Hi Tom,
I don't know if it will help in the large scale... but taking a $2 blackberry or raspberry cane and planting it will give far more than $2 worth of berries over its lifetime. And you can develop them into a hedge.
Also, with fruit trees. Where else can you invest $30, wait 5-10 years and it will pay back in hundreds of dollars every year for 100 years with minimal work and no more money input.
I would love to have blueberries but our soil is very basic, a high ph. I tried and lost two bushes with lots of pine mulch and additives intended to lower ph, to no avail. Should I try growing them in containers? Raspberries do OK , not terrifically well, on a sunny slope. I would like more of these as well. And of course I have lots of birds. We are zone 4.
roberta mccanse wrote:I would love to have blueberries but our soil is very basic, a high ph. I tried and lost two bushes with lots of pine mulch and additives intended to lower ph, to no avail. Should I try growing them in containers? Raspberries do OK , not terrifically well, on a sunny slope. I would like more of these as well. And of course I have lots of birds. We are zone 4..
Tom, where do you live?
If you want to hedge against inflation, grow something you use a lot or that has become much dearer. If you use a lot of berries, great.
You should buy plants at garden center, they are at least 2 years old and will start to produce in a couple of years.
You need to have lots of bushes. A mature bush will give you minimum 10 pounds a year, often up to double that more, if tended well.
Also, it would be a good idea to get lots of differen varieties. Some years, some berries may not do so well, but others will thrive. So spread the risk by ålanting lots of different berries.
[quote=tom olofsson]I want to grow my own berries as a "hedge" against inflation.[/quote]
I’m in Chicago and have berry bushes to share (black raspberries and both red and black currants). Send me a purple moosage if you want to coordinate a pick up.
roberta mccanse wrote:I would love to have blueberries but our soil is very basic, a high ph. I tried and lost two bushes with lots of pine mulch and additives intended to lower ph, to no avail. Should I try growing them in containers? Raspberries do OK , not terrifically well, on a sunny slope. I would like more of these as well. And of course I have lots of birds. We are zone 4.
Thanks for any suggestions.
I know that blueberries (and other berries) are grown very successfully in substrate with hydroponic methods, which can be good when the soil isn't the correct type of the climate is too dry (since the hydroponic is a very moisture efficient system when managed correctly).
Thanks for the information about container growing berries. I will do more reading about containers and perhaps try container growing raspberries and strawberries. I would like to add another hoop house with shade cloth that lets in good sunshine. Hoping that this will discourage the birds. My tubs raised on cement blocks also discourage the chipmunks and ground squirrels. We will see. I am unsure about my soul ph, need to test.
I was able to get several dozen raspberry canes from a couple of neighbors here in my area last spring.
Majority of them took off and I harvested close to a gallon last summer. I have a feeling that this summer it will be in the multiple gallons!
I built several 4' X 4' raised beds a couple years ago and one of them we put strawberries in. This past fall I transplanted a bunch of those into another raised bed. I am thinking that I will do the same this fall.
My wife and I have canned, dehydrated (and now we have a freeze dryer) our produce from the garden for many years. Our biggest problem is storing the preserved foods. Space is running out!! lol
We are building a green house this spring and are planning a root cellar for next year.
Blue berries are on our to do list for this spring. Just a few plants to start.
We are fortunate enough to only spend around $200 a month on groceries because of our preserved foods.
The key thing to remember with all of these options is the "wait 5 to 10 years part". Getting fruit trees or even berry bushes large enough and established enough to produce significant fruit is a long-term project.
If you are not yet at your permanent homestead and expect to move in the next 5 years, it may not be worth it.
On the other hand, strawberries establish themselves faster than anything else I have tried. You can get some fruit in Year 1, and lots of fruit in Years 2 and 3. After that, it's recommend to move the bed to a new location.
Has anyone gotten strawberries to grow well as a truly perennial crop, without needing to move beds or pull out old plants by hand?
Post by:autobot
Please do not shoot the fish in this barrel. But you can shoot at this tiny ad:
![[Logo]](/templates/default/mobile/images/mobile-permies-2015.png)
![[Thumbnail for 20220610_225640.jpg]](/t/213754/a/207144/20220610_225640.jpg "Filename: 20220610_225640.jpg
Description: my berry garden")
