I’m a bit worried. I think this might be a low yield year for the raspberries. I hope I’m wrong, but there doesn’t seem to be nearly as much new growth this year as there was last year. Do raspberries have off seasons? Does anyone know?
The blueberries on the other hand are looking plentiful. If all goes as planned, this will be the first time in 3 years we will be able to harvest a significant amount of blueberries. In previous years the chickens gobbled up the berries before they turned blue, leaving us with nothing more than a random berry here and there. But with the addition of Chicken Fort Knox we should be in blueberry heaven come the end of July. Fingers crossed.
And the strawberries? Well, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry about those. With the recent flush of free strawberries, it appears those 500 strawberry plants I planted back in March might not have been needed after all. Oh well, I suppose I couldn’t have known all the free produce I could ever eat was right around the corner.
Peace Out Girl Scouts, have a great Thursday!
♥ Mavis
If you would like to turn your yard into an edible utopia, check out the book Landscaping with Fruit by Lee Reich. It’s pack with all sorts of helpful tips, and Amazon currently has it on sale for $13.57.
Desi says
Maybe the raspberries just need to wake up some more. With all the strawberries you will be able to make some awesome angel food cake with strawberry syrup. Lots of eggs and strawberries sounds pretty yummy to me. If you find yourself with too many strawberries you could always share with me or maybe a neighbor who lives closer.
Mavis says
I need a cow Desi… for all the whipping cream I’m going to need when I start making strawberry shortcakes.
Sandra says
Fresh fruit is always exciting! How do you get your blueberries to grow? I would love some advice. This is my second year trying and they are not looking good. (My plants last year died.)
Mavis says
Hmmm. They are planted on a hillside in clay soil but beyond that, I have no idea. I don’t even think I have ever watered them. I’m sorry. I wish I could help.
Susan says
Girl, you have GOT to slow down, you are making the rest of us look like a bunch of losers!
Have you googled “off year raspberries”? The oracle knows all.
Mavis says
Sometimes I forget about google. 😉
Ayrie Joyce says
Check with Jane at Thy Hand – she’s a raspberry expert. Did you cut them back this fall? I wish you could send some of the strawberry seedlings to me. I ordered 100 more, but they were sold out 🙁
Mavis says
Jane is my buddy. I spent the night at her house last fall and she made me dinner. 🙂
Ayrie Joyce says
I know – My oldest and her oldest are one week apart. Jane and I met each other in our prenatal classes – she’s one of my best and dearest friends. I’ve been reading her blog for years, and now I’ve joined you all in cyber world. Her raspberries are amazing. My kids swoon when she brings her raspberry applesauce to dinner.
Andrea says
I think I might have the opposite problem. My blueberries aren’t looking so hot and the raspberries want to take over the entire berry plot. Weird! On the raspberries I noticed the yellow variety started sending out leaves before the red ones. Maybe yours just need a little longer?
Mavis says
Let’s hope so Andrea. 🙂
Sarah says
I live on the easten side of the state but my everbearing goldens have not even started to grow yet just leaf out from last years prunning. So maybe it is just the weather. Usually I have my first raspberry by now.
Mavis says
Let’s hope so.
Kathy says
Nothing like home-grown strawberries, though – picked warm on a sunny day.
Mavis says
I agree
Heather S. says
Maybe you’ll get some free raspberries too… Too bad I don’t live in a different state – we’d love to help you with your overabundance of strawberries… Maybe you can sell or trade some to help buy sugar so that you can make more jelly 🙂
Mavis says
Ah Ha! Trade Berries for sugar. Thank you!
Jacqi Zikmund says
I grew up raising 5 acres of strawberries in our family’s “Pick Your Own” business. After 5 years, a patch would be tilled and replanted as my dad believed plants eventually becamed diseased and the patch needed to be refreshed. New plants are a good thing! However, I was taught that in the first year after planting new plants all the blossoms should be picked off so that the plant’s energy goes into producing runners and more vegetation. I know a thick row is more desirable to ward off weeds and birds finding ripe berries.
Katie H says
My two cents:
Where the chickens running around in there last year or this year? I know that straight manure can burn plants. Yes it is good for fertilizer, but you have to becareful not to put to much because it is “hot” and can burn the roots ect. Needs to be mixed with a something that will tone it down a little. The blue berry plants need more of the nito so that is probably why they love it so much!
El Presidente says
I found you, Mavis! I was looking for instructions to tie up raspberries like they do in Skagit county. They curve the raspberries in great arcs and it looks really cool. Plus I have a narrow space in full sun next to the drainage pond that I thought might be a good spot for raspberries or blueberries. Anyways, there you were under images for raspberry trellises. I don’t travel the virtual world very often so it was like running into your kindergarten buddy at the grocery store!
El Presidente