Berries as Big As Your Thumb!

[Gerry]

I often brag about our berries and berry production.

All of these pictures were taken today, July 15 2011.

Right now, the raspberries are starting to ripen

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Very productive variety. Huge flavorful berries. This is the Caroline Variety.
It is unique because it can produce 2 harvests per year.

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This is my little garden helper

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This is the result of my little helper


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Literally as big as my thumb.


Speaking of as big as my thumb, check out these blackberries.
This is a Thornless Blackberry Variety named Chester. They are incredibly productive.
Each bush is capable of producing between 20-40 pounds.

I've cut bushes back (raspberry and blackberry) and some are still over 6 feet tall.
All of these bushes (raspberry and blackberry) are only 2 year old plants.

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As you can see, each cluster has both ripe, ripening, and early fruit.
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This extends the harvesting for several months.
We have some branches that are just now budding and blooming.
We have already picked 3 times on these same berry bushes you are seeing.

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Six berries in the palm of my hand, again, numerous the size of the top of my thumb.


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Several pounds of berries picked and ready for rinsing.


These berries are exceptionally easy to grow, very easy to maintain, and take little room.

For instance, a patch 6 feet wide by 15 feet long will easily fit 10 plants.
10 plants (blackberries) will produce more fruit than you can handle.
Seriously, you'll be looking for people to take some.

Both are very vigorous and will produce pounds per plant.



Because of their unique size (and wonderful flavor) rather than price per the pint (retail about $4.99/pint) correction: should be cup container.
many professional growers are now charging by the ounce (still, $3.99 to $4.99 per ounce)
Although, a cup container would have perhaps 12-16 berries per cup.
(Raspberries typically sell for more)

 

[Find A Date]

Nothing like fresh berries with shortcake, milk and sugar

They look great!

Robert

 

[draggar]

Nice! We have grape vines - I noticed our canopy was sagging a lot last night, I thought a stray cat was on there. Nope, about 10 pounds of grapes on the vines.

 

[Skinny]

Wow. Those are some nice berries!

Do you sell some berries on the side?

Skinny

 

[Gerry]

Wow. Those are some nice berries!

Do you sell some berries on the side?

I have never sold any. Use fresh or freeze or give away.

I am giving serious thought to doing some serious production.

A university in Ohio conducted a study with the Caroline variety. Utilizing a one acre plot, they calculated their cost from planting to maintenance to paying two people to buying containers to harvesting and selling to wholesalers (yes, wholesalers). Based on their findings, one acre was able to produce a $68,000.00 PROFIT. This was several years ago. Caroline is capable of producing two crops per year. This was also based on the wholesale pricing per pint (which would be about half of retail).

The problems they noted were having that wholesale market lined up ready to accept the crop. A great portion of the berries all ripen at once. You want to eliminate spoilage.

I WOULD NOT consider a pick-your-own operation. Do not need people trampling down your crop. Properly stacked out on a trellis system, both berries I am showing produce hundreds of pounds of berries.

If I were to sell, I would select the finest upscale restaurants and bakers in the area and offer them the absolute best of the product on a weekly basis, in season. Perhaps even allowing one or two premiere chefs to come out.

Waste nothing. Berries on the ground can easily be washed and made into jams, jellys, syrups, cobbler.

We own about 6.5 acres we we are at, have another 8 acres elsewhere, and would have access to nearly another 40-50. From everything that I have shown in the picks, there were a total of 10 Caroline Raspberry plants planted last year and 10 of the Chester blackberry. This is year 2 for these plants. We have another variety of thornless raspberry also in its second year but not that impressed with the plant. Berries are superb in taste and hold up well. But plants are not as sturdy and vigorous as I had hoped.

We also have access to tons of wild blackberries and also have a rare delight and highly prized wild Black Raspberries. We have been able to isolate a very large crop coming up. Black Raspberries come into season very early (mid to late June). We have about 2 gallons fresh (frozen) and about 3 quarts total of jelly and several pint jars of syrup.

Anyways, this is a cash crop (legal) and very easy to grow. I encourage anyone with any small yard to start growing your own fruit and veggies.

 

[Theo]

Doc, John Berryhill will be contacting you soon for tm violations of his famous name

 

[Gerry]

I found my thrill...

on Blue Berryhill...

---------- Post added at 06:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:24 PM ----------

Nice! We have grape vines - I noticed our canopy was sagging a lot last night, I thought a stray cat was on there. Nope, about 10 pounds of grapes on the vines.

We have 2 named cultivars of grapes and three native scuppernogs (Muscadine). Unfortunately, I have not given them the attention they have needed.

We have one variety of Muscadine that is at least the size of quarters. I have no problem getting rid of those to a friend of mine who's father and kin make moonshine. They put a cluster of 5 or 6 in a quart jar. Kind of dresses things up for the holidays. Just eating the grapes will give you one hell of a buzz.

A couple of years ago, I posted some deer eating my grapes (and vines) like it was a salad. They were having a grand time (and meal). Kept coming back for several days until the guide wires were just about bare.

 

[PRED]

hey, if we're talking about bragging rights................... I have 'hamsters' as big as your fist :smilewinkgrin:
twisted them a few times getting in the drivers seat too quick :yes:

 

[Skinny]

I encourage anyone with any small yard to start growing your own fruit and veggies.

Yup, its better than store bought anything. The food just tastes to much better. We've grown some vegetables in the past and they just taste amazing.

Sound like you have a nice piece of land. I wish you all the best. Hope you can find some nice buyers!

Skinny

 

[Gerry]

Yup, its better than store bought anything. The food just tastes to much better. We've grown some vegetables in the past and they just taste amazing.

Sound like you have a nice piece of land. I wish you all the best. Hope you can find some nice buyers!

Skinny

We are letting a neighbor and her church group use about a 3/4 (.75) acre plot for a garden. It is a vegetable garden we had but did not plant this year. There are raspberry bushes, wild blackberry, wild blueberry, and 3 different grape varieties down there.


It is nothing like the cash crop of 300 acres of marijuana found in Mexico.

 

[draggar]

I'm starting to have Farmville flashbacks from reading this thread..

 

[italiandragon]

in Tuvalu?

---------- Post added at 06:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:09 AM ----------

North Carolina...change your flag, it's confusing!

 

[dn-101]

That's about the size of the Asian breast

 

[Gerry]

That's about the size of the Asian breast

Okay, baby daddy. Let's not get too far off track.

 

[PRED]

i think most domainers need that million dollar sale Doc to get the dream smallholding that you already own
sounds like quite a plot you have there

you posted years back some pictures of some of the wildlife that visit your land, like baby deer and kingfishers etc
fancy posting the link again?

 

[Gerry]

i think most domainers need that million dollar sale Doc to get the dream smallholding that you already own
sounds like quite a plot you have there

you posted years back some pictures of some of the wildlife that visit your land, like baby deer and kingfishers etc
fancy posting the link again?

Mercy, I'll have to dig deep in the image files for those.

We are one of only a few thousand recognized private wildlife habitats, I think from the National Wildlife Fund (NWF).

I'll see what I can find.

I do remember the photo of deer dining on my daylillies like it was a big salad bar.

 

[dn-101]

Several years ago my old lady planted tomatoes and flowers. As soon as they started blooming deer ate them. All of them. And left pellets. Tons of them.
Neighborhood kids catch ticks all the time, and many of them end up with lime disease and neurological problems. But again, all adults here act as if they have neurological issues. Some of them have 6 fingers on each hand.
Every winter squirrels manage to make an opening in the roof and run around like crazy.
Gimme subway stink and diesel exhaust every day.

 

[Gerry]

Several years ago my old lady planted tomatoes and flowers. As soon as they started blooming deer ate them. All of them. And left pellets. Tons of them.
Neighborhood kids catch ticks all the time, and many of them end up with lime disease and neurological problems. But again, all adults here act as if they have neurological issues. Some of them have 6 fingers on each hand.
Every winter squirrels manage to make an opening in the roof and run around like crazy.
Gimme subway stink and diesel exhaust every day.

We have squirrels but also flying squirrels. Very, very cute. Nocturnal. I have caught a few during winter. When there is ice on trees, they can not hang on. When they end up on the ground, they are totally helpless. Very easy to just scoop up in your hands (with gloves on). I have taken several to shelters that rehabilitate and release.

 

[dn-101]

In my village half of the population has the same last name - Hasbrouck. They've been inbreeding for the last, say, 300+ years.
There is a memorial plaque at the center of the village stating that the village was founded in 1677 by 10 men - no women. Either they were all gay, or they went to China to adopt babies.
One of my young neighbors told me proudly that his distant cousin visited the nearby city 10 years ago.
The way they say on the Continent: l'Amérique la Magnifique!

 

[PRED]

@ dn-101

have you considered doing standup? k::smilewinkgrin: