There is all the difference in the world between a large succulent cultivated blackberry and the wild, rather `pippy', berry plucked from the hedgerows. Some people insist that the wild berries are better flavoured than the cultivated RCS, but then the answer is that it depends on the method of growing and the manuring.
The cultivated blackberry crops very heavily indeed and the only snag about it, perhaps, is the training of the long one-year-old shoots. It is very popular for bottling, canning and cooking, and when at its best is much used for dessert. It is said that there are over 100 species of wild blackberries in this country.
Plant by allowing 15-20 feet between fan- trained, trees. I should imagine that bush trees in a sheltered southwest garden could be planted as close as 10 feet apart. Time to plant. In October or early November. Fan-trained apricots are usually bought three or four years old.
Because of the danger of die-back, most experts try and do the pruning entirely in the summer. They aim at removing the unnecessary side shoots when they are 1 inch or so long with their thumb-nail. Growths, therefore, that are tending to grow away from the wall are pinched or rubbed out early. The remaining shoots should be pruned similarly to peaches.
Best planted as one-year-old 'bedded' specimens. Because the blackberries bear on the young wood, the idea is to cut out the canes that have fruited in the particular season and to tie in their place the canes that have grown and developed during the year.
New Large Early is one of the special Rivers varieties. Large oval fruit. Orange-yellow and red. Hardy, fine flavour. Season end July-early Aug. Peach was widely grown years ago. Fruit oval, rich yellow and red, pungent flavour. Bush thinks it the best flavoured. Season end Aug.-early Sept. Royal Orange is sometimes labelled 'Royal'. Fruit oval, yellow spotted with purple. Ripens ten days earlier than Moorpark. Season early Aug. Shipley's Blenheim is the best for bottling and jam. Fruit oval, rich orange and crimson. Hardy and prolific. Season mid Aug. - 16035
The cultivated blackberry crops very heavily indeed and the only snag about it, perhaps, is the training of the long one-year-old shoots. It is very popular for bottling, canning and cooking, and when at its best is much used for dessert. It is said that there are over 100 species of wild blackberries in this country.
Plant by allowing 15-20 feet between fan- trained, trees. I should imagine that bush trees in a sheltered southwest garden could be planted as close as 10 feet apart. Time to plant. In October or early November. Fan-trained apricots are usually bought three or four years old.
Because of the danger of die-back, most experts try and do the pruning entirely in the summer. They aim at removing the unnecessary side shoots when they are 1 inch or so long with their thumb-nail. Growths, therefore, that are tending to grow away from the wall are pinched or rubbed out early. The remaining shoots should be pruned similarly to peaches.
Best planted as one-year-old 'bedded' specimens. Because the blackberries bear on the young wood, the idea is to cut out the canes that have fruited in the particular season and to tie in their place the canes that have grown and developed during the year.
New Large Early is one of the special Rivers varieties. Large oval fruit. Orange-yellow and red. Hardy, fine flavour. Season end July-early Aug. Peach was widely grown years ago. Fruit oval, rich yellow and red, pungent flavour. Bush thinks it the best flavoured. Season end Aug.-early Sept. Royal Orange is sometimes labelled 'Royal'. Fruit oval, yellow spotted with purple. Ripens ten days earlier than Moorpark. Season early Aug. Shipley's Blenheim is the best for bottling and jam. Fruit oval, rich orange and crimson. Hardy and prolific. Season mid Aug. - 16035
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Garden plum fruit tree is best grown in a climate of hard winters, short springs and hot summer.
