“Wild” Blackberries Blackberries for the Home Garden laciniatus ‘Evergreen’ Dr. Bernadine Strik, Professor of Horticulture The only true PNW native Introduced in 1800’s Extension Berry Crops Specialist State University

Rubus armeniacus ‘Himalaya’ Introduced in 1800’s

Male plant female plant

Aggregate fruit of many Terminology: Fruiting Lateral drupelets calyx Marion during harvest

drupelet Drupelet: Section of a berry Each has a seed The receptacle is part of the “berry” fruit we eat

Primocanes Floricanes First year Second year Sliced fruit Always vegetative Always fruiting Floricanes at budbreak

Blackberries Three types of blackberries:

Erect e.g. ‘Ouachita’

Marion Trailing e.g. ‘Marion’ ‘Boysen’ ’

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/ Semi-erect Ouachita e.g. ‘Triple Crown’ Triple Crown

Bernadine Strik, Professor, 1 Trailing Blackberries Planting Establishment: Trailing Blackberries • Cultivars include – Marion, Obsidian, Black Diamond, Columbia Star – Hybrids: Boysen, Logan • Fruit tend to be oblong, have relatively small seeds, and have a highly aromatic, good flavor • Fruit from late June through August, depending on cultivar

Trailing blackberry Trailing Blackberries Primocanes are not tipped/pruned in summer

Every-year production: Floricanes trained on wires

Plant 3.5 to 5 ft apart At harvest time Rows 10 ft apart Install trellis in planting year (wires at 6 ft & 4.5 ft) Train primocanes as they grow Hoop for training new primocanes

Trailing blackberries Trailing blackberries During harvest (generally July) After fruit harvest is done (mid- late August)

Cut dying floricanes and remove from the trellis wires

Bernadine Strik, Professor, Oregon State University 2 Trailing blackberries Trailing Blackberries Training primocanes

Dying floricane, after pruning out Divide primocanes into two bundles

Train half one way on trellis and the other in the opposite direction

Primocanes ready for training

Train in: • August or • February (colder regions)

Trailing Blackberries Trailing Blackberries Training primocanes Training primocanes

Loop bundles August trained around the two upper training wires

Before training in Feb.

OR

Trailing Blackberries Re-growth should be tucked by late winter Trailing blackberries August-trained:

Late winter

Early spring Photo taken in October

Bernadine Strik, Professor, Oregon State University 3 Erect Blackberries Erect blackberries Floricane and primocane- 2 to 3’ in the row with 10’ between rows fruiting types Relatively large seeds Less aromatic than trailing types Ripen July – late August for floricane fruiting types & Sept.-Nov. for primocane-fruiting types

Erect blackberry ‘Ouachita’ erect blackberry primocane after summer tipping

Tip primocanes in summer to about 3’-4’ high Do this several times to catch all in the field This encourages branching

Erect blackberry Primocane-fruiting erect blackberry

Can use a simple trellis Prune in winter, when dormant to shorten the branches Can double-crop (primocane + floricane) or single-crop (just primocane) Dormant primocanes after pruning

Bernadine Strik, Professor, Oregon State University 4 Pruning Tip (at 3 ft)

Tip primocane • Remove 4 to 12 inches of the cane tip • If tip of cane shows 3 ft tall flower buds it is too late to tip

June 3

Tip (at 3 ft)

Tipped primocane

New primocanes emerging from roots

June 3 June 7

Pruning Pruning Fruit produced on branches Fruit produced on branches Branches growing Branches longer Branches flowering

• Will fruit at tip Primocane development (how much • Branches will grow depends on region) June 17 July 27 July 27

Bernadine Strik, Professor, Oregon State University 5 Pruning Pruning – plants go dormant Fruit produced on branches

Autumn/Winter • Cold temperatures stop fruiting and branch tips die

August 30

Fruiting season cut short by weather Pruning for two crops in many temperate or continental climates

Prepare for floricane crop • Prune to remove dead portions of canes

End of October

Floricane crop Semi-erect Blackberries Primarily for fresh market Mainly ‘Chester Thornless’ and ‘Triple Crown’ (best flavor!) Relatively large seeds Less aromatic than trailing types Floricane crop Ripen early August-Oct. • Fruit produced on laterals that emerge from portion of healthy buds remaining

Bernadine Strik, Professor, Oregon State University 6 Semi-erect blackberries 6’ x 10 to 12’ spacing Semi-erect blackberry

Primocanes summer tipped to about 5 - 6’ Branches may be further pruned in winter Dead floricanes are removed

Primocanes have strong apical dominance and Floricane at bud break benefit from tipping.

Branches are more Tip primocanes to ~ 5’ productive

Established blackberry Publication: o Fertilize with about 2 to 2.5 oz N/plant in spring o Divide into thirds (early April; late May; late June) o For example: 4 to 5 oz of 16-16-16 per application per plant

http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/

‘Marion’ also known as “marionberry” Cultivars: Black Diamond (thornless) Trailing types Marion (thorny; previous slide)

Obsidian

Logan Boysen (Hybrids) Columbia Star (thornless)

Bernadine Strik, Professor, Oregon State University 7 Cultivars (all regions): Winter Cold Injury Ouachita (erect; thornless) Triple Crown (semi-erect; thornless) Poor bud break due to cold damage

Cane damage & poor bud break in trailing blackberry

Primary bud killed by cold Sliced cane showing damage to bud base.

PrimeArk®-45 (erect; primocane fruiter)

Cane Diseases Heat/u.v. Damage Cane & leaf spot (Septoria) Purple blotch Sunburn to semi-erect blackberry Heat damage to a trailing type

Botrytis Cane & Leaf Rust Cane & leaf rust (Khuneola sp.) Remove and burn infected floricanes right after harvest Apply dormant copper sprays

Disease is promoted by a warm, moist environment Maintain an open canopy Avoid overhead irrigation and late watering

Bernadine Strik, Professor, Oregon State University 8 Downy mildew Red Berry Mite Systemic – known to affect ‘Kotata’ & ‘Boysen’ No home products registered that are effective Practice good weed control • Use dormant oil and lime sulfur Dried fruit often split sprays in dormant season

Section of berry affected by mites

Mite is only 1/50” long

Receptacle

Drupelet Lesions on leaves follow veins

Leaves are chlorotic Leaf Roller Larvae Herbicide Damage and strap-like Phytotoxicity from Round-Up R

Watch for leaf rolling and kill larvae before enter fruit

larva

Orange Tortrix adult

Spotted Wing Drosophila Crown Borer Actual size Drosophila suzukii 2-3 mm

Two-year life cycle Adult lays eggs on leaves Larvae burrow into crown and into new primocanes Female with serrated ovipositor Canes collapse Male with spotted wings Only home control is rouging out infected plants From OSU Extension Publication, EM8991

Bernadine Strik, Professor, Oregon State University 9 Spotted Wing Drosophila Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Crown Gall (BMSB) Bacterium in plant No control other than AND soil exclusion nets Cultivar differences in susceptibility No control Disinfect pruners to avoid spread

Courtesy, WSU BMSB on late-fruiting blackberry

Bernadine Strik, Professor, Oregon State University 10