Great year for blackberries and dew berries

[helomech]

We picked until we where tired of bending over and have not even put a dent into what is in the field.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii247/helomech1973/13091977_10201679800233027_4429506364101088258_n_z pscagf7gk9.jpg (http://s266.photobucket.com/user/helomech1973/media/13091977_10201679800233027_4429506364101088258_n_z pscagf7gk9.jpg.html)

[ak474u]

Mine are still green. Got 22lbs off of 1 plant last year, so we planted 6 more, and I've dug 4 more babies out and rooted them in the last few weeks.

[helomech]

Wow, you are not that far north of us. Ours have been black for a couple weeks now.

[ak474u]

Wow, you are not that far north of us. Ours have been black for a couple weeks now.

I know, I've always been amazed by how a small distance can make a difference in production. The good news is, I think I'm gonna have a bumper crop of blueberries. I think we're gonna have 3. Not 300 lbs, not even 3 lbs. THREE blueberries. Lol

[helomech]

My blueberries are looking good right now. But the last few years I thought the same thing and got nothing. I think I got about 15 plants.

[ak474u]

My blueberries are looking good right now. But the last few years I thought the same thing and got nothing. I think I got about 15 plants.

I'm down to 2 blueberries, the other 2 crapped out.

[helomech]

I had about 5 of mine die.

[Vodin]

I just bought 2 Blueberry and 1 Blackberry plants to small for anything this year. I do have a black raspberry (jewel) and 3 or 4 other raspberry plants taking hold. Got 1 grape and hoping to get something from it this year. I only started this a few years ago. Gonna have snow here tomorrow and Sat I don not think it will be that much though. Last frost should be April 17 so things will be planted soon. Been growing them in the basement.

[helomech]

I have 4 grape vines that are a few years old and they are loaded with little grapes. I just don't like the taste of them, so we give them to all the critters.

[bacpacker]

I have planted 15 Blueberries over the years, still have 11. Cleaned out around them, pruned a little and fertilized the crap out of them this winter. Right now they are all full or blooms and small berries. If we don't get a severe late freeze, we should have a good harvest this year.
Cleaned out, pruned, and fertilized, and got about 2/3 of my grape vines set up with a new arbor system. All my concord grapes are on it and starting out well, small grapes already forming. Got two muscidines going as well. The rest of them need cleaning, and pruning, and get the arbor set up.
We have two tame blackberries out and they are growing off well. Not sure they will bear this year. But we have quite a few wild ones and should do alright with them. They are laoding up with blooms right now. just in time for blackberry winter next week. :)

[Kesephist]

Showing my city boy iggorance....

Aside from a compote, jam, or jelly, can blackberries/raspberries be preserved? Dehydrated, perhaps? or canned whole?

Have to admit, I'd not mind the compote... less sugar and less processing.

[ak474u]

Showing my city boy iggorance....

Aside from a compote, jam, or jelly, can blackberries/raspberries be preserved? Dehydrated, perhaps? or canned whole?

Have to admit, I'd not mind the compote... less sugar and less processing.

We freeze them for my wife's breakfast smoothies, and if we don't have time to cook down, and strain them all at once for jam. I'm not hot on fresh blackberries, but I do like the jam a lot.

[bacpacker]

I like them plain, with a little sugar fresh, mixed with strawberries and blueberries. They are great in a cobbler or mixed with other fruit in a smoothie. Plus jelly and jam. Also good as a topping on pancakes.

[Sniper-T]

They soak up alcohol nicely in Sangria...

[jamesneuen]

We just canned the black berries whole with about a teaspoon of sugar. Worked nice and tasted awesome as ice cream topping.

[Vodin]

The wife makes an awesome Kiwi/Blueberry jelly and a Kiwi /Strawberry jelly.

[Socalman]

My wife wanted blueberries so I planted two blueberry bushes this year. They have what I think is a good crop for such small bushes. Now if I can just keep birds and bears from getting to my berries...

[Katrina]

I know you can get netting to go over the bushes. They're supposed to keep the birds off the bushes. Don't know about the bears though, they might think you gift wrapped the berries up for them as presents, LOL

[Socalman]

Yesterday, Mothers' Day we harvested our first few blueberries. My wife was thrilled! In just a few minutes I will go out and see if we have more ready to harvest. I have to beat the birds to them!

[ak474u]

Yesterday, Mothers' Day we harvested our first few blueberries. My wife was thrilled! In just a few minutes I will go out and see if we have more ready to harvest. I have to beat the birds to them!

I'm doing the same with strawberries, getting a few big fat ones every day but we have to be quick, we had a bird figure out how to defeat the netting last week. He's gonna die.

[Vodin]

You people have an edge that I dont have. My raspberries are just starting to wake up from the winter slumber.