Raspberries - ( Rubrum sp.)

Raspberries are best grown in organically rich, slightly acidic, moist, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade.

Summer Bearing Raspberries

Killarney – Summer bearing, extremely sweet, red berries. Good for fresh eating, freezing and preserves. Clusters tend to weigh the medium sized canes down, so support is needed. Hardy Zone 3-8.

Royalty – Summer bearing purple raspberries with extremely large fruit. Good for fresh eating and for preserves. Flavor differs when harvested as a red raspberry or as a purple raspberry. Slow to sucker so they should be planted closer together to speed up establishment. Resist aphids. Hardy Zone 4-7.

Everbearing Raspberries

Everbearing raspberries can have One or Two crops depending on pruning styles.

One Crop- Mow down the canes in the late fall after a hard frost for one late summer crop.

Two Crops- A late summer crop will ripen on the top 1/3 of the canes. A second smaller fruited crop will ripen the following summer (June) on the bottom 2/3 of the canes. Prune out old canes that don't produce.

Caroline - The fall bearing standard! that produces some of the largest berries that ripen in the fall, with a super strong raspberry flavor. Caroline is very productive and can be grown nearly anywhere. In the South you can get berries as early as June. Tolerant to root rot and high resistance to grey mold. Susceptible to verticillium wilt. Do not plant where tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant or peppers have been grown in the past 3-4 years; Plant as far away from these vegetables if growing them. Grows 4 to 6 feet. Spacing is 3 foot apart in the row. Zones 4 to 10.

Fall varieties bear fruit on new growth produced in the summer. Those canes will produce a light early summer crop the next summer. After that, the canes should be removed. Fall-bearing canes can be cut down to the ground in early spring if an early crop of fruit isn't wanted.

Fall Gold – An everbearing golden raspberry. Two crops are produced, one in June on the upper 1/3 rd of canes, one in late August on lower 2/3 rd of canes. Good for fresh eating, freezing and preserves. Hardy Zone 4-9.

Heritage – An everbearing red raspberry with two crops a season. The berries are sweet and firm fleshed. They hold onto the vines well when ripe. Very vigorous grower. Resistant to powdery mildew. Hardy Zone 3-9.

Blackberry - (Rubus)

Blackberries are best grown in organically rich, slightly acidic, moist, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade.

Chester – Large, juicy, sweet blackberries. Thornless. Good for fresh eating, freezing, preserves and baking. Hardy Zone 5-8.

Darrow - Very large berries ripen in July with a great near wild taste. Upright canes grow 4-5ft. Produce a large crop and is very cold hardy.

Black Raspberries

Bristol - Black raspberry. Bristol’s upright growth and cluster formation make its berries extremely easy to pick. Firm berries can be handled without bleeding. Excellent choice for black raspberry flavor. Great flavor, heavy yield. Tolerant of powdery mildew.

Blueberries ( Vaccinium corymbosum )

Blueberries require acidic soil (pH 4.5-5.2), loamy or sandy, moist but well-drained in full sun to part shade. Acidify soil with compost made from pine needles, oak leaves, by incorporating peat or with sulfur. Do not use aluminum sulfate as it will change the flavor of the fruit. Blueberries are self fertile, yet larger yields and larger fruit are acquired by planting together two different varieties of the sa me bloomtime .

Berkley – A late midseason blueberry, one of the most popular for ho me gardens. Berries are of a high dessert quality and are good for freezing. Grows 5-6' high and wide. Hardy Zone 4-7.

Bluecrop – A midseason blueberry. Considered best for consistent yield and large, high quality fruit. This is the leading com me rcial blueberry. Very disease resistant and resists cracking. Good for fresh eating, preserves, baking and freezing. Grows 4-6' tall and wide. Hardy Zone 4-7.

Bluejay – An early midseason blueberry. Extremely vigorous bushes which can grow twice as fast as other blueberry bushes. Mild flavored berries can stay on the bush for a long time without losing fruit quality. Grows 6-7' high and wide. Hardy Zone 4-7.

Jeresey – A late season blueberry. A long time home garden favorite. The small to medium sized fruit are sweet and tart and a favorite for baking. Tolerates many soil types. Grows 7' x 7'. Hardy Zone 4-7.

Patriot – Ripens early with tight clusters of very large berries. Excellent flavor for fresh eating or deserts. High producer with green foliage in summer, fiery orange in fall. Grows to be between 4 and 6' tall. Very hardy, tolerant of wet soil. Plant two for proper pollenization.

Grapes - ( Vitis sp. )

Grapes are best grown on a south facing slope away from winter wind and frost pockets. Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions but must be well drained. Grapes need a support system, training and regular pruning.

Canadice – A totally seedless, red, medium sized table grape with a spicy flavor. Berries are firm and keep on the vine for a long time. Extremely cold hardy, they have been known to fruit after winters that reach -20 degree weather. Ripens in Mid-August. 6-8” long berry clusters. Yields 20-40 lbs. Self fertile. Hardy Zone 4-8. May produce seeds in warmer climates, Zone 6 and above.

Concord – Blue-black grape for making juices, wines and preserves. Medium fruit produced in me dium to large clusters have a thick skin and a sweet, strong grape flavor. Ripens in August-September. Self fertile. Anthracnose resistant, downy mildew resistant. Hardy Zone 4-9.

Edelweiss – Large clustered white table grape. Often used for juice and wine. Must be picked promptly to avoid a strong “foxy” labrusca flavor. Early ripening. Self fertile. Hardy Zone 4-8.

Lakemont – A vinifera white grape. A good fresh grape with a slight honey flavor. This grape is not slipskin, flesh tends to attach to skin. Produces large clusters of small- medium grapes that are crisp, juicy and sweet. Self fertile. Hardy Zone 4-9.

Mars – A seedless purple grape that is good for fresh eating and processing. Medium sized clusters ripen in August. Has a Concord like flavor. Resistant to powdery mildew, downy mildew, black rot and anthracnose. Self fertile. Hardy Zone 508.

Swenson Red – A high quality red to purple table grape. Large crisp berries with tender skin and meaty texture. Flavor is more like a vinifera grape then a labrusca. Hardy Zone 5-8.

Elderberries ( Sambucus canadensis )

Elderberries are grown best in a sunny location in organically rich, moist soil. They do tolerate shade. Elderberries will be more productive when two cultivars are planted together. Prune away dead canes in late winter to early spring and cut out old canes whenever bush becomes crowded. Severe pruning to control size can be used as the shrub blooms on old and new wood. Spreads by suckers. White flowers bloom in the summer (also edible). Berries have a medley flavor of raspberries, grapes and blackberries. Elderberries can be substituted for blueberries in any recipe.

Adams – a tall upright suckering shrub that forms colonies. Bares large clusters of dark blue-black fruit. Has little to no insect problems. Plant with ‘ York ' for better fruit production. Great for juice, preserves, pies and wine. Grows 10' x 10'. Hardy Zone 3-9.

York – Produces the largest size and quantity of fruit of all elderberries. Fruits later then ‘ Adams ', but plant together for higher yields. Great for juice, preserves, pies and wine. Grows 12' x12'. Hardy Zone 3-9.

Currants and Gooseberry ( Ribes rubrum)

Currants and Gooseberries are best grown in organically rich, medium wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. They prefer cool summers so they would prefer so me afternoon shade in Rochester . Do not grow where water and soil are high in sodium. Plant where there is protection from strong winter winds and frost pockets. Mulch well with an organic mulch and water to keep evenly moist. Avoid overhead watering however. Plants are self-fertile. Prune as needed during the dormant season. For red and white currants, cut stems that are older then three years to the ground. Remove two year old stems on black currants. Older canes are often dark and peeling. Do not plant currants or gooseberries near White Pine trees ( Pinus strobus ), the berry plants are a host of white pine blister rust. The black currant varieties more then red and white cuurants.

Red Lake Currant – A red currant. Born on long berry cluster which are easy to pick. Has a very high yield. Great for preserves. High juice content. Mid to late ripening. Self fertile. Grows 3' x 5'. Hardy Zone 3-7.

Consort Currant – A black, medium to small sized currant. Great for preserves. This cultivar is white pine rust resistant. Early to mid fruit ripening. Self fertile. Grows 6' x 6'. Hardy Zone 2-7.

Hinnomaki Red Gooseberry – Large, red berries with a kiwi like flavor. Bares heavy with fruit. Berries have a tart skin and sweet, white flesh. This cultivar is powdery mildew resistant and disease resistant in general. Self fertile. They grow 3-5ft tall. Hardy to Zone 5.

Pixwell Gooseberry – Very hardy bush with pink berries with easy picking, this cultivar has few thorns. Yields 4-6 quarts per bush. Very mildew and drought resistant. Two year old wood is the most productive. Best used when slightly under ripe. Self fertile. Grows 4' x 4'. Hardy in Zones 3-7.