How To Grow Berries

Cane berries such as raspberries, blackberries, and boysenberries are unique in that the crown of each plant in the ground is perennial and the canes are biennial, lasting two years. A part of the genus of plants ‘’Rubus’’, these delicious fruits are popular cool climate crops with gardeners and foodies alike. 

With fruit rich in vitamin C and a low glycemic index, cane berries are perfect for snacks and lunchboxes and at Mr Fothergill’s, we seasonally stock a variety of berry canes during winter, which is the perfect time for planting these plants.

In this guide, we’ll explore how to grow berries, how to prune berries, and how to harvest them effectively in Australia. 

Berry Varieties & Characteristics

Variety	Characteristics
Raspberry Autumn Bliss	Heavy cropping Autumn fruiting Large sweet fruits Primocane Variety (easy to prune)
Raspberry Golden Yellow	Super sweet, low acid golden variety Heat tolerant Disease resistant Floricane Variety
Raspberry Nootka	Great resistance to rot Ideal fruit for freezing Floricane Variety Produces bright red medium-sized fruits Summer fruiting with smaller Autumn yields
Raspberry Serpells Willamette	Early/Midseason variety Canes mostly thornless Floricane Variety Ideal for jams and preserves as fruits ripen in a short period of time
Raspberry Chilliwack	Summer fruiting with smaller Autumn yields Floricane variety Heavy cropping
Raspberry Willamette	Reliable cropper Mid-summer fruits with smaller Autumn harvests
Tayberry	A cross between a blackberry and a raspberry Large juicy fruits Sweet fruits with less tartness
Youngberry	A cross between a Blackberry, Raspberry and Dewberry Smaller and shinier fruits compared to boysenberry Sweet delicious fruits

 

Loganberry	Cross between a raspberry and a blackberry Juicier and sharper-flavoured berries Ideal eaten fresh or used for baking
Blackberry Thornless	Abundance of sweet fruit in Summer Thornless vines allow ease of harvest Produces vigorous canes
Boysenberry	A cross between Blackberry, Raspberry, Dewberry and Loganberry Delicious mildly tart fruits Ideal eaten fresh or for use in pies and jellies
Elderberry	Grows into a large vigorous bush Adapt to a wide range of soils Produces many small juicy fruits in later Summer that are high in antioxidants Fruits are exceptional juiced or dried
Gooseberry	Self-pollinating Shrubs are hardy and deciduous with almost thornless stems The tart fruits are ideal for use in jams and desserts
Red Currant	Delicious early summer fruits Grows into a small hardy shrub Frost tolerant and low water requirement Fruits are tasty fresh or used for jams and desserts
Black Currant	Fruits in early Summer Produces many small delicious berries that are rich in flavour and vitamin C Frost tolerant and low water requirement

 

Soil Preparation

Cane berries enjoy rich, loamy soil that is free-draining. They grow quite well in neutral to slightly acidic soil, somewhere between 7-6.5 pH. You should only apply amendments once you’ve tested your garden’s pH and luckily, many at-home kits make this process quite simple.

Incorporating some compost and well-rotted manure will also do you no harm. For clay soils, add some handfuls of gypsum. Cane berries can also be grown in large outdoor pots if soil conditions are not suited. Just ensure they are given plenty of space.

Planting

Ensure your plants are located somewhere that receives full sun for most of the day and, ideally, some partial afternoon shade. Most cane berries will struggle in very hot afternoon sun so you may need to protect with some shade cloth or shielding plants.

Your plants will need some kind of structure to grow on. This could be a fence, wire trellis, or a hardwood stake. This will keep the plants neat and tidy and help you out when it comes to pruning. A 2-metre-high structure should suffice. 

Maintenance

Cane berries require ample water and fertiliser for good growth and fruit set. The roots can dry out quickly in warm weather, so applying sugarcane mulch around your plants will be beneficial. Add some slow-release fertiliser around your plants once they start to sprout to encourage healthy growth.

Watering every couple of weeks during fruit set with a diluted liquid seaweed solution will also help your plants produce delicious fruit. There are many slow-release fertilisers available that contain adequate levels of potassium, an important element for fruit production.

Plant Care & Tips

How to Prune Berries

When it comes to caring for your plants, pruning is a crucial step that must be conducted properly otherwise your plant will not fruit next season. There are two main fruiting types of berry canes in the Mr Fothergill’s range that require different approaches:

Floricane Variety (Summer Fruiting)

Floricane refers to the second-year growth and is what the majority of Mr Fothergill’s berries set fruit on. A floricane begins life as a new green primocane and turns woody and brown over time. Once this second-year stalk has fruited for the season, it is pruned off, allowing younger primocanes to grow and develop into the next fruiting floricane.

Primocane Variety (Autumn Fruiting)

Primocane varieties will fruit on the first season’s growth. The entire plant can be cut back to ground level in winter after fruiting. Autumn Bliss is a primocane variety of raspberry which produces abundant large fruits.

Harvesting

Pick your berries as soon as they have ripened and eat them within a few days of harvesting for the best flavour. Store them in a breathable container similar to shop-bought berries, and store them in the fridge avoiding the coldest area. Excess berries can be frozen or made into jams to enjoy later.

In the case of raspberries, the leaves can be harvested and used to make raspberry leaf tea, a popular herbal tonic.

Buy Cane Berries at Mr Fothergill’s Seeds

Mr Fothergill's stocks a range of berry canes as well as other fruits and produce as part of our summer-ready bulbs range, which is available seasonally between June and September. Helping you grow perfect berries and other fruit, you can add delicious staples to your pantry fresh from your own garden. And remember, for a deeper dive into all things gardening, read our garden advice blog.