Berry Patch Pruning ~ By Mark Harrison

Our black berries and raspberries were in bad shape.  They were very overgrown with a lot of dead shoots mixed in.  I went through cutting the blackberries to about four feet tall and made some paths that we can maintain with a push mower. (left pic) As you can see from the picture on the right they have 1/2″ rose type thorns all over them, thick leather gloves and thick pants and shirts are a must. This patch has been there for over 50 years according to our neighbor, the new shoots pop up each year and produce berries for two years before they die off. Our raspberries are easier to deal with because the little pokers on them are tiny, any old pair of gloves will do. We pruned these similar to the black berries cutting them 3′ to 4′ tall, and cutting the dead shoots out. Paths can be kept by rototilling  or hoeing occasionally, this will keep the shoots from spreading into the isles. It is important to mulch the raspberries, leaves or grass clippings work very well. We forgot to do this last fall, and now there is a few patches of nettle starting that we will have to fight off. We are looking forward to a nice berry harvest this summer, freezing or canning jam makes it possible to enjoy them all year round.

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1 thought on “Berry Patch Pruning ~ By Mark Harrison”

  1. I really enjoyed this post. Have been thinking about planting some berries at the bottom end of our garden – or perhaps some concord grapes. Your beds look so tidy and well kept. Loved the post – will continue to check in to read more. Thank you.

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