Blackberries and Grapes

[dooleysm]

I'm planning to put up some blackberry and grape 'arbors' (I think that's the word I want) this spring. I'm planning to get some 8' landscape timbers for this project. I'm hoping to use one at each corner for a post to make an 8x5.5 (I want it just wide enough to run my lawn tractor through to mow) rectangle. Then I'm going to rip some timbers in half lengthwise to make a frame around the top. Finally I'm going to tack some woven wire fencing with maybe 4x4 squares along the 8' sides and over the top.

I'm planning 2 of these structures, 1 for grapes and 1 for blackberries. Anyone see any reason(s) why this wouldn't work?

My main question is about planting the fruit. I believe I can go over to my FIL's and take some cuttings from his blackberry bushes, plant those, and they will grow into bushes at my place. I think I've heard that this works with blackberries. Can anyone confirm or deny?

What about grapes? My FIL has them too, can I take cuttings from them in the same manner as with blackberries?

Any other considerations?

 

[survriggs]

Shawn:
this is a pic of our blackberry patch. We bought cuttings in pots and this is what they did one year later. Whenever one of the canes touch the ground it puts down roots and starts another plant. I let about 15 of the canes touch the ground and gave them to a friend. I used cattle panels wired to steel "t" posts and was constantly rethreading the canes to keep them off of the ground. We harvested about 20 gallons. Good luck!

 

[forgeblast]

That is just an amazing sight. How often do you have to trim them to the ground? or do you just let them go each year.

 

[survriggs]

Well........I think you are supposed to cut down the canes that had fruit but I'm ashamed to say that we were so busy that we kinda let them go and didn't cut any back. We'll see how that affects them this season.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

My main question is about planting the fruit. I believe I can go over to my FIL's and take some cuttings from his blackberry bushes, plant those, and they will grow into bushes at my place. I think I've heard that this works with blackberries. Can anyone confirm or deny?

What about grapes? My FIL has them too, can I take cuttings from them in the same manner as with blackberries?
Any other considerations?

We have blackberry's raspberry and grapes (Thompson & concord)

On our blackberry and raspberry plants, i wait till they start to spread from the main stem and then transplant them.

On the grapes, i cut stems off and put them in a 2 liter bottle with water and they start roots from that way.

 

[radioman]

survriggs - they look great!!! I am actaully jealous. the only question i have is how do you plan on removing the 2 yr old canes from the fence? with the thorns it gotta be a nasty job!

 

[2manyrocks]

I'm not sure if the pressure treating of the landscape timbers is good for grapes, but my experience with landscape timbers is that they don't last very long. I like the idea of tposts and panels that has been suggested.

 

[survriggs]

Radioman - they're thornless so that's no problem but it might take some time "un-weaving" them from the cattle panels...I haven't gotten that far yet.

 

[dooleysm]

I don't know what they do to landscape timbers. If they're pressure treated I would expect them to last my lifetime in this application. Even if they aren't treated in any way I would expect them to last many years. I'm not holding up a pole barn, just some grapes and berries.

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

please excuse my ignorance.....what is a cattle panel?

i really wanted to put in my orchard, grapes and several varieties of berries this year, but i don't think i'll make it.....

Shawn:
this is a pic of our blackberry patch. We bought cuttings in pots and this is what they did one year later. Whenever one of the canes touch the ground it puts down roots and starts another plant. I let about 15 of the canes touch the ground and gave them to a friend. I used cattle panels wired to steel "t" posts and was constantly rethreading the canes to keep them off of the ground. We harvested about 20 gallons. Good luck!