A view of Raspberries,Blackberries,and Strawberries
All berries enjoy a sandy loam soil. Their root base is generally shallow ( 8 inches). The soil must be porous so that no puddling occurs at the root base. The exception to root depth are the blackberries which have a deeper base and can actually travel under ground and pop up 6 feet away like they do in my strawberry patch. To the left border lie the royal purple raspberries; to the left side, behind the royal purples, are my ollala berries(blackberries) that proceed to the back left. The royal purples continue to the right of the olalla berries. The strawberries are protected by the netting shown.
My Sequoia strawberries are sweet with a rich strawberry taste. The drawback is their short shelf life. This is a “pick and eat the same day” type of berry. The birds love them which explains the need for the netting. I replant with starters every 2 years and sometimes I mix the species. Before growers began using plastic cover underneath the plant to protect the berries from becoming moist, straw was used.
On the left of the above photo are my royal purple raspberries. Once a stalk has produced fruit, it must be eventually removed to allow new “wood” to produce berries for the next season. The bush is low maintenance but needs consistent moisture which will maximize its productivity. My experience has been that raspberries do not produce as much fruit as blackberries. I am still experimenting with various raspberry species. On the right side of the above photo are my 0llala berries(blackberries) that have been pruned back for next season. The berries are vacuum frozen for the winter months.
There are four different species of blueberry bushes shown. They have a very shallow root base and therefore the importance of good top soil with drainage is highlighted. Certain species perform better and I believe it is locality, weather, and sunlight that matter. It’s a good idea to vary your selection unless you have seen the plant grown in your neighborhood. Netting is a must due to birds.
