How to grow backyard berries. A presentation by Carolyn Herriot, author of The Zero-Mile Diet: A Year-Round Guide to Organic Gardening

1. ‘BACKYARD BERRIES
& PRESERVING THE
BOUNTY’
with Carolyn Herriot

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Raspberries
Plant in early spring 2 feet apart in the row.
Support on a wired framework. Canes will spread, so dig up those c
Need full sun 6 hours a day.
pH 6.0
Fertilizer:
Woodash (uncontaminated) in winter
Seaweed in summer
Manure/compost in late winter after fruiting.

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Currants and Gooseberries
Genus Ribes
Excellent for jams, jellies, and wine making
Full sun to partial shade. Avoid low lying frost pockets.
Space 5 feet apart.
Mulch to retain moisture with straw, compost or manure
twice a year. Feeds and helps prevent weed growth.
Feeding with mulches keeps fruit production high.

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Blackcurrants produce fruit on one-year old wood
In spring remove old wood and weak canes leaving 6 to 9 strong on
Redcurrants and gooseberries produce on spurs on 2 and 3 year- o
Allow only 8 or 9 strong canes to remain on bush after pruning Shor
Pests: The currant fruit fly (small white maggots in fruit)
Prevent by spraying bushes after flowering with bacillus thuriengens
Powdery mildew - wettable sulphur sprays at 14 day intervals.

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Plant blueberries in spring, in soil rich in organic matter and well- dr
Six bushes will provide for a family once matured, which takes seve
Choose early, mid-season and late varieties to extend the season o
Need an acid soil pH 5.0. Sawdust mulch, 5” thick, lowers pH.
Feed in June with granular seaweed.

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Pruning:
Prune to encourage thick branches to develop.
Best berries are from 2 to 3-year old wood.
They produce for several years then peter out.
When fully established remove 20% oldest wood every year,
and cut declining branches off at ground level.

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Watch for birds as berries become ripe. Use netting to cover bushe
Wait 2 to 3 weeks after they turn rich blue for truly ripe berries.
Test before harvesting.
Freeze berries laid out on baking trays in a single layer .
When frozen, bag up and use individual berries as needed.
Enjoy year round interest from red leaves in fall and red stems in w

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Strawberries
Prefer well-drained sandy loams, rich in organic matter.
Slightly acidic soil - pH 6.0
Southern exposure for full sun best.
Keep weed free, unable to compete with grass and weeds.
Spring planting - with crown just above soil surface
When first planted add organic fertilizer to help get established. Th
June bearing - once a year large crop (jams etc.)
Everbearing - crop in June and another in late summer
Day neutral - constant production of fruit once established

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