Growing Blackberries and Raspberries in Your Organic Garden
by John Yazo
Blackberries and Raspberries can be a very rewarding crop for the conscientious organic gardener. Red raspberries are a crop that is readily adaptable throughout New England, but black, along with purple raspberries and blackberries lack the hardiness to be grown in some of the northern sections of Maine and New Hampshire.
Selecting a site to plant a is very important to get the most out of crop. raspberries like full sunlight and grow best in a soil structure that is well drained and a sandy loam that is amended with plenty of organic matter. Avoid planting in areas that are low and remain wet late into the spring. Irrigation is very important to have a good plant growth, especially during dry periods, having a water supply near is something that needs to be considered when choosing a planting location.
Avoid planting raspberries where eggplant,peppers,potatoes, or tomatoes have been grown within the past four years, these crops carry a root rot called Verticillium that can also attack your raspberry crop. Wild raspberries are another concern, stay clear of, or a minimum distance of 600 feet if possible from wild raspberries.This can reduce the chance of a disease being spread to your crop.
Soil preparation is very important, just as it is in any organic garden. Getting soil ready for a raspberry crop can take up to two years, depending on existing conditions. Test the soil and determine the soils ph level and fertility. Raspberries prefer a soil ph level of 5.6 and 6.2.
Once you know the ph level and the fertility of the soil, you can start by improving it's structure by amending it with plenty of organic matter, composted organic material being the best choice. Animal manures can contain weed seeds, if this is the only source of organic matter you have, you can plant cover crops like buckwheat, oats or rye to discourage weed germination, and these ground cover crops are excellent in adding organic matter to the soils structure, just make sure you turn them under before they go to seed.
Organic fertilizer sources like compost, manures and rock phosphates are a good choice over chemicals fertilizers. Apply enough of these organic materials to deliver 2 pounds of each, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium per 1,000 square feet and cultivate the soil several days before you plan on planting to mix in the fertilizer, along with breaking up any clods.
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