Berries

Q. My brother needs some "info " about boysenberry and raspberry how to plant and care for them. He has some planted but they are having problems. Something to keep them healthy or what to give them to make them happy? Anything you can provide will help him.

A. I have this fabulous site from Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service for you to read in depth and print out the pages for him. Here are some portions:

Boysenberry?the berries are large strongly flavored soft and medium to late maturing. When disease free plants are used Boysenberries may produce well for 4 to 6 years. One selection is thornless the other has very small thorns.

Cultivated blackberries do best on sandy loam soils with added organic matter. However they will tolerate a wider range of soil types than will most other fruits. Good soil drainage and 2 1/2 to 3 feet of unrestricted rooting area are necessary for best plant performance. A site with a slight north facing slope is preferred to help prevent spring frost injury and to protect plants from southwest winds in summer. Additional wind protection may be necessary because succulent first year canes exposed to strong winds may be blown over and broken from the root system.

The crowns and root systems of blackberries live for many years. However new canes arise from the crown each year and live for only two years. During the first year the canes grow to their full height. The second season these canes bear fruit and die. During their first growing season after planting erect blackberry plants often produce prostrate to semi-erect canes. Erect canes will be produced in the following years.

Berries should be permanently mulched with about 4 inches of organic material such as pine bark or wheat straw. This mulch will help control weeds conserve soil and moisture and prevent winter injury to crowns. Mulching also promotes growth of the extensive fibrous berry root system. Since the need to cultivate for weed control is reduced by the mulch fewer berry roots are broken producing fewer unwanted sucker plants between the rows.

After the first year apply fertilizer to the berry plants at bloom time to stimulate plant growth increase berry size and boost total production. A second application of fertilizer should be made following fruit harvest to stimulate vigorous cane growth for next season?s production. Use a total of about 10 pounds of a complete fertilizer such as 10-20-10 or 5 pounds of ammonium nitrate per 100 feet of row. Apply one-half of the fertilizer at bloom time and one-half soon after fruit harvest.

First-year plants are allowed to produce as much growth as possible without pruning or training to a trellis. Established plants grow new canes while the old canes are fruiting. During the summer prune off the last few inches of new canes leaving them 3 to 3.5 feet tall. This is called ?tipping.? Tipping forces the cane to develop lateral shoots from buds near the top portion of the cane. Fruit produced the following year from pruned canes will be at a convenient height for harvest. The fruits will be larger cleaner and of better quality than if canes are not pruned because most of the fruit will be farther from the soil.

Q. I live in Ohio and just bought 4 blueberry bushes. Can you tell me what kind of ground to plant them in? Is there any thing special I have to do?

A. Soil: Blueberries grown anywhere love an organic slightly acidic soil very well-drained.