Growing Raspberry and Blackberry Plants
"Growing Raspberry and Blackberry Plants"
The home garden is not complete unless it contains such small fruits as the raspberry and blackberry plants. They are second only to the strawberry in general flavor, and these raspberry and blackberry plants would be planted more often than they are presently if the backyard gardener understood how easily the raspberry and blackberry plants can be maintained, and what wonderful returns these plants will make for the comparatively small amount of care they require.
The raspberry plant is much more widely cultivated than the blackberry plant, for several reasons: 1. It is considered hardier. 2. It yields more bountifully. 3. It is supposed to require less care.
The first reason above I consider it not that important because both raspberry and blackberry plants must be given some type of protection during the winter, especially in the north east. It is just as easy to protect the raspberry plant as it is for the blackberry plant.
While it may be true that the home gardener can pick more fruit from the raspberry than from the blackberry, the raspberry is not the same in quality as the blackberry plant, therefore where quality is considered more important than quantity the home gardener should not overlook planting the blackberry plant.
Don't get me wrong, the raspberry plant is a wonderful, tasty fruit and by all means is not an inferior plant, but the blackberry plant has a peculiar wine-like juiciness combined with its delightful acidity, makes it a general favorite wherever it is grown.
In short, while the raspberry is good very good indeed the blackberry is a little better. The impression that the blackberry requires more care than the raspberry is not really been proved, In fact, it can be grown quite as easily.
Both plants are grown from root-cuttings, as a general practice. Nurserymen produce their stock from this manner of propagation, and it is the best method for the home gardener to follow if you sets out to grow your own plants, because it is likely to give stronger plants than any other.
Old plants are dug up, and their roots are cut apart in such a manner that each piece reserved for planting has a growing point. These pieces, taken in fall, are put into boxes of sand, and buried in the ground and left there over winter. A callus forms on each piece during the winter, from which roots will be emitted later on, when the pieces are planted in the open ground, in spring.
The nature of this callus is not clearly understood, yet, but it some how in some way supports the root-cutting until roots are formed for that purpose. These cuttings should be planted in rows in fine soil, and left there until they have made considerable growth. Then they should be transplanted to their spot in the garden where they are expected to bear fruit.
When planting small fruits, I would recommend you plant your raspberry and blackberry plants at one side of the vegetable garden, or somewhere where they will not interfere with the weeding and cultivating of your vegetable garden. Give them a place of their own, and make it a permanent one.
Most home gardeners will purchase their plants from the nursery. Indeed, this would be the smart thing to do, unless you choose to save a little money and propagate your own stock from old roots which you can get from a neighbor who has plants to give away.
The plants sent out from the dealers will be one year old. These plants will have had one season's growth from root cuttings. Set them out in rows five feet apart, and at least four feet apart in the row. Five, or even six, will be better, if you have plenty of garden space available, then this will provide you with more room to work with, among your raspberry and blackberry plants.
Your raspberry and blackberry plants will most likely cover half the ground the first season, if you give these plants a rich soil and keep them growing.
This will be necessary if you expect to pick a good crop of fruit from your raspberries and blackberries next year.
Remember to cultivate between your raspberry and blackberry plants most of the season. This will help your plants to become thoroughly established and they should start making strong vigorous growth.
If your raspberries and blackberries do not seem to be making as strong a growth as you think they should, then apply more manure, and work it well into the ground and around the roots of your plants.
After the first year, when your raspberry and blackberry plants have become thoroughly established, they will start to meet in the rows, and when this happens it will be difficult to cultivate between and around the plants. Here the hoe will come into play.