Growing small fruits-blackberries, strawberries, raspberries-is a rewarding back-yard adventure. For gardeners itching to explore the mysteries of fruit production, small fruits are definitely the way to go.
Although not carefree, all are much easier to grow than tree fruits. They demand less time and space and require fewer pesticides. They also deliver a quicker payback for a modest initial investment.
Of the fruits mentioned, blueberries are the easiest to grow.
Hailing from Michigan`s west coast-blueberry country-I harbor fond memories of this simple fruit. Like many western Michigan youngsters, my first summer job was picking blueberries in the hot August sun.
Blueberries are extremely hardy and grow well in the sandy acid soils of Michigan. But if your soil is clay-heavy, don`t add sand in an attempt to imitate Michigan`s conditions. Add organic material instead. The objective is to lighten the soil and improve drainage.
Sphagnum peat moss will lower the pH gradually to the proper range, 4.5 to 5.0, the lowest pH preferred by any fruit or vegetable.
Blueberries need at least six hours of full sun each day.
Blueberry bushes make handsome landscape specimens, so they are easy to incorporate into ”edible landscapes.” Or try growing them as an informal hedgerow or naturalized in a moist sunny spot. They tolerate damp feet.
For a family of four, plant six to eight blueberry bushes, spaced 6 feet apart. When mature-about five years after planting-each bush will ripen two to four quarts of berries over two months.
Blueberries require cross-pollination for best fruit set, so plant at least two varieties. Three is better, ensuring an extended harvest.
There are many excellent varieties. Some that thrive in the colder sections of the country include Herbert, Bluecrop, Earliblue, Jersey, Blueray, Patriot, Northblue and Northsky. Rabbiteye types are better suited to the South.
While they are more demanding than blueberries, nothing compares to the exquisite flavor of ripe, red raspberries.
By its third season, a vigorous raspberry clump, started from a single rooted cane, produces about one quart of fruit a year. For fresh fruit, allow 25 plants for a family of four, more for freezing or canning.
Depending on the variety and how it is managed, fruit production peaks in July (summer-bearing varieties) or September (ever-bearing varieties). Summer bearers-Latham, Titan, Taylor-produce flowers and fruit only on previous year`s canes. Ever-bearing, or ”fall” raspberries, such as Heritage, produce a small crop in June, followed by a more generous one in autumn.
I grow both but restrict Heritage to a single fall crop by pruning all of the canes to the ground each spring. Except for a brief period in August, when blueberries pick up the slack, I have raspberries from June until frost.
Raspberries are less attractive than blueberry bushes. Grown in rows to facilitate pruning and air circulation and requiring a sturdy support system of posts and wire, raspberries are, in my opinion, a poor candidate for landscaping.
Because I don`t spray raspberries, weather conditions dictate quality and quantity of harvest. Last year`s July crop was enormous and mold-free, the fall crop almost non-existent because of the drought. During the wet growing season of 1990, the outcome was reversed.
One note of caution: When buying raspberry canes, get only certified virus-free stock from a reputable nursery or mail-order firm.
Strawberries are the trickiest of all the small fruits. They harbor the most pests. My worst problem, though, was with the four-legged sort, forcing my strawberries into an animal-proof wire enclosure. (Our three cats also help out when so inclined.)
Catalogs and fruit guides contend that healthy 2- and 3-year-old strawberry plants should each yield about a quart of berries. Mine never have come close to that.
I would suggest that a family of four begin with 75 to 100 plants and freeze or can the excess berries, if there are any. After trying the ever-bearing day-neutral strawberries, Tristar and Tribute, I`ve returned to spring-bearing Earliglow. The flavor of the day-neutrals was acceptable but the crop so sporadic I never could pick enough berries at a time to make it back to the kitchen with them.
