restriction during fruiting is if the soil feels a little too moist for me, if i see it’s going to rain, after the rain for a few days, if it’s cool for a few days, or when i forgot to refill the reservoir.

I like having extra juicy berries :face_holding_back_tears:

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