Primocane-fruiting Blackberry Cane Management Dr. Bernadine Strik, Professor of Horticulture Oregon State 2004 1
Un-tipped Tipped at 3 ft. Petiole Soft tip-site (3 ft) Removing 2 to 4 inches Leaf Petiole Emerging branches 2
Un-tipped primocane Soft-tipped primocane (3 ft) Primocanes that were tipped to 3 feet tall had almost double the number of flowers (Strik, Finn, Clark, 2008; Thompson, Strik, Clark, 2007) Impact of soft-tip height on branching Avg. branch length = 2.5 ft Avg. branch length = 1.5 ft Avg. branch length = < 1 ft Branch length decreased with soft-tipping height Tip 1.5 ft Tip 3 ft Tip 5 ft 21 May 7 June 26 June 3
Un-tipped primocane Tipped primocane Flowering region Ellen Thompson (M.S student), 2005 Treatments: Soft-tip 1.5 ft (control) Re-cut at 1 ft then soft-tip at 1.5 ft Re-cut at 1.5 ft then soft-tip at 1.5 ft Tip at 1.5 ft then tip branches at 1.5 ft ( Double tip ) Ellen Thompson, M.S. graduate student 4
Double tip: Tipped primocanes to about 1.5 feet (removing about 2 inches) Tipped branches to about 1.5 ft (removing about 2 inches) Tipped branch Primocanes tipped to 1.5 feet Tipped once at 1.5 ft Double-tipped at 1.5 ft Cane architecture Main cane tipped at 1.5 ft & branches at 1.5 ft 5
Berry wt. (g) Cumulative yield (kg-plot -1 ) 20 18 T0.5m/Tb0.5m 16 T0.5m (control) 14 C0.25m/T0.5m 12 C0.5m/T0.5m 10 8 6 4 2 0 10-Sept. 24-Sept. 8-Oct. 22-Oct. 5-Nov. 19-Nov. Double tipped Re-cut at 1 ft; single tip Single tip 12.0 10.0 8.0 6.0 4.0 2.0 T0.5m/Tb0.5m Tunnel T0.5m/Tb0.5m Field T0.5m (control) Tunnel T0.5m (control) Field A. 2006 0.0 14-Sept. 28-Sept. 12-Oct. 26-Oct. 9-Nov. Double tipped Single tip Cumulative yield and berry weight of Prime-Jan blackberry, at Oregon State (Thompson et al., 2009) Double tipping increased yield more than 3-fold & berry weight by 33% compared to single tip Note: berries are larger in a tunnel (data shown here) One tip versus double tip had no effect on fruiting season Re-cut 0.25 m E 2 Feb C T 26 Apr 7 Jun B 26 Jul H 0 14 Sept H 1 5 Oct H f 26 Oct Field H f 16 Nov Tunnel E C T B H 0 Re-cut 0.5 m 2 Feb 15 May 3 Jul 12 Aug 12 Oct H 1 /H f 26 Oct Field H f 16 Nov Tunnel Double -tip E 2 Feb T 15 May T b B H 0 27 Jun 27 Jul 14 Sept H 1 5 Oct H f 26 Oct Field H f 16 Nov Tunnel Tip 0.5 m (control) E 2 Feb T H 0 H 1 15 May 24 Jul 14 Sept B 28 Sept H f 26 Oct Field H f 16 Nov Tunnel Fig. 1. Average date of primocane emergence (E), cutting (C), tipping main primocane at 0.5 m (T), tipping branches at 0.5 m (Tb), bloom (B), first fruit harvest (H0), 50% harvest (H1), and final harvest (Hf) of 'Prime Jan' blackberry grown in open field or a tunnel at the NWREC, 2006-2007 (n=8). Thompson, Strik, Finn, Zhao & Clark (2009) 6
Soft-tipped at 1.5 ft Double-tipped Primocane crop in extended climate, CA Double tipped Primocane yield 9 to 10 tons/acre Prime-Ark 45 primocane crop, Watsonville area, CA Courtesy: Ellen Thompson, Pacific Berry Breeding LLC, CA 7
Fruiting season cut short by weather in many temperate or continental climates Grow in tunnels in Oregon End of October Management Just like floricane-fruiting erect blackberry this type of caneberry may form a hedge over time (primocanes from roots) Hedgerow maintained to about 1 to 1.5 feet width 8
Trellis Trellises typically have two wires and a cross arm to support primocanes Pruning and training Depends on cropping method A. Single crop (only produce fruit on primocane) B. Double crop (early crop on floricane; later crop on primocane) 9
Pruning and training Single crop Most common cropping system for primocanefruiting blackberry Primocanes grow during season, flower, and fruit in very late Summer through Autumn PrimeArk Freedom, Oregon, early summer Pruning and training Single crop Pruned by mowing off primocanes in late winter Usually done mechanically Hedgerow may be narrowed also (by tillage if flat ground) After pruning in late winter 10
Pruning and training Single crop Primocanes start to grow Early spring Pruning and training Single crop Summer pruning Single tip: Tip primocanes to about 3 feet 11
Pruning and training Single crop Summer pruning Single tip: Tip primocanes to about 3 feet Need to go over planting several times to catch all canes growing at different times Or can hedge as shown here Hedged (Strik and Buller, 2012) Pruning and training Single crop Summer pruning Single tip: Hedged Prime-Ark 45 hedged in Oregon Photo: Sept. 11 12
Pruning and training Single crop Summer pruning Double tip: Tip primocanes to about 1.5-2 feet (removing about 2 to 6 inches) Tip branches to about 1.5 ft (removing about 2 inches) Tipped branch Primocanes tipped to 2 feet PRIMOCANE FRUITING BLACKBERRY R SPRI N G SU M M ER AU T U M N WI N T ER March April May June July August September October November December January February PRIMOCANE FRUITING BLACKBERRY 13
PRIMOCANE FRUITING BLACKBERRY R SPRI N G SU M M ER AU T U M N WI N T ER March April May June July August September October November December January February PRIMOCANE FRUITING BLACKBERRY R SPRI N G SU M M ER AU T U M N WI N T ER March April May June July August September October November December January February 14
PRIMOCANE FRUITING BLACKBERRY R SPRI N G SU M M ER AU T U M N WI N T ER March April May June July August September October November December January February PRIMOCANE FRUITING BLACKBERRY R SPRI N G SU M M ER AU T U M N WI N T ER March April May June July August September October November December January February 15
PRIMOCANE FRUITING BLACKBERRY R SPRI N G SU M M ER AU T U M N WI N T ER March April May June July August September October November December January February PRIMOCANE FRUITING BLACKBERRY R SPRI N G SU M M ER AU T U M N WI N T ER March April May June July August September October November December January February 16
PRIMOCANE FRUITING BLACKBERRY R SPRI N G SU M M ER AU T U M N WI N T ER March April May June July August September October November December January February PRIMOCANE FRUITING BLACKBERRY R SPRI N G SU M M ER AU T U M N WI N T ER March April May June July August September October November December January February 17
Pruning and training Single crop Summer pruning Double tipped Primocane-fruiting blackberry field, California 18
Pruning and training Single crop Double tipped Primocane yield 9 to 10 tons/acre Prime-Ark 45 primocane crop, Watsonville area, CA Courtesy: Ellen Thompson, Pacific Berry Breeding LLC, CA Pruning and training Double crop Portion of the primocane that did not fruit will fruit as a floricane early the following summer Suggest a single tip when double cropping in colder climates Prime-Jim floricanes in bloom, Oregon. Canes were not pruned 19
Single tip (at 3 ft) Tip primocane Remove 4 to 6 inches of the cane tip If tip of cane shows flower buds it is too late to tip 3 ft tall Single tip (at 3 ft) Primocane development Branches will grow Will fruit at tip (how much depends on region) 20
Single tip (at 3 ft) Autumn/Winter Cold temperatures stop fruiting and branch tips die Hard hedge (Strik and Buller, 2012) 21
Hand-tipping severity (Strik and Buller, 2012) Soft-tipped (remove 4 to 3 ft) 2.2 branches/cane 30 fruit/cane 9.5 inch long branches Hard-tipped (remove 1.5 ft to 3 ft) 4.2 branches/cane 66 fruit/cane 16 inch long branches Prime-Ark 45 hedged in Oregon Photo: Sept. 11 22
Fruiting season cut short by weather in many temperate or continental climates End of October Extending season in a tunnel October 28 23
Prepare for floricane crop Hedge to remove dead portions of canes Floricane crop Fruit produced on laterals that emerge from portion of healthy buds remaining 24
Pruning and training Double crop Floricane crop, at bloom, California Dead floricanes removed in winter Primocanes typically single tipped (double tipping difficult with floricanes present) Primocane crop yield is reduced and delayed in double cropped system Prime-Ark 45 in April; floricane crop Courtesy: Ellen Thompson, Pacific Berry Breeding LLC Summary Tip primocane (at least once) Shorter tipping height increases branch length Hard tipping possible in cooler climates (increasing branch number and yield) Offers a late-season, niche primocane crop Double cropping not common, but floricane crop harvested if fruit offers advantage for quality in season and for labor (done in some regions). 25