Howdy -
For those of you with established cane berries... Do you irrigate? If so, how much? I've got plenty of data on the "right" amount of water to give them (X gal/week, X in/week, etc.). But, assuming a "normal" summer (ie, not too droughty), I'm wondering if I can get away without irrigating at all. After all, all those himalayan blackberries don't get irrigation...
Experience & insights appreciated.
Cheers!
Depends on the quality of fruit you wish to harvest. The average quality of the Himalayans are poor, although the occasional sizy, tasty patch can be found, usually where there is damp ground in the summer.
Local commercial and u-pick fields get irrigation in the summer. Also, any mid-spring or later fertilizer would need to be watered in. Adequate water can also contribute to overall cane health and growth; this makes pest insect damage a smaller percentage problem (2% of leaves eaten instead of 50%).
The amount of water needed will vary from the extremes of a berry patch in heavy damp soil and partial shade to one in loose/sandy soil in full sun, what is your location like?
I water the ground below my canes twice a week during high summer, either with the drip system for an hour or two or with a nozzle by hand until standing water forms and stays. Overhead watering and ripe fruit can create mold.
Keep in mind that you can over-water raspberries (root rot); blackberries cannot be over-watered unless they are flooded for an extended time.
One downside to caneberry watering is that SWD prefer it cool and moist.
We're on S/SE facing slope that gets cooked in the summer. We've irrigated our berries since they were planted, going on 5-6 years now, and the fruit's been very good...
(side note - our raspberries are going to be replaced with another black variety next spring. A combination of root rot & critter damage have taken their toll on the rasps)
... BUT, I'm polling other growers to see iif they get away without the irrigating their berries. I'm still watering blueberries and a couple young trees that just went in last year (& this year), but all other fruit plants are on their own water-wise and I would love to ween the caneberries if possible. Blues too at some point, then I'll be irrigation-free.
Cheers.
I put my thornless blackberries and black caps, salmonberries and thimbleberries in a half sun, poor soil condition and I don't irrigate. I get tons of high quality berries. The ground hardly sees the sun, and they are growing well. I think you get fewer diseases if you don't irrigate or fertilize because the plant makes its own defenses (antioxidants-polyphenols- nutrition!).
John S
PDX OR
Idyllwild
simplepress
jafar
Marsha H
Viron
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