How to Grow Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries and Blackberries

As I was out walking the property today I realized it’s the time of year to think about adding berries to your garden area. Berry plants need time to acclimate to their new surrounding and with the economy as strained as it is a Berry garden would be a perfect addition to your backyard garden areas.
photo credit: Caitlinator

Homegrown berries also offer you the opportunity for fresh non-chemical fruit just outside you door. With very little effort you can assemble a Berry Theme Garden that will supply you with fresh fruit and add beauty to your yard.

Berry facts and tips

• Every berry variety likes full sunlight and a well-drained soil
• Do not plant berry plants where tomatoes, potatoes, or eggplant has grown.
• Set out new berry plants as early in the spring as you can. This gives the plants time to adjust to the hot weather and transplant shock.
• Buy disease-free plants and varieties that claim to be disease resistant.
• Keep the plants roots moist before and during planting.
• Give ample space between plants for air circulation
• In the fall cover plants loosely with straw or the like as winter protection.
• Berry plants will thrive better with a south-or east-facing slope.
• Beware of planting berries in a hollow or bottom of a hill or an area that cold will collect.
• Mulch. Berry beds that are mulched will have less disease, retain moisture in the soil and need less weeding and care.

To start a strawberry bed

Dig rotted compost or aged manure into the soil and place the plants eight inches apart in rows 30 inches apart. Make sure the new leaf buds should be at soil level. (This is the biggest mistake people make when planting strawberries: they plant them too deep!) Water the plants in dry weather preferably in the morning and mulch using straw to preserve moisture. This will keep the ripened berries off the ground. Berries that lay on the ground tend to rot.
photo credit: Edgar Zuniga Jr.

How to start a blueberry bed.

Blueberries need generous rainfall and well-drained soil so place  the garden in an area you can easily water.

Dig a trench or holes at least 2 feet deep and 3 feet wide and fill the trench with a mixture of 2 parts peat moss, 2 parts sand, and 1 part garden soil. For a successful blueberry garden its essential to take the time to prepare the soil properly! Space the plants about four feet apart. Mulch the plants heavily at planting time and every year add more straw, peat, or leaves.

How to start Blackberries, Raspberries,  Loganberries, and Boysenberries.

These berry varieties need a moisture-retaining soil and a sunny spot to grow well. Before planting the berry bed, dig in plenty of manure or peat moss and compost. Space the Raspberry, Loganberry, and Boysenberry plants two to four feet apart in rows that are six to eight feet apart. Blackberries need even more space so allow 4 to 6 feet between plants and 6 to 9 feet between rows.

Now that I gave you planting space for the berries, I will admit I do not plant in rows. I plant in circular gardens that have a different ground level for each fruit. The strawberries have their own small-tiered garden area. The blue berries are planted in a mound that is oval in shape and the larger berries that grow tall are grouped by their varieties and placed in the garden area where they will not cast shade on the other berries. These berries are grown or a trellis. The berry garden has a theme look with a bench, a few wandering plants and garden art scattered here and there.

I believe that a trellis makes harvesting easier for taller berry plants, plus I like the look.

I grow about 25 strawberry plants, six blueberry plants and about 30 berry bushes. I produce more than enough for my family.

Berries are a wonderful addition to any garden area. If your garden space is limited many of these plants will grow in containers, hanging baskets or on trellises.

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Theme gardens add instant interest and the opportunity to change your garden areas quickly. They work for making seasonal changes in your yard and are amazing in small space garden areas. Some theme gardens serve a functional purpose like a crafting garden, soap garden or tea garden. Others are more seasonal: Fall Harvest Garden, Patriotic Garden or a Three Sisters Garden. 
photo credit: kretyen

Theme gardens are also influenced by their location. Is it a free flowing garden with shrubs and trees? Or a container garden layered in height and influenced by the pots and containers used for the plants? If you have a sprawling yard you may have several gardens or make a maze garden or Labyrinth garden area. For those areas under trees, a shade garden is the perfect solution

Families can also influence these gardens: their needs and time they can spend in a garden area, pets, or heritage. Zen gardens are beautiful and take more time to set up but less time to maintain. A spiral herb garden is beautiful, practical and relaxing. The spiral garden also offers use of the herbs for health, kitchen use or crafting. And don’t forget the family pet by creating a doggie play garden.
photo credit: Allan Ferguson

Apartment and city gardeners may set up a rooftop garden, patio garden or use the windowsills in their home for growing. A Teacup Windowsill garden is whimsical and will provide herbs for cooking and teas. Or create the perfect mini indoor theme garden: the terrarium.

And last but not least is the use on containers and pots for small instant theme gardens. Container gardening lends itself to mini them gardens easily. Containers can also be added to other gardens to change the look instantly.

To change the look of a theme garden quickly add garden art, different garden furniture or rockery work. Theme garden changes can relate to plants only. This is where container plants, hanging baskets, window planters add instant beauty.  Your ideas for theme gardens are limited only by your imagination

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Perennials are wonderful plants as they give you a garden that can produce color most of the year, depending where you live. By careful selection and laying our your garden properly you can add color, enjoyment and value to your property.
photo credit: cliff1066

I consider myself blessed to have a nice piece of property with rolling hills and streams and creeks. I wanted to do something “green” for the community I live in plus share gardens and ideas with those who wish to stop by, so the idea of a perennial gardens business was born.

There are many steps to take in the business I have planned and I will be adding different gardening aspects to the grounds as time and interest in the project takes off. My gardens will also be organic and will have no use of chemicals or chemical fertilizers.

I have taken the first steps by rounding up a variety of perennial plants and laying out my working gardens. At this time I have two gardens that I am tilling and adding natural compost and nutrients to the garden. This will start the garden soil off rich and healthy.

One garden is in a shape of a boomerang It measures about 35 foot by 20 foot. The other garden, which I am tilling today, is rectangular and will be about 35 foot by 25 foot. This is my retired vegetable garden and has to be tilled under and have compost, leaves and straw added. These will be the working base for my later gardens. During the late fall and spring I will be designing and showing you step by step how the new gardens will be set up.

I hope you join me in this adventure and share ideas and success stories with me. Tomorrow I will show you the rough plots and share a few more ideas on what I hope to accomplish. Happy gardening all! Denise
photo credit: Alyzande

Technorati Tags: perennial plant, Theme Gardens