Wild Blackberry Wine

[VinesnBines]

My problem is that I have the multiflora rose interspersed with the wild blackberries. Years ago farmers planted them instead of constructing fences. Hard to control, impossible to remove, and I swear the damn things will move to grab you if you get too close.

Ladybird Johnson and her Highway Beautification Act were responsible for large amounts of the multiflora rose problem in Virginia (at least). The interstate medians and right of ways were planted with multiflora rose. Of course the darn things spread and landowners have been fighting them ever since. I see the little buggers come up in the field if we skip a mowing. Thankfully VDOT agreed it is an invasive species and have tried to eradicate along the highways.

 

[BigDaveK]

Ladybird Johnson and her Highway Beautification Act were responsible for large amounts of the multiflora rose problem in Virginia (at least). The interstate medians and right of ways were planted with multiflora rose. Of course the darn things spread and landowners have been fighting them ever since. I see the little buggers come up in the field if we skip a mowing. Thankfully VDOT agreed it is an invasive species and have tried to eradicate along the highways.

I've had them grow 15 feet or more up into trees. The roots are shallow and I've tried to pull them out. They can easily go 10 feet. I gave up trying to get rid of them long time ago. Mother Nature has a wacky sense of humor. If we don't want it, it will flourish under the most adverse conditions. If we want it, everything has to be just right.

 

[Scooter68]

Early last year as an experiment I topped off my raspberry and blackberry canes about shoulder height and dramatically increased my yields. Will definitely do it again. I'll have to try it with my wild blackberries this year. My problem is that I have the multiflora rose interspersed with the wild blackberries. Years ago farmers planted them instead of constructing fences. Hard to control, impossible to remove, and I swear the damn things will move to grab you if you get too close.

Wild roses are flesh shredding diabolical plants. Blackberry thorns can draw blood cut roses will shred you and get through just about any clothes or destroy the clothes.

When I'm out clearing trails or walking around getting rid of the ever present climbing vine (Grape and others) Roses are number 1 on my hit list. Even once dead they can still inflict a lot of pain so I drag them to our burn piles.

 

[BigDaveK]

Wild roses are flesh shredding diabolical plants. Blackberry thorns can draw blood cut roses will shred you and get through just about any clothes or destroy the clothes.

When I'm out clearing trails or walking around getting rid of the ever present climbing vine (Grape and others) Roses are number 1 on my hit list. Even once dead they can still inflict a lot of pain so I drag them to our burn piles.

Oh yeah. I do most of my removal early in the year because I'm wearing so many layers. And bullet proof gloves.

 

[jskags]

Early last year as an experiment I topped off my raspberry and blackberry canes about shoulder height and dramatically increased my yields. Will definitely do it again. I'll have to try it with my wild blackberries this year. My problem is that I have the multiflora rose interspersed with the wild blackberries. Years ago farmers planted them instead of constructing fences. Hard to control, impossible to remove, and I swear the damn things will move to grab you if you get too close.

I tip my canes(blackberry, i don't have raspberries) to 6 ftish. I also don't let my laterals grow longer than 12 to 24 inches. I try to keep laterals about 12 inches apart on the canes. This keeps mildew down and makes for larger berries. I tried pruning wild berries the same as my tame and found that the canes were not strong enough without the trellis. All my tame are erect or semi-erect cane varieties.

 

[BigDaveK]

I tip my canes(blackberry, i don't have raspberries) to 6 ftish. I also don't let my laterals grow longer than 12 to 24 inches. I try to keep laterals about 12 inches apart on the canes. This keeps mildew down and makes for larger berries. I tried pruning wild berries the same as my tame and found that the canes were not strong enough without the trellis. All my tame are erect or semi-erect cane varieties.

Cane management, at least for me, is a lot easier than vine management. Too many things going on during the year. Too many projects. I need to try harder.

You didn't mention - did pruning wild canes affect yield? I'm really curious.

 

[jskags]

Cane management, at least for me, is a lot easier than vine management. Too many things going on during the year. Too many projects. I need to try harder.

You didn't mention - did pruning wild canes affect yield? I'm really curious.

I couldn’t tell. The wild cane yields are very sporadic. It didn’t help enough to continue. The effort was better suited to expand the tame varieties.

 

[jskags]

I couldn’t tell. The wild cane yields are very sporadic. It didn’t help enough to continue. The effort was better suited to expand the tame varieties.

Cane management is much more forgiving for sure

 

[TurkeyHollow]

Cane management is much more forgiving for sure

Do you have any pics of your canes and laterals after pruning? I have blackberries which I've propagated into a couple of rows (maybe a doz. plants) but it seems I got more yield before I started taking care of them. I was just removing the previous year's fruiting wood - I really didn't pay much attention to the laterals (just let them grow).

 

[jskags]

Do you have any pics of your canes and laterals after pruning? I have blackberries which I've propagated into a couple of rows (maybe a doz. plants) but it seems I got more yield before I started taking care of them. I was just removing the previous year's fruiting wood - I really didn't pay much attention to the laterals (just let them grow).

Hard to tell from this photo. There is some longer in the pics that are primocanes that haven't been trellised and tipped yet. But if you look close, the canes have nothing more than 12 to 24 from the trellis. These are triple crown variety.

 

[TurkeyHollow]

View attachment 84341Hard to tell from this photo. There is some longer in the pics that are primocanes that haven't been trellised and tipped yet. But if you look close, the canes have nothing more than 12 to 24 from the trellis. These are triple crown variety.

I'm in New England so there's still snow cover but I think I'll be starting to prune within the next (2) weeks. I do have a make-shift trellis for the blackberries but my grapes have pretty robust trellising. I think I need to transplant the blackberries on a new trellis system. Do you just tie all the canes to the trellis system and trim them to 6'? Then let the laterals do what they want to up to 24" in length? And in dormancy, remove the previous year's floricanes?

 

[jskags]

I'm in New England so there's still snow cover but I think I'll be starting to prune within the next (2) weeks. I do have a make-shift trellis for the blackberries but my grapes have pretty robust trellising. I think I need to transplant the blackberries on a new trellis system. Do you just tie all the canes to the trellis system and trim them to 6'? Then let the laterals do what they want to up to 24" in length? And in dormancy, remove the previous year's floricanes?

that is exactly what I do. I also thin my crowns to the 3 healthiest canes. That pic was from the summer. Still snowy and cold here too. I planted my first grape vines this last summer.

 

[TurkeyHollow]

that is exactly what I do. I also thin my crowns to the 3 healthiest canes. That pic was from the summer. Still snowy and cold here too. I planted my first grape vines this last summer.

Do you spray your blackberries for powdery, downy mildew or insects (or any other diseases)? Same regimen as grapes?

 

[Ohio Bob]

My experience in Ohio is you can’t kill them. They’re impervious to anything.

 

[jskags]

Do you spray your blackberries for powdery, downy mildew or insects (or any other diseases)? Same regimen as grapes?

I have but not as diligent as other fruit trees and grapes. They are very hardy