Small Fruit Production Teryl R. Roper Dept. of Horticulture University of Wisconsin-Madison Small Fruits for Wisconsin Strawberry Raspberry Blueberry Cranberry Lingonberry Juneberry Currants Gooseberry 1 2 Soils for berries Well drained loamy soils High organic matter Amend with compost, etc. ph between 6.0 and 7.0 Except blueberries & lingonberries (4.5 to 5.5) 3 Site preparation Begin the year before planting Soil test & add P, K fertilizer if needed Adjust ph (if needed & possible) Control perennial weeds Cultivation Non-residual herbicides Add organic matter Manure, green manures, compost 4 Obtaining Plants Strawberry Plant Purchase plants from a reputable nursery True to name Disease free Virus indexed Don t save, don t share Arrange for spring delivery 5 Crown Leaves Stolons (runners) Roots Trusses (flowers and fruit) Plantings last 3-5 years 6 1
Flower Truss Tertiary 25-40% Crown 25-40% 50-10% Secondary Stolon or Runner Roots Primary 7 8 Daughter Plant Stolon Stolons or Runners 9 10 Strawberry Flower Petals Anther Stigma Receptacle Style Achene 11 12 2
Fruiting Habits June bearers Everbearers Day Neutral Short Day Long Day Insensitive 13 14 Day Neutral Strawberries Based on a collection of F. virginiana made in Utah s Wasatch mountains by Royce Bringhurst, Breeder at UC-Davis. Incorporated into breeding program. Is now the basis for the strawberry industries in California, Florida and other warm climates. Planting Spring after danger of frost past Proper depth Spread roots Firm soil around crown 15 16 PLANTING DEPTH Shallow Correct Deep 17 18 3
Strawberry planting systems Matted Row 12 to 18 between plants 36 to 40 row spacing Beds 12-18 wide Runners encouraged Spaced Plant 6 between plants 36 to 40 row spacing Single plant row Runners removed 19 20 21 22 Spaced Plant System 23 24 4
ant System Spaced Pl Remove blossoms the first year Promotes vegetative growth 25 26 Irrigation Strawberry is shallow rooted The soil must not dry out Require 1 to 2 inches per week Winter Mulch Straw 2-3 Apply when soil freezes (late) Remove in spring as leaves emerge (early) Spun-bonded polyester row covers 27 28 Winter Protection 3 to 4 inches of clean straw 29 30 5
Avoid weedy straw Remove mulch when new leaves emerge 31 32 Place mulch between rows Dead Alive 33 34 Frost Protection Proper site is important Tarping is the best and easiest solution in home gardens Tarps Blankets Row cover material 35 Renovation Begin immediately after harvest Control weeds Mow leaves if leaf diseases serious Narrow rows Place soil around crowns Incorporate mulch Fertilize 36 6
37 38 Rows vs. Patch Linear feet of row edge Yield Square feet covered Yield 39 40 Fertility Amend soil before planting Do Not add fertilizer before harvest Get leaves, not fruit Fertility Year 1 when runners form apply: ¾ to 1 ½ lbs ammonium sulfate OR ½ to 1/3 lbs urea per 100 feet of row Bearing years at renovation AND one month later apply: ½ lb ammonium sulfate OR 1/3 lb urea per 100 feet of row Water thoroughly 41 42 7
43 44 Cultivars Questions? June bearing Earliglow Honeoye Cavendish Jewel Sparkle Day neutral Tribute Tristar Seascape 45 46 Raspberries Raspberry Plant Woody perennial Crown Roots Canes Primocanes & floricanes Leaves Flowers 47 48 8
Raspberry Plant Biennial growth and fruiting habit Primocanes Floricanes Tips Floricanes Side Branches Primocanes Plantings last 8-10 years Crown Roots Crown Buds 49 50 70% 20% 6% 4% Immature Buds Fruit buds Leader Bud Roots Stigma Style Anther Filament Ovule Receptacle 51 52 Raspberry Fruiting Habits Summer Bearing Fruit on one year old floricanes Fall Bearing Fruit on primocanes 53 54 9
Planting Raspberries In the spring after danger of frosts is past Just lower than in the nursery 55 56 Planting Systems Hill System Rows Plants 2-3 feet apart in rows Rows 6-10 feet apart Hills 4 X 4 feet apart 57 58 Hill System Hill System 59 60 10
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Pruning Raspberries Summer Remove fruited floricanes Thin out new shoots Dormant Head floricanes by ¼ Remove weak or damaged wood Thin canes to 4-6 per foot of row 67 68 BEFORE AFTER 69 70 BEFORE AFTER 71 72 12
73 74 75 76 Fertility 4 to 6 cups high N fertilizer per 100 feet of row Timingi Early spring (early May) Late spring (early June) Harvesting Red, yellow, & black raspberries The cap pulls clean leaving the receptacle Blackberries The receptacle is removed along with the fruit 77 78 13
Other Brambles Black raspberries R. occidentalis Purple raspberries R. neglectus Interspecific hybrids: Boysenberries red x blackberry Tayberries red 4 x black 8 Blackberries Many species 79 80 Raspberry Cultivars Raspberry Cultivars Summer Bearing Boyne Nova Killarney Reveille Titan Fall Bearing Autumn Britten Autumn Bliss Ruby Heritage Yellow Goldie Kiwigold Fall Gold Purple Brandywine Royalty 81 82 Grapes Vitis labrusca Blue grapes also known as fox grapes. Native to western hemisphere. Hardy. V. vinifera Wine grapes native to Europe. Not hardy French-American hybrids Hybrids are marginally hardy Grape Plant Roots. Root readily from cuttings Trunk. May be single or split Cordon. Horizontal permanent stems Canes. One year old wood. Current season growth, too. Spurs. Canes pruned off short. 2-3 buds Tendrils. Twining structures borne opposite leaves or clusters. Helps hold vines to trellis 83 84 14
One year old cane Primary Bud Current season cane Cluster Tendril Tertiar ry Bud Seconda ary Bud 85 86 Hardiness Grape training French hybrids -10F bud and trunk injury Pruning Spur Cane -20F kill buds and trunks American types -20F would cause crop reduction Training Cordon Head Cordon trained, spur pruned Head trained spur pruned Cordon trained, cane pruned Head trained spur pruned 87 88 Cordon/Spur Cordon/Cane 89 90 15
Head/Spur Head/Cane 91 92 Cane vs. Spur 93 Labrusca types bear fruit at the second to fifth cane nodes Vinifera types bear fruit at the second and third cane nodes 94 J system for cold climates Spur pruned rose 95 96 16
Balanced pruning American types 30 plus 10 system 30 buds for first pound of prunings 10 buds for each additional pound French hybrids 20 plus 10 system Don t exceed 40-50 buds 97 98 Pollination Grapes with perfect flowers are self fruitful Some wild types have male and female plants. Male plants produce flowers, but never produce fruit. 99 100 Propagation Cuttings root easily Cut canes with three nodes (bud) Put two buds below ground one above Vines will readily root and grow Can also tip layer Fertility Annual nitrogen application in spring May need additional potassium Micronutrients rarely needed Tissue testing based on petioles 101 102 17
Questions? Bush Fruit Blueberries Juneberries Gooseberries Currants Red Black Culture is very similar 103 104 Review Correct Site Correct Species Correct Cultivar Correct System Pre-plant preparations Careful Culture 105 18