Blueberry and Boysenberry

[Nalu]

Just planted a new southern blue blueberry bush and a thornless boysenberry that I got from Paradise plants today. We've already got a ton of strawberries, mulberries and poha berries that do really well up here, so excited to see how these guys do up here in Mt. View. I'll let you all know how they handle. It sure is fun to try new stuff. Angela

[Radiopeg]

Hope they do well. Here in WA the gophers gnaw my blueberries down in winter. I usually lose about a third. Can't wait to get back to Eden Roc (less than 3 weeks away) and plant a few things. I love all kinds of berries. Seen any yellow raspberries around?

Life goes on, with you or without you.

[asly]

Wonder if you will have to chill them? A gal (Ivy) was posting about growing them around 400ft and having success but chilling with ice at least once a year. I've been interested in the berries too, so have been watching for people's feedback.

We had purchased some lovely raspberries at the Volcano market.

Enjoy the day! Ann

[Nalu]

The yellow berry is the bane of my existance. Produces very little hard berries and they are not very flavorful, but it's canes overtake everything. We dozed a trail to the back of our property and everywhere my husband can't mow up comes the yellowberry. I have never used herbicides on my land, but have reluctantly agreed to let my husband spray the yellow berry since nothing else seems to work. The best bet is to pull them up when they are small. But we have over 1600 feet of trail to the back..ugghhh. Anyhow, Paradise plants says these berries are grown in Florida and are lowchill: 150 hours at 45 degrees. We get a lot of 50 degree days here in the winter evenings..at 2100 feet elevation. So hoping for the best.

[Radiopeg]

I have a thornless variety here in WA. It produces huge yellow honey sweet berries. It is not as invasive as yours seem to be. I can't remember the variety. It produces early and right up until the frost. I'm hoping to find something similar. At about 1800 feet I don't expect to get too "chilled". May have to spread a few ice cubes around. Nah, let me re-think that. I want easy stuff. I'm "real-tired", and don't want to work too hard. Nalu, it will be fun to see how your berries do. I'm going to miss my "alpine" strawberries. White, custard like texture and mild (some one has said pineapple) flavor. My sister started them from wild berries and saved me the seeds. Wow, took a year to be big enough to set outside. They hold their own against my weeds here.

Life goes on, with you or without you.

[Nalu]

I have alpine strawberries too, they're yellow/white and small and sweeter than regular strawberries. There are our favorites. For some reason the slugs and the birds avoid them which means more for us. They grow extremely well up here. So don't worry you can have those here too.

[asly]

wow! I'm excited to hear that the alpine strawberries grow in the Volcano area. I too love those and miss having them. Had some great ones in Western WA.

Enjoy the day! Ann

[OpenD]

OK, now I'm intrigued. I'm in Volcano, and just learning what works and doesn't here. Where can I get these Alpine strawberry plants?

[Nalu]

I could dig one up or you can grow from the seeds of a strawberry. My son goes to Volcano school so I'm there every morning and at pick up at 2.

[Rene Siracusa]

I bought 2 of the southern rabbiteye blueberries at the BIAN plant sale on March 4th and planted them the next day. They are already putting on new growth. I am at 1,200 ft elevation. It was suggested that I get 2 varieties (they had 3) for best pollination - similar to Kiwi. So, Nalu, if you only purchased 1, you might want to go back to Paradise plants for another. These were developed in Florida and don't need a chill. Good luck.