Cosmo Spring Garden 2022

[Ridgerunner]

Anyone have a good trellis system for blackberries and raspberries?

I don't have any photos. I put a post at each end of the row and another post in the middle, put a cross bar (2x4) across the top of each post, then ran a wire along each end of cross bars. I can't remember exactly, maybe 3' to 3-1/2' above the ground for the wires. Then I trained the canes to grow up inside that "box" I formed with the wires. They don't climb or wrap around, I used those wires to hold the canes upright to keep them from spreading out so much I could not mow close to them.

 

[Trying2keepitReal]

Anyone have a good trellis system for blackberries and raspberries?

Trellising makes it easier to pick and manage I assume, but do you need to trellis? I remember growing up my mother never trellised our berry patches. Of course it was more like a jungle than a well managed patch but it worked for us. We currently don't trellis at our house either, though I don't plant as many as you (we have only 10 of each raspberry and blackberry and adding 4 of each this spring)

 

[Cosmo spring garden]

Trellising makes it easier to pick and manage I assume, but do you need to trellis? I remember growing up my mother never trellised our berry patches. Of course it was more like a jungle than a well managed patch but it worked for us. We currently don't trellis at our house either, though I don't plant as many as you (we have only 10 of each raspberry and blackberry and adding 4 of each this spring)

I am afraid of snakes and I just know they would love the crowded patch . Hoping to trellis so I can manage the weeds better.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Raspberries and blackberries can take over if they do well. I used my method more to define where I wanted them to grow. It helped managing the weeds and especially grass some, mainly telling me where to weed instead of mow. Weeds weren't that bad but the Bermuda grass was rough. I mulched with wood chips which made it easier to pull it out.

Also, the canes grow long and bend over, making the area pretty wide. By training the canes to grow up and be partially supported by the wires I was able to control the spread by mowing in closer. Growing up on the farm the wild blackberries were never trellised. They mainly grew in one pasture on a hillside to steep to mow. One year we picked over 170 gallons of blackberries to sell, in addition to the blackberry jelly Mom made. That one year we had a sales outlet for blackberries and Dad took advantage of it.

 

[Cosmo spring garden]

Raspberries and blackberries can take over if they do well. I used my method more to define where I wanted them to grow. It helped managing the weeds and especially grass some, mainly telling me where to weed instead of mow. Weeds weren't that bad but the Bermuda grass was rough. I mulched with wood chips which made it easier to pull it out.

Also, the canes grow long and bend over, making the area pretty wide. By training the canes to grow up and be partially supported by the wires I was able to control the spread by mowing in closer. Growing up on the farm the wild blackberries were never trellised. They mainly grew in one pasture on a hillside to steep to mow. One year we picked over 170 gallons of blackberries to sell, in addition to the blackberry jelly Mom made. That one year we had a sales outlet for blackberries and Dad took advantage of it.

You picked that many wild blackberries? Don't they have a lot of thorns? Lol I bought thornless variety of blackberries.

I think I understand your trellise based on you description.
Time to go talk to DH.....

 

[Ridgerunner]

You picked that many wild blackberries? Don't they have a lot of thorns? Lol I bought thornless variety of blackberries.

Thorns, yeah they had them. But what I remember was chiggers. Lots of chiggers. Somehow deep woods off was not on the store shelf.

 

[flowerbug]

Raspberries and blackberries can take over if they do well. I used my method more to define where I wanted them to grow. It helped managing the weeds and especially grass some, mainly telling me where to weed instead of mow. Weeds weren't that bad but the Bermuda grass was rough. I mulched with wood chips which made it easier to pull it out.

Also, the canes grow long and bend over, making the area pretty wide. By training the canes to grow up and be partially supported by the wires I was able to control the spread by mowing in closer. Growing up on the farm the wild blackberries were never trellised. They mainly grew in one pasture on a hillside to steep to mow. One year we picked over 170 gallons of blackberries to sell, in addition to the blackberry jelly Mom made. That one year we had a sales outlet for blackberries and Dad took advantage of it.

Mmmm!

 

[Cosmo spring garden]

It has been a busy week so far! I bought some garbanzo beans and decided to can those for quick meals. I also canned some black beans. Total 4 canner full of quart jars. 4 didn't seal so decided to make falafel with 2 jars and the other two will be turned in to a curry.
This week we transplanted raspberries and blackberries and mulched around the plants. We also "tried" to take control of the older blackberry patch. It looks better after pruning some trees (yes trees are growing in the patch!) And dead canes. I will also mulch this with thick later of hay soon.
Mulched the 2 rows of peas. Tomorrow I'll mulch the asparagus bed. A giant ant hill will need to be taken care of first
I am so tired lol. Now until November we will be busy busy busy!
I planted an apple seed from a store bought apple. That was three years ago and look its flowering! It's likely a crabapple but I love the flowers.

Strawberry plants are loaded with flowers. I need to fertilize them.

I am also attempting to make rabbit manure tea. Using a 55 gallon rain barrel. Anyone make this? Any advice for me? I plan to let it sit for 1 week (I know I can use it early but I figured that will be easiest since I change the rabbit cage bedding every week so I can start a new batch) and use it diluted 1:10. I have to make my own fertilizer now since a bag of triple 10 went up by $5 over the last month. I will still use the fertilizer but would love to make more of our own fertilizers since we have chickens and rabbit (soon we will have 3 more!).

My market garden partner is coming over tomorrow and we plan to plant tomatoes and peppers.

 

[Cosmo spring garden]

Made our first real compost pile! It was a whole family affair . Too almost half the day for me since I collected rye clippings with a push mower but it is standing at 4 feet tall! Now we let it rot and check temp in a few days?
If anyone wants to give me some tips please feel free to do so!
Garlic is growing like crazy now with the warmer weather! Can't wait to harvest it. I only have about one quart of fermented garlic and one pint of garlic powder left.
I am tired but happy that we got so much done today!

Also mulched the potatoes again since we are going to have a frost this weekend.

 

[flowerbug]

Made our first real compost pile! It was a whole family affair . Too almost half the day for me since I collected rye clippings with a push mower but it is standing at 4 feet tall! Now we let it rot and check temp in a few days?
If anyone wants to give me some tips please feel free to do so!
Garlic is growing like crazy now with the warmer weather! Can't wait to harvest it. I only have about one quart of fermented garlic and one pint of garlic powder left.
I am tired but happy that we got so much done today!

Also mulched the potatoes again since we are going to have a frost this weekend.

for faster composting the bigger the pile the better. those who like to work at it will turn it after a few weeks putting the outer stuff inwards so it can rot too. i'm a very minimalist when it comes down to such things and just bury stuff as much as i can and let the worms and soil community figure it out.

for garlic i space mine out which gives fewer but larger bulbs. i only grow one type of garlic and finding the best spacing for each type of garlic may be a bit of trial and error. mainly i want the larger bulbs but also i want to be able to weed between the plants with the stirrup hoe so that is the other reason for wider spacing. i never have enough mulch here and i get frowned at by Mom because she thinks it looks untidy.