Here is a photo of a raspberry plant. Really. I understand the theory of planting dormant, bare root nursery stock. But Nathaniel asked why we were planting twigs. Normally we direct sow seeds or transplant green leafy plants with a root ball so this was a fair question. All the peat enriched soil is under the surface while the clumps are on the surface to prevent crusting. Eventually 4 - 6" of mulch will be added.
We planted 12 raspberry plants and 6 blueberry plants. The raspberries are the Heritage cultivar while the blueberries are Bluecrop, Patriot and Herbert culitvars. Heritage raspberries are ever-bearing which really means they can produce two crops a summer depending on pruning techniques. Blueberries need multiple cultivars for proper pollination and maximum fruit set. These cultivars also ripen early, mid and late season for a steady supply.
It will take at least two years for the twigs to establish and bear fruit. Even when these plants reach maximum bearing capacity there will never be sufficient harvest to take to market but plenty for the kids to eat. These plants are more for learning the art of pruning on a small scale before attempting to produce on a field scale.
No comments:
Post a Comment