*Welcome Blake Cothron, author of "The Berry Grower"

Welcome Blake!

I just read the description of your book here in Permies, it does look great! I hope you have a good time here with us Permies.

I do have an idea for a thread that maybe you could have some ideas… On to writing it!

Welcome Blake! I grow a number of berries. This winter I started some Goji berries from seed as I'm thinking the poor crop from my single Goji shrub could be that it's lonely, rather than just that the soil in its location is pretty lousy. We grow rocks and clay really well on my homestead!

Does your book cover which berries prefer to cross pollinate?

Now this seems right up my street! Thank you Blake for joining us and giving the benefit of your advice. In my area top fruit is a bit borderline (!), but I do surprisingly well with soft fruit. I'm wondering if I can take it a step further and make picking and processing less of a chore.

Welcome! I've been thinking about elderberries because a friend of mine is starting them this spring, but really haven't done research myself...I'm not even sure if it is a bush or a tree. Does your book cover elderberries?

Welcome Blake! I probably would have benefitted from your book even more if I had a time machine to go back and use it to inform my planting of 4acres of food forest over the past 3yrs, but better late than never. Thanks for your work in this field!

Yvonne Scott,
Your post was moved to a new topic so you are entered in the contest. I made it into new thread for you.

Posts in this thread DO NOT COUNT AS ENTRIES!

Hello Blake,

Welcome to this platform. We’re happy to have you here Green Thumber.

Spring is here and dear to me. I have been eating blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries as part of my Keto diet forover two minths.  I am proud to say that I have lost over 25 pounds.  Also since before the pandemic, I have been attempting to grow berries at home.  So far I've failed; however, failure is part of life. Is it not?  The Berry Grower: Small Scale Organic Fruit Production in the 21st Century will help me grow even further from my failure and use the book's strategies and solutions for a successful small-scale, non-chemical fruit production.  I want to be part of Gaia's farmers and growers of the 21st century.  
Question: Does your book contain information of how to grow herbal berries like hawthorn berries, gooseberries, elderberries, etc? Also, does your book explain how to grow berries from the stem?

Welcome Blake!! I really loved the book and think it's a super valuable resource so thank you for being with us this week and sharing your berry wisdom!

Welcome Blake! And what a terrific book this looks to be to explore & learn from! And it couldn’t come at a better time as I’m struggling to figure out why my blueberries & raspberries are not happy here on our NC homestead. My guess is the soil is not quite right for them so I’d like to learn more about soil ph & how to best amend for these berries. Elderberries are happily growing wild all along our creek and we have huge thriving patches of wild blackberries & strawberries. So I’m thrilled about that!
So help! re blueberries & raspberries!

The title of the book caught my attention.  I've just been thinking of getting yet another blueberry bush.  I love blueberries and tried growing them several times.  The first few times, they died within a year, the second I've placed in a protected area (from the winds and chickens) and seemed to have gotten established.  The second year it blossomed to my giddy excitement.  The flowers opened and eventually withered, but no berries and eventually the plant died.  :.-(

The bushes were planted during years we're in a drought (in Ca), maybe that was the cause of the berries dying partnered with unusual whipping winds at the time.

I'd like to try growing them again, this book, The Berry Grower, may have the answers I need.

Thank you for the preview.

Welcome Blake!  Berries are such a rich food source for immunity (and my chickens favorite food). I’m hoping to incorporate more diverse plantings for me, and friends and neighbors. A berry bush or tree just might be my go-to gift for birthdays, welcoming a new neighbor, or just an excuse to throw a party and give as a favor!  Thanks for being here.

welcome, blake.

i just read some of the excerpt from your book and liked all the preamble stuff about asking "all" the right questions.

i'm not so much about market as i am about abundance and then sharing and then, maybe, market.

i have a few berry bushes that are established as we only recently moved to this property. raspberry, blueberry, grapes, currants and possibly service berries.

i added some blueberries, strawberries and elders last year. this year i will add aronia, nut trees and bushes, mulberry and seabuckthorn. future plans include increasing the berry bushes to cover more of the property along with kiwi and other vine type berries.

however, gooseberry is what i really want and so, what is your advice on cultivars and do you know of any canadians(preferably in the west)that carry heirloom varieties? i have been looking with not much success so far. i would say that my zone is 4ish and i live on a gravel pit for drainage and trying to build up soil as i go.

cheers   james

Welcome Blake!

The book seems fascinating. I'm not particularly interested in marketing but I would like to know the best way to be able to harvest enough berries to get me through a winter as buying frozen, dried or freeze-dried berries gets expensive.

I have lots of blueberry bushes, all wild on a little less than 2 wooded acres, and all have been in their natural cycle of production for at least 50 years, that I know about. All of the bushes are maybe a foot tall. They've never been watered other than when it rains, or fertilized, and they produce plenty of really small berries that taste like scrumptious blueberries. The biggest problem is that the local critters don't seem to mind green blueberries and the entire crop seems to disappear overnight. This past year I got about 8 berries that the critters missed. I'm pretty sure the soil is perfect, as it is sandy and acid-leaning. The area where they grow, as I mentioned, is wooded and the naturally more sunny spot is a bit more productive than the other areas. The woods had been primarily oak but the oak wilt has definitely taken a toll and the woods is in transition to more maple and some other trees. When storms take out the dead oak trees there are additional openings in the canopy. It was once suggested to me to try to plant some other blueberry bushes that might help in the productivity of the 'natural' bushes. I imagine your book would provide plenty of ideas of things to try so that I could go back to my high school age memories of being able to fill several buckets with blueberries, remembering that it amounted to a LOT of blueberries since they have always been quite small.

I also recently purchased the almost 2 acres next door which has been, for at least 50 years, mostly open (not wooded) and on which I plan to use a portion of the land as horse pasture and to add a number of other berries, including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, mulberry, currants, cranberries and elderberries along with some fruit trees plus there is a perfect area that is going to be devoted to native wildflowers to further support the pollinators. I've never planted anything but strawberries (that was in Maryland not here in NE Wisconsin) and I'm not sure where to start but I'm going to get things going this year once the snow is gone and the soil can be worked. There is a nursery not too far from me that specializes in plants that do well locally. In addition to reading what I can find and in your book, I'll be asking the nursery lots of questions.

Hi! to Blake.  Blueberries are a great food (super-food).

Welcome Blake, and thank you to the Permies staff for making this collab/offer possible!

I started planting some of the more "mainstream" berries last year while establising our forest garden.

This year will be reflecting fom last year's experience, and exploring berries that may not be widely considered mainstream

Welcome Blake!!
Sounds like a great book!
I love growing berries, expanding out my strawberries and raspberries this year.  I just started my new garden 2 years ago.

I just moved to my property a year ago and I'll be buying berry plants next week from a local farmer! I'm in 5B, Northern Illinois. I'm so excited about having fresh berries again! I had berry plants growing up... Raspberries, Currants, Blueberries... But I haven't been able to grow any in many years. I'll be picking up Honeyberry, Black Currant, Red Currant, Aronia, Elderberry, and Concord Grape. I have a lot of shady areas on my little acre, but I'll just have to make it work. Now to find White Currant, Blackberry, Chocolate Vine, Hawthorn, Sea Buckthorn, Serviceberry, and Nanking Cherry. I'm also attempting to grow from seed Goji Berry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Hardy Kiwi, Cranberry, and others. What's the berry that's like Cranberry but easier to grow? Is it Lingonberry? I also have growing wild Gooseberries and Mulberries. The Gooseberries I waited until they turned purple last year to taste and by then they were too mushy and bland. Can they be picked and eaten earlier while they're still a bit green? I'm also wondering if Guomi Berry would grow in my area. Would Autumn Olive be considered a berry? Any tips for planting bare root plants?

Thank you and welcome

Hi Blake and welcome to Permies!

Jay Angler wrote:Welcome Blake! I grow a number of berries. This winter I started some Goji berries from seed as I'm thinking the poor crop from my single Goji shrub could be that it's lonely, rather than just that the soil in its location is pretty lousy. We grow rocks and clay really well on my homestead!

Does your book cover which berries prefer to cross pollinate?

Hello yes, it does.  However, Goji berries only have a small mention because they are not a marketable fresh fruit in the USA.

Monica Truong wrote:Welcome! I've been thinking about elderberries because a friend of mine is starting them this spring, but really haven't done research myself...I'm not even sure if it is a bush or a tree. Does your book cover elderberries?

Hello, elderberries are mentioned but not covered in the book.  There are a number of species of elderberries.  In the USA most people grow Sambucus canadensis and these grow into a large shrubby bush.  In Europe they tend to grow S. nigra and it grows into a small tree. So you should decide what species to grow first.

Sandra Nwankwo wrote:Hello Blake,

Welcome to this platform. We’re happy to have you here Green Thumber.

Spring is here and dear to me. I have been eating blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries as part of my Keto diet forover two minths.  I am proud to say that I have lost over 25 pounds.  Also since before the pandemic, I have been attempting to grow berries at home.  So far I've failed; however, failure is part of life. Is it not?  The Berry Grower: Small Scale Organic Fruit Production in the 21st Century will help me grow even further from my failure and use the book's strategies and solutions for a successful small-scale, non-chemical fruit production.  I want to be part of Gaia's farmers and growers of the 21st century.  
Question: Does your book contain information of how to grow herbal berries like hawthorn berries, gooseberries, elderberries, etc? Also, does your book explain how to grow berries from the stem?

Hello, Gooseberries are covered in much detail.  The other two not so much.  Growing berries from cuttings is fairly easy, you can research this online also.  

Paulina Shelkova wrote:I just moved to my property a year ago and I'll be buying berry plants next week from a local farmer! I'm in 5B, Northern Illinois. I'm so excited about having fresh berries again! I had berry plants growing up... Raspberries, Currants, Blueberries... But I haven't been able to grow any in many years. I'll be picking up Honeyberry, Black Currant, Red Currant, Aronia, Elderberry, and Concord Grape. I have a lot of shady areas on my little acre, but I'll just have to make it work. Now to find White Currant, Blackberry, Chocolate Vine, Hawthorn, Sea Buckthorn, Serviceberry, and Nanking Cherry. I'm also attempting to grow from seed Goji Berry, Raspberry, Strawberry, Hardy Kiwi, Cranberry, and others. What's the berry that's like Cranberry but easier to grow? Is it Lingonberry? I also have growing wild Gooseberries and Mulberries. The Gooseberries I waited until they turned purple last year to taste and by then they were too mushy and bland. Can they be picked and eaten earlier while they're still a bit green? I'm also wondering if Guomi Berry would grow in my area. Would Autumn Olive be considered a berry? Any tips for planting bare root plants?

Hello, I own and operate a full scale fruit nursery at www.peacefulheritage.com  and do sell many of those you mentioned.  You might be thinking highbush cranberry?   Gooseberries all ripen differently based on cultivar.  Overripe they are indeed mushy, so pick a little earlier.  I think they are best for processing into a really intense sweet-sour jam much loved in Europe.  Goumi will grow in your area. Autumn olive fruit is poor eating and considered very invasive.  Goumi is similar but better fruit and non-invasive.  When planting bare-root plants, 1st get them from a reputable source. Never let them dry out and plant as soon as they arrive.  Spread the roots in all directions and plant carefully, water heavily at planting and mulch.  This process is described in much detail in my book.  Bare-root is generally superior to potted in many cases and situations.

Make sure to check out honeyberry!

Mary Haasch wrote:Welcome Blake!

The book seems fascinating. I'm not particularly interested in marketing but I would like to know the best way to be able to harvest enough berries to get me through a winter as buying frozen, dried or freeze-dried berries gets expensive.

I have lots of blueberry bushes, all wild on a little less than 2 wooded acres, and all have been in their natural cycle of production for at least 50 years, that I know about. All of the bushes are maybe a foot tall. They've never been watered other than when it rains, or fertilized, and they produce plenty of really small berries that taste like scrumptious blueberries. The biggest problem is that the local critters don't seem to mind green blueberries and the entire crop seems to disappear overnight. This past year I got about 8 berries that the critters missed. I'm pretty sure the soil is perfect, as it is sandy and acid-leaning. The area where they grow, as I mentioned, is wooded and the naturally more sunny spot is a bit more productive than the other areas. The woods had been primarily oak but the oak wilt has definitely taken a toll and the woods is in transition to more maple and some other trees. When storms take out the dead oak trees there are additional openings in the canopy. It was once suggested to me to try to plant some other blueberry bushes that might help in the productivity of the 'natural' bushes. I imagine your book would provide plenty of ideas of things to try so that I could go back to my high school age memories of being able to fill several buckets with blueberries, remembering that it amounted to a LOT of blueberries since they have always been quite small.

I also recently purchased the almost 2 acres next door which has been, for at least 50 years, mostly open (not wooded) and on which I plan to use a portion of the land as horse pasture and to add a number of other berries, including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, mulberry, currants, cranberries and elderberries along with some fruit trees plus there is a perfect area that is going to be devoted to native wildflowers to further support the pollinators. I've never planted anything but strawberries (that was in Maryland not here in NE Wisconsin) and I'm not sure where to start but I'm going to get things going this year once the snow is gone and the soil can be worked. There is a nursery not too far from me that specializes in plants that do well locally. In addition to reading what I can find and in your book, I'll be asking the nursery lots of questions.

I am unfamiliar with Canadian nurseries but it should not be too difficult to find gooseberries.  Choose a few cold-hardy types and see what you like.  They are mostly used for processing.  Also check out haskap / honeyberry!

Blake Cothron wrote:

james cox wrote:welcome, blake.

i just read some of the excerpt from your book and liked all the preamble stuff about asking "all" the right questions.

i'm not so much about market as i am about abundance and then sharing and then, maybe, market.

i have a few berry bushes that are established as we only recently moved to this property. raspberry, blueberry, grapes, currants and possibly service berries.

i added some blueberries, strawberries and elders last year. this year i will add aronia, nut trees and bushes, mulberry and seabuckthorn. future plans include increasing the berry bushes to cover more of the property along with kiwi and other vine type berries.

however, gooseberry is what i really want and so, what is your advice on cultivars and do you know of any canadians(preferably in the west)that carry heirloom varieties? i have been looking with not much success so far. i would say that my zone is 4ish and i live on a gravel pit for drainage and trying to build up soil as i go.

cheers   james

I am unfamiliar with Canadian nurseries but it should not be too difficult to find gooseberries.  Choose a few cold-hardy types and see what you like.  They are mostly used for processing.  Also check out haskap / honeyberry!

Lorenz Gibs wrote:

The title of the book caught my attention.  I've just been thinking of getting yet another blueberry bush.  I love blueberries and tried growing them several times.  The first few times, they died within a year, the second I've placed in a protected area (from the winds and chickens) and seemed to have gotten established.  The second year it blossomed to my giddy excitement.  The flowers opened and eventually withered, but no berries and eventually the plant died.  :.-(

The bushes were planted during years we're in a drought (in Ca), maybe that was the cause of the berries dying partnered with unusual whipping winds at the time.

I'd like to try growing them again, this book, The Berry Grower, may have the answers I need.

Thank you for the preview.

In CA irrigation will be crucial, and changing the soil pH is important.  Blueberries are the most challenging berry to grow.  Check out honeyberry also.

Jules Silverlock wrote:Welcome Blake!! I really loved the book and think it's a super valuable resource so thank you for being with us this week and sharing your berry wisdom!

Thanks Jules, it was good fun writing this book.  Glad you enjoyed it.

Hello, and welcome to 'permies'.
I'm interested in how to get my Blueberries to grow better. I have a row of 10 bushes and I've had to replace 3 or 4 that died out.

Welcome Blake! The cover of your book makes my heart pitter patter..

Jesse Glessner wrote:Hello, and welcome to 'permies'.
I'm interested in how to get my Blueberries to grow better. I have a row of 10 bushes and I've had to replace 3 or 4 that died out.

I would say make sure you are ammending the soil for blueberries.  Setup irrigation or water all summer when establishing, and make sure to acquire cultivars are adapted to your area.

Blake Cothron wrote:

Jesse Glessner wrote:Hello, and welcome to 'permies'.
I'm interested in how to get my Blueberries to grow better. I have a row of 10 bushes and I've had to replace 3 or 4 that died out.

I would say make sure you are ammending the soil for blueberries.  Setup irrigation or water all summer when establishing, and make sure to acquire cultivars are adapted to your area.

Yep, did all of that with the instructions from the Blueberry Farm. Huge holes, amended soils, some early Spring and early Fall fertilizer for acidic plants. They get full sun now, but the first year had hoops with burlap 3 ft. wide down the crowns of the hoops so they got Morning and Afternoon sun, but the high noon sun was shaded somewhat with the burlap. Now there are only the hoops remaining.

Thanks for your answer though as I might just set up something in the way of irrigation and do a weekly run of water on these plants.

Hi Sir, do you have any advise for growing berries in rural West Texas, zone 7?  We have been in drought for 3 years now and need good advise on how to select drought tolerant plants and any tips for keeping the plants watered.

Wow! Great timing! I was beginning to plan what fruits I want to plant in my dream fruit & berry orchard. Looking forward to learning tips from The Berry Grower.
Welcome to Permies, Blake!

Welcome Blake, and thank you for the opportunity to win your book. We have a one acre homestead and try to grow most of our food. Berries are a large portion of that. Raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, as well as fruit trees. We recently planted elderberries. What others would be your recommendations for here in East Tennessee?

Thanks!

Welcome! This looks like such a lovely book, aim excited to check it out. I’m planning to try my hand at blueberries, strawberries, gooseberries, elderberries, raspberries, ground cherries and mulberries. I hope the birds have enough to share some with us! 😜

Can a Mulberry bush grow in a warm climate like Texas? I know it gets cold over the winter but has a long summer there so curious as to whether it will do well there.

Thanks!

Hey Blake! There are service berry shrubs growing near my hometown that got a disease last year thats unfamiliar to me. The leaves grew black and yellow spots in the spring, and by fall, these spots formed bumps on the leaf tops and tentacle-like hairs under the leaves. So weird -looking! All of the bushes eventually got it. I want to plant a saskatoon variety in my yard, but I'm worried they will fail from whatever this disease is. Ya got ideas?