Planting, Nutrition, Harvest-Postharvest Care of Brambles in Home Gardens

Planting

Dormant or nursery-matured planting stock should be planted in the early spring, while tissue-cultured plug plants, if available, should be planted after danger of frost. Plants should not be planted in poorly drained soils or after verticillium-susceptible crops (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant, strawberries and other fruits). Generally plants ordered from nurseries that specialize in growing berries will be of good quality; avoid buying plants that have been languishing in low-light conditions in stores.  The space allowed between plants within each row should be as follows: red raspberries, 24 inches; black raspberries, 30 inches; purple raspberries, 36 inches; and blackberries, 36 to 60 inches.

Between-row spacing should be no less than 8 feet, with 10 to 12 feet preferable. Between rows, allow at least 4 feet more than the width of the widest implement (likely a mower) to be used in the planting.

Nutritional Requirements

Conduct a soil test prior to planting, and follow the recommendations provided with the results. If the soil is prepared properly before planting, only nitrogen is routinely necessary on an annual basis for at least the first few years. The soil should be tested every 3 to 4 years after planting to determine the need for other nutrients. If using granular fertilizers, apply no more than 5 pounds of 10-10-10 per 100 linear feet of row in the first year and no more than 10 pounds per 100 linear feet in subsequent years.  If growing in rich garden soil that has been amended with compost, it is likely that no additional fertilizer will be required.  If plants appear to be overly vigorous, reduce the amount of fertilization.

Brambles benefit from irrigation, especially as the fruit is enlarging the fastest, which occurs during the week prior to ripening. Trickle irrigation or a soaker hose is preferred for brambles because wetting the leaves and fruit with a sprinkler can increase the incidence of disease. Plants generally require 1 to 2 inches of water per week.  If less than this amount of rain occurs in a given week, make up for the difference by watering the plants well.

Harvest and Postharvest Care

Brambles, like all small fruit crops, should be harvested in the morning after the dew has dried. This allows a minimum of heat buildup in the fruit and will result in longer shelf life. Ripe berries will detach easily. They should be rolled off the plant, rather than being squeezed or pulled, and put in containers that are only about 2 inches deep. Deeper containers result in the lower layers of berries being crushed.

Raspberries and blackberries are notorious for their poor shelf life, but the arrival of a new invasive fruit fly, which attacks fruit, spotted wing drosophila, has resulted in an even shorter shelf life.  Harvesting fruit frequently - every day if possible - and refrigerating fruit immediately after harvest will greatly reduce the presence of this pest in the fruit.   Do not allow overripe berries to remain on the canes, clean up any berries on the ground, and bag the fruit.  The fruit can be frozen, or bags kept closed for 2 to 3 weeks before composting to make sure that new spotted wing drosophila fruit flies don't hatch out of berries in your compost pile.