Budbreak 2013

Black raspberry bud 14 March 2013. 

Navaho bud 14 March 2013. 

Prime-Ark 45 bud 14 March 2013

Von bud 14 March 2013

Budbreak on this first day of spring appears to be holding off due to the cooler temperatures we have been experiencing in NC. These pictures were taken at the Sandhills Research Station last week by my student, CM Bradish. Only Prime-Ark 45 is showing any signs of green leaves.

I was looking at the Team Rubus blog post from last year and see that in March (10th), at the CEFS pruning demonstration, blackberry buds were a bit tighter, but not much. http://teamrubus.blogspot.com/2012/03/pruning-workshop-at-center-for.html

No budbreak at this time is a good thing. We have accumulated plenty of chilling and once it gets warm, these buds will grow quickly. We don't need a repeat of 12 April 2012 when flower buds were killed by low temperatures. http://teamrubus.blogspot.com/2012/04/freeze-2012-field-visits.html

If you have time to take some pictures and send them to me (labeled with variety and date photo taken), it would be great to have a snapshot in time from various locations, to see how the crop is developing.

Gina_Fernandez@ncsu.edu

Mark Bolda wins NARBA award

Mark Bolda, University of California, farm advisor was presented with a Distinguised Service Award at the North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association Annual meeting in Portland. Although Mark works in CA, he has been an asset to the entire US caneberry industry. To see a story on his award go to:

http://www.growingproduce.com/article/32989/berry-organization-honors-swd-expert?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=AFG%20eNews%20Feb%2013%202013%20(1)&utm_content=

Mark presented a great talk "Caneberry CSI: Figuring out your mysterious problems in the  field" at the meeting. To see the example of the field work that was a basis for his talk, check out his blog:

http://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=8288

New Fresh Market Caneberry Production Manual

The University of California Cooperative Extension has just published a new Caneberry production manual.  Authors Mark Bolda, Mark Gaskell, Michael Cahn and Elizabeth Mitcham have compiled a manual aimed at the California growing system, but many of the chapters have information that would be of use to southeast US growers (e.g. plant description, flowering and fruit production, harvest and handling etc). With over 90 color photos, it will give insight into how things are done in CA. The manual is $25. If you follow the link below, they are offering a 10% discount with a promotion code on this blog:

http://ucanr.org/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=8532

PS IF you have not checked out this blog before, do so soon, it is packed with great information.

Websites and Seasonal checklists

Every 4 months I post a list of chores for caneberry/bramble growers on the Blackberry and Raspberry Growers Portal, here is a link to that site, the link to the Seasonal Checklist is always on the opening page of this website:
http://www.ncsu.edu/enterprises/blackberries-raspberries

The same list is also published in the Southern Region Small Fruits Newsletter. This is a quarterly publication that has articles written by members of the six Universities that are part of this consortium. Here is a link to that newsletter.
http://www.smallfruits.org/Newsletter/SmallFruitNews.htm

I suggest you clip the list and post it by your computer, then you will always have it readily available to look at as a reminder of things to do.

Summer Checklist is online

Here is a link to the summer checklist for caneberry growers.
http://ncsu.edu/enterprises/blackberries-raspberries/2012/06/25/blackberry-raspberry-seasonal-checklist-summer-2012/

Winter Caneberry Fieldwork 2012

Even though it is cold, there are things to do in the field (and office). Here is a link to the winter fieldwork for blackberries.

http://ncsu.edu/enterprises/blackberries-raspberries/2011/12/19/blackberry-raspberry-seasonal-checklist-winter-2011/