Wild Fruit patches

[Enjay]

I'm looking for sources of small fruits like blackberries, blueberries, maypops etc. I'm hoping to harvest seeds so I can start some plants for jams and jellies. I figure the wild varieties will handle my inexperience and mistakes better than pampered (and expensive) nursery plants. Or, if anyone is going to be thinning their patches out I'd be happy to relieve them of the trouble of disposing of the excess. :lol:

 

[Pops]

My uncle Charlie has a hoomongous blueberry bush(s) in his yard. I'll see if I can get you a cutting.
I think some of these propigate from cuttings, right?

And what's a maypop? We always called the tires on my car maypops, as in it "may pop" any moment? :lol:

Pops

 

[Enjay]

Maypops are passion flowers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passiflora_incarnata
I had to look it up too, I wasn't sure if they were the same thing or just related. :lol:

 

[Enjay]

I went to get more info, came back to this window and was all oh..I must have hit post lol
I did find this information on propagating blueberries. http://berrygrape.org/blueberry-propagation/ if he'd be willing to spare some cuttings I'd be grateful. Does he like citrus marmalade? I have a couple of spare jars.

 

[Landy]

Down off of Butternut is a nursery that should have some Blueberry bushes or will have them this winter. I have a friend that gets his there. Boy they are really good. I have about a half a gallon left. Plan to buy one or two myself. As for the wild Blackberry you may want to rethink that. That is unless you have alot of room and a place you don't care about. It will amaze you how they can take over an area. I let a couple go and now they are in everything. To boot they don't even put on much fruit. One of the best things would be to find a patch out somewhere and just pick those. Now if you want to grow some of the thornless types then you have better control of them.
Happy growing.. Landy

 

[SuperChuck]

I think the blueberries will send out root shoots too. So those are an easy way to propagate.

As far as the blackberries, we have them wild in the area, but they are unreliable and just harder to harvest since the best tasting are the ground-running variety, the cat-claw thorned berry bushes are a bit more sour-more seed than pulp..

My parents have actually copied a friend of the family and created a blackberry arbor that they use to harvest blackberries. Its a lot more reliable, and the quality of the berry is great AND no stooping. They are propagated from cuttings and root shoots too. I think I have some pictures if you'd like to see them.

Another local fruit variety you might want to look into is figs (local figs are usually the turkey variety, I think). The severe dry weather has hurt a lot of fruit - bearing plants this year, but there's still some opportunities out there to set up for next year..

Regards,

SC

 

[Enjay]

Thanks for the advice.
Landy, we actually do have an area along the fence on the side of our property that we don't use, which is where I was thinking about putting the blackberries. In tree sized containers. Thanks for the suggestion on the nursery, I'll be sure to check it out. Where is Butternut?

SuperChuck, an arbor sounds like a great idea. I'd love to see pictures if you have any. Thank you.

 

[Landy]

Enjay, Butternut is off of Central ave. Head out of S'ville and it will be on your right about a mile +/- from the Foodlion. You will like the thornless Blackberry best. They can get big. I think I will put in a few myself..