Gardeners considering the purchase of fruiting bushes and vines must first have an idea of how many berries from each variety will be consumed, stored, given away or sold. This can be a bit tricky since it is close to impossible to guess how many fruits each family member might consume during the season.
Fruits are easy to store or put up in jars or freezer bags. Anyone who has spread delicious homemade jam on toast knows just how good it can be. With this in mind, canning the excess is well worth the effort. Extra fruit may also be sold at farmers markets and roadside stands.
Expected Harvest Per Plant
- Blackberry, Common (Rubus fruticosus) Blackberries like full sun, well composted sandy soil. Do not plant in areas which may allow water to stand. Training blackberries on trellises works well and keeps them manageable. Expected harvest from a healthy plant is approximately 1 ½ - 2 quarts. New cultivars offer yields of 10 pounds or more per plant.
- Blueberry, Northern Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) Highbush blueberry bushes need full sun; organically-rich, sandy acidic soil. V. corymbosum may live up to fifty years and reach 8-10 feet tall so should be planted with their mature size in mind. Expected harvest of young healthy plants is approximately 1 - 3 pounds while mature plants can produce 8 - 15 pounds.
- Currants, Red (Ribes rubrum) Currants grow best where the plants receive some afternoon shade but need sun in the earliest part of the day. Grow currants in clay soil which has been amended with compost. Plants should be watered regularly during the growing season and while fruit is setting. Mulching over the shallow roots is crucial for R. rubrum. Mature plants can produce 3 pounds of berries. Plants grown under optimal conditions may even produce up to 10 pounds of berries.
- Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) Plant in full sun. Cultivate soil well adding plenty of composted material or a 6-24-24 commercial fertilizer before setting out plants in early spring. Soil should be well draining and watered regularly. Keep beds/rows weed free. Expected harvest when plants are grown in a row is approximately 1/4 - 1 pound per foot beginning the second and into the third year when they should be replaced with new plants. Plants may be replaced yearly by cultivating new runners for the following spring.
How to Get the Best Yield
To insure the berry harvest is the best it can be follow the tips below.
- Observe proper planting conditions for each species.
- Water and fertilize according to variety grown.
- Utilize mulch to deter weeds and hold moisture in soil.
- Prune and train plants to renew growth according to species grown.
Healthy plants are productive plants. Meeting the needs of each variety grown includes providing correct soil type along with the right amount of sun, water and fertilizer essential to each plant. Pruning rejuvenates older plants, especially bramble-type fruiting plants, while keeping them from growing out of control.
Yields listed for above plants are average. This will vary depending on cultivar grown and growing conditions.
Jacqueline Cross - Ms. Cross is a freelance writer and when not writing or traveling and reading for research, she enjoys creating various gardens on her ...
