Pruning And Training Your Berry Bushes

Education

You must be logged in to verify your brand account.

Pruning And Training Your Berry Bushes

Updated May 20, 2010

3 minute read

Fresh bush berries are a joy to have during the growing season and there is no better way to have them then by growing them yourself. Freshly handpicked berries are a delight to have at any dinner table whether it be in a dessert or simply just in a bowl with cream and lets not forget about the lovely preservatives you can make with them such as jams and jellies. There is no other jelly for me that even compares to my grandmothers black berry jelly from berries she grew herself.

Image By Wikapedia Commons

If opting to grow your own berries you should know that most people who grow bush berries don't just leave them, allowing them to to grow on their own. Most berry bushes such as the raspberry, blackberry, loganberry, tayberry and boysenberry all have a tendency to get on top of you, growing wildly out of control, not only taking up too much space in your garden but if they are left to go to brambles your going to have a hard time getting all of those delicious berries. It is not very nice to find yourself amidst a jungle of thorns trying to fight your way to the berries without being stabbed numerous times.

In order to make the most of your berry bushes the best way to do this is by pruning and training your berries.

What You Have to Do

Step 1-Cut already fruited canes to ground level in the fall(Fall raspberries cannot be cut at this time)

Step 2-Bang some posts into the ground and attach wires horizontally to them making them taught.

Step 3- Spread the canes along the wires you have erected so they are balanced on both sides. Four-five canes should be placed on each side and one cane per wire.

Step 4- Tie canes in with some twine. Try not to cross the canes over on one another as this may cause disease from rubbing.

Step 5-When the new canes begin to grow tie them into the central space with twine. This allows you to be able to tell the old canes from the new the following season.

Berries To Try

It is always nice to have traditional berries such as the raspberry and blackberry but if you going for something different try hybrids such as tayberries, loganberries or boysenberries.

Tayberry

Images by Wikapedia Commons

-The tayberry is a cross between a raspberry and blackberry. They are grown for their sweetness, aroma and large fruits that are simply delicious raw and when cooking.

Loganberry

Image by Wikapedia Commons

-The loganberry is also a cross between the raspberry and blackberry and though they are not as nice as the tayberry raw because they are more sour, they tend to compliment raspberries and blackberries better when cooking with all three together.

Boysenberry

Image By Wiakpedia Commons

-The boysenberry is a cross between loganberries, blackberries and raspberries and can be used in jams, pies or eaten raw. They are truly a lovely berry to have but they problem with them is they do not keep as long as the others and should be used within 2 days.

About Author

Tanya Kime-Wallace is a writer and freelance writer as well as the owner of a small gardening business. She developed a love for writing at a very young age and is extremely passionate about the written word. She is capable of writing virtually anything she sets her mind to and is an upcoming horror novelist. She has extensive knowledge about horticulture and gardening teaching workshops relating to this subject and enjoys being able to share it with others. She has many interests and when she feels something is interesting or important enough to share, she will write about it. She is also the mother of two beautiful children and cherishes every second of it.