SRSFC Blackberry Agent Training August 4, 2009 North Carolina State University

Caneberries….exciting days are here Available year round Interest in locally produced food Health benefits rival blueberry Consumption increasing Varietal improvement New types New production systems

Exciting days for SE blackberry (and raspberry) industry

What we will cover Site selection Blackberry biology 101 Trellis systems NC yields

Site Selection Prepare 1 year in advance Full sun, good air movement, adequate soil moisture

Soils –Deep well drained loamy soil –3%OM –pH –Sandy w/irrigation –Heavy soils w/drainage and raised beds

Site Preparation Soil tests Eliminate noxious weeds Remove barriers for good air drainage Address areas in field having poor drainage Remove wild brambles within 600’

Blackberryology 101 Roots are perennial –Fibrous and relatively shallow –Strong sink for carbon (store a lot) Biennial above ground growth –Primocanes, first year growth –Floricanes, second year growth Fruit –Aggregate fruit –Druplets (same structure as a peach)

Climate requirements Raspberries –Cool summers, sustained cold winter temperatures Blackberries –High temperatures (FF types) –Tolerate fluctuating winter temperatures in NC (don’t break dormancy) –Don’t do well below 10F (lower reports)

Growth Habit Erect Semi-erect Trailing

Thorns Thorny Thornless

Trellis systems “There are many types of trellis for different places and for different plants” »Wikipedia

Trellis Increase yield Facilitate harvest Easier to manage $

V trellis

T trellis

Shift trellis –Orientation of canopy changes after bloom –Fruiting side of canopy faces afternoon sun

Marketable yield and average berry size in Oxford and Salisbury Salisbury Outside Oxford Outside Salisbury Tunnel Apache Arapaho Natchez no data Navaho NC no data Ouachita Salisbury Outside Oxford Outside Salisbury Tunnel Apache Arapaho Natchez9.67.2no data Navaho NC no data6.8 Ouachita

Primocane Fruiting Blackberries: Laurel Springs

2008 Yield Components

High Tunnels Salisbury, Mills River and Laurel Springs

Blackberry Resources SRSFC website –2008 Southeast Regional Guides (IPM and Production Guides) –Newsletters (home/smallfruitnews) –Budgets, NEW Blackberry, PF raspberry soon (crops/brambles/production) Berry Diagnostic Tool- Google – nostic_tool.htmlhttp:// nostic_tool.html Raspberry and Blackberry Production Guide (NRAES) County agents, State Extension Specialists

Thanks!