A Victory Garden

Strawberries!

As much as I love strawberries, it's been a while since I've grown them. Last spring, though, I planted 10 plants. I picked off all the flowers last year, and guided the runners to the edge of a bed that is a bit too narrow, but gets plenty of sun, has a pH of around 6.5, and lots of organic matter. I added a bit of fertilizer a few weeks after I had planted, and, because I have a fairly sandy soil, fertilized lightly again mid-summer. (My general-purpose fertilizer of choice is Vegetables Alive from gardensalive.com)

There are lots of different methods of spacing strawberries, depending on the results you want and the time you are willing to invest. I used what is called the "spaced matted row system". You can read more about systems of spacing strawberries here.

This year, all of the plants are bearing well, and I've been picking strawberries for a couple of weeks now. But I am reminded of how important it is to space these plants carefully -- I let too many runners root last year, which means smaller berries. Crowding also increases the problem of rot, which has been an issue because of all the rain we've been getting. Picking regularly and keeping the weeds out of the bed helps fight the rot. I get plenty of berries without resorting to fungicides, even "organic" ones.

When the plants are done bearing this year, I will remove the original plants, and thin the remaining ones, then guide new runners into the center of the bed, where the original ones were planted. I'll give them a bit of food come mid-June or so, and feed them again well in the spring, just before they bloom. I'll also plant a few more plants in a new place next spring, because I will tear up this bed next year, after it's done bearing.

I've frozen a few quarts of berries, and eaten more than I am going to admit to. My favorite way to eat them is drizzled with a little local blackberry honey, plain, or maybe with some good raw Jersey milk, or yogurt...or ice cream...or -- no make that "and" -- chocolate...a very versatile berry, the straw!

Growing blueberries

I’ve been promising to answer some of the questions I had gotten about blueberries from my previous post, and then this morning I found that one of my favorite bloggers (and singer/songwriters!), Christine Kane, had been taken to task for not giving enough information about blueberries in a post she had titled “A Crash Course in Blueberries” (which was really about taking delight in life – and blueberries) But it certainly seems that more info on blueberries needs to get out there, so here goes…

Blueberries are pretty easy to grow, especially here in the Eastern US, where the soils are naturally somewhat to very acidic. Depending on the variety, the bushes (and I’m discussing the more common highbush blueberry here) are anywhere from 2 to 7 feet tall. They are pretty, and turn a lovely color in the fall, so they work well as a hedge as well as a food crop. I suggest planting several varieties with different maturity dates, so that you have a longer harvest. You can plant pot-grown plants at any time during the growing season, but spring is best. You can get a head start on site preparation now. 

First, you’ll want a location that gets full sun, with well-drained soil that has a pH low enough for blueberries (between 4.8 and 5.5). If rhododendrons and azaleas grow well in your soil, you’ll probably be fine, but a soil test is always a good thing, courtesy of your local agricultural extension agency. If your pH is too high, talk to your extension agent about how to lower it, but you’ll need to delay your planting for about a year while you do that. Good drainage is also important.

Blueberries like a soil that is high in organic matter, so dig in plenty of compost, leaf mold or well-rotted manure. If you are not too impatient, I’d suggest tilling the area now and planting a cover crop of oats or something else that will grow quickly and winter-kill reliably in your area to add organic matter and get a head-start on weed control. You can also just throw down a few inches of fairly fresh horse manure right on top of the soil now and let it rot over winter. But don’t plant until spring if you do this. 

When you plant, dig a hole twice as big as the root ball, and plant a bit deeper than the plant grew in the nursery. Plant 6 to 8 feet apart. Don’t put fertilizer in the planting hole! Backfill with soil about halfway, then give it a good soaking to settle the soil around the roots. Finish by filling the rest of the hole, watering really well, and mulching. I use brown cardboard or newspaper under wood chip mulch. Wet the cardboard/newspaper before putting down the wood chips. The mulch is important, as blueberries are shallow-rooted and sensitive to drought. 

I find blueberries don’t need much fertilizer. I throw down some compost and a bit of bloodmeal or some Holly-tone in the spring before renewing the mulch. Newly planted berries should be fertilized about a month after planting. 

You won’t need to prune out anything except weak or broken canes for the first 4 or 5 years, then you’ll want to prune out the old canes (gray with peeling bark) and weak shoots. I’ll write more about pruning them in late winter, which is the best time to prune. 

Now, I still owe you that peach/blueberry cobbler recipe, and I promise I won’t forget!

Raspberries!

I’ve been away for a few days, and when I wandered out this morning to pick some raspberries for breakfast, I was able to pick several pints. What I didn’t eat went in the freezer.

Rasps are easy to grow, but be sure to buy certified virus-free stock. Plant them in full sun (though they’ll still bear if they get some shade). I prefer to plant where I can mow around them, as they spread quickly. If you do some research, you can find lots of ways to fuss with spacing, pruning, fertilizing, etc., but I prefer to keep it simple. I put them in well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter, make sure they get at least an inch or so of water a week during the growing season, and throw down couple of inches of compost or well-rotted manure in the spring. I mulch when I plant them, but after the first year or so, they are growing so thickly they don’t need the mulch.You are supposed to prune out the old canes but I never bother and always get a good crop.  That’s about it. 

Most rasps bear in the spring/early summer. Some are fall-bearing. The spring/summer ones fruit on canes that are in their second year. The fall ones fruit on canes that have sprouted that year. Some do both, giving a small fall crop on first year canes and then a main crop on the same canes in the spring. The fall-bearing ones can be mowed down each year, since they fruit on the current year’s canes. 

You know the berries are ripe when they slip easily from their core. Also, be aware that wineberries, a wild type of raspberry, are quite invasive. They grow wild in much of the eastern U.S. in the same ecological niche as blackberries. They don't really taste like cultivated raspberries, but are quite edible. They just don’t have the same great flavor.

Blueberries and Changing Times

I have 6 blueberry bushes that I planted about 6 years ago, 2 I planted about 2 years ago, and 2 I planted this year. The 6 are amazingly productive – I just picked 2 pints off of one plant before it got dark, and they are just getting started. The others are coming in, too – I’ll need to do some serious picking and freezing soon.

Blueberries freeze well and easily. Just pick, put in a freezer container, label and freeze. (Always, always, always label the container with contents and date before you put anything in the freezer. Really. You’ll thank me later.) Sometime this winter I’ll publish my recipe for peach/blueberry cobbler made with frozen peaches and blueberries.

I’m going to be pretty busy for the next few days. I’m participating in a 2 year program with Malidoma Some on African Indigenous Spiritual Technologies, and our next meeting is this week. So I’ll leave you with a few articles to read between now and my next update:

Turning Your Lawn into a Victory Garden Won't Save You -- Fighting the Corporations Will
Which does not, of course, mean you should not plant a victory garden, It means you should become aware of the corporatocracy that is masquerading as our increasingly fascist government.

How a Shady Citigroup Subsidiary Secretly Makes Billions in the Oil Market
In case you were wondering if I’m being paranoid about corporate greed and control..

The Pesticide of Last Resort
Will someone please explain to me why a lawn is worth poisoning our children?

The Real Story Behind the Midwest Floods? Climate Change
Oh, those uncomfortable facts!

Farmers dealing with huge crop loss, erosion
Yep, food prices are going up! And you might consider sending prayers, magic, and/or kind thoughts for the folks who need it in the Midwest. Here’s an article on how you can help

How You Can Help The Midwest Flood Victims

Scientists warn of lack of vital phosphorus as biofuels raise demand
And let's not forget Peak Phosphorus

There is much here to consider, and denial gets us nowhere. Think about it – how are YOU going to cope with these changing times?