Preserving

Thursday, March 31, 2011

A Berry Time at the Plots!!

I spent several hours at the plots on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday I was planning to finish installing the bunny fencing. That didn't happen, I spent most of the time moving the raspberries. They were everywhere in the back of the plots.

Here are two rows of raspberries. The row on the right was there, I had removed all the dead canes and trimmed them a while back. I only had to move one clump from that row since it was too close to one of the beds. The row on the left I planted from canes that were here and there.

You can see in this picture that all of the bunny fencing was finally finished on Wednesday!!

I planted some more canes that I found to the left of the blackberries. I know that all the raspberries are going to need some more attention and some supports. They are nice and tidy and out of the way for now though. I call this area of the plots...Berry Alley.

I still have some canes left over that I dug up on Tuesday.

I am going to plant the canes that I have at home and the canes that I have left over in that nice big space behind this row. The row will run perpendicular to this one. Hopefully I will be able to get that area prepared this weekend.

As you can see, the raspberries are budding! If all the raspberries survive....we are going to have a lot of berries!! That means lots of raspberry jam...yum!!!

 After finishing the bunny fencing on Wednesday, I put a lot of peat moss, sand and some manure in the strawberry bed. The PH was a little higher then strawberries like.....so, I am hoping that the peat and manure will lower it a bit. I also added some bone meal and dried blood to this bed and Bed #5. The strawberry bed and the bracsia bed are now ready to be planted.....now if only mother nature will cooperate!!

I also want to introduce to everyone a local Pennsylvania gardener Jody, who started a blog last week. Please welcome him into the wonderful world of blogging and visit his new garden blog, Spring Garden Acre!



19 comments:

  1. Your garden plots are looking great, sounds like you have been very busy prepping them for the season. Good luck with the rest of you raspberry planting, I have a feeling you will have a fine crop of berries this year.:)

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  2. You have made so much progress on the plots in a short time. I'm with Mr H, I'm betting you have a lot of raspberries!

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  3. Thank you Robin for the shout out! My family and I are looking forward to sharing our gardening adventures with you all. This Monday we'll join the "Monday Harvest", even though we've only harvested 1.2 oz of extra broccoli sprouts this year -or was it 1.3 oz. No matter, they were delicious! We're having such a great time at Spring Garden Acre. Thanks again.

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  4. I love raspberries - you just can't have too many - do you know whether the ones on your plot are summer or autumn fruiters?

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  5. My raspberries are all budded out, too...which makes me worried about the boysenberries that I ordered that have not arrived yet....

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  6. Mr.H, Thanks a bunch. I was really planning to have all the beds prepped and framed out by now...but, Mother Nature is not cooperating.

    Villager, I hope so..lots and lots of raspberries would be greatly appreciated around here!

    Jody, You are very welcome. Looking forward to your first Harvest Monday and watching your families gardening adventures!!

    Sue, I agree...one can never have too many raspberries! I have no idea what type of raspberries are there. It does look like two different varieties...we shall see!

    Deb, I wouldn't worry, I'm sure that your boysenberries will arrive soon.

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  7. Can I borrow you for a couple of days? I'm falling behind, and I needs me a good digger ;-)

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  8. Granny I have to say that I think that my shoulder is happy that I won't be digging for two days! I think that "The Italian" is going to be doing some digging over there this weekend...weather permitting!

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  9. My darn raspberries that are outside my fenced in garden have been popping up inside my raised beds IN the fenced in garden, ahhh. more work for me!

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  10. Erin, that sounds like a good excuse to get away from that quilt!!

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  11. Between the snows, the sleet, the rain, the freezing ground, then the mushy mud-soil, you've gotten quite a bit done! I put the shovel to soil here and get the "clang!" sound. Sheesh.....

    Everything is going very well for you. Betcha you already have kitchen plans for those berries!

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  12. Lynn, It's coming along...I really wish that all the beds were ready and framed out....but this darn weather!

    Yes, I have kitchen and belly plans for those raspberries :)

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  13. I love raspberries so much. I can't wait to plant mine. Though I do hope they don't show up until mid April. It will be easier to plant then. Or at least warmer.

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  14. Taio, Thank you!

    Daphne, Hopefully your raspberries won't show up for awhile. My plants came a little too early.

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  15. Our raspberries are leafing out now too. You are ending up with a nice berry patch and I bet they grow well in that location.

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  16. Laura, Yes it looks like going to have a very nice berry patch!

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  17. Everything is looking really good :) It looks like you're going to have quite the substantial "Berry Alley." That seems like a lot of berry canes to me.

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  18. Perdita, I agree that the raspberries do need some more thinning and some supports. They will get done when I have the time.

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