Growing Berries

Muddy Boots

With Elisabeth busy with garden and house renovations this week, we have decided to replay one of our listeners favorite episodes.

Delicious berries. Maybe you already grow your own or maybe you don’t know where to start. This week’s episode looks at 4 main berry types - raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries
Raspberries - 3 types
3 main varieties - Summer fruiting, autumn fruiting and the “dual cropper”
- Primo cane cultivars such as ‘Autumn Bliss’, ‘Heritage’, ‘Bogong - suited to warmer or coastal areas (require less chilling to produce new canes)
- Floricane are earlier fruiting producing fruit on cane from last year’s growth require a cold winter. Include ‘Chilliwack’, ‘Chilcotin’’Golden Raspberry’.
- Dual croppers produce fruit on both old and new canes so have fruit in Summer and Autumn. Include ‘Lloyd George’, ‘Willamette’, Sandford.
- Available in Winter as bare-rooted canes or in pots in other seasons. Full Sun

Blueberries
- Buy in pots
- Number of varieties with different climactic requirements. Cold loving varieties include Denise, Northland, Brigitta , Milder areas should look for Sunshine Blue or Blue Rose
- Full sun to part shade in slightly acidic soil
- Tip prune after fruiting
- regular feeding required
Blackberries
- Look for non-invasive varieties like the thornless ‘Chester’ and ‘Waldo’. Produce fruit in Summer on last year’s canes. They are vigorous growers up to 10m.

Strawberries
- Bush Alpine is an easy, runnerless variety. Keith recommends ‘Cambridge Rival’ ‘Chandler’ along with Japanese variety Hokawase. Will yield for 3-4 years of production.
- Great to grow in baskets, pots, raised beds. Full sun and lots of organic matter
- Plant in April-May

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