Winter Caneberry Checklist

 

Winter Caneberry Checklist 2020-21

This checklist was originally developed for blackberry growers in North Carolina. You may have to adjust your work activities either earlier or later depending on your location. For more detailed information, check the Southern Region Integrated Bramble Management Guide and the Southeast Regional Bramble Production Guide at: Link to SRSFC Caneberry IPM and Production Guides.

 

This list is intended as a general guide. However, it can be used to guide you to think about what types of activities occur at various times of the year. Check the items off as they get done. If you would like other items to be added to this list, send them to me and I will add them next time.

 

WINTER 

Plant growth and development

• Plant is not visibly growing during the winter months although many blackberries will retain their leaves through the winter
• Some floral differentiation is occurring in the flower buds (i.e. they are forming flowers)
• Low chilling cultivars can break bud in January after adequate winter chilling. You can monitor chilling hours accumulated in eight states in the eastern US by accessing this site: Link to Blackberry Chill Model

Developmental stages at this time of year as mentioned in the 2021 Southeast Regional Caneberries Integrated Management Guide are : 1. Dormant 2. Delayed dormant (swollen bud) to green tip.

 

Pruning and trellising

• Pruning should occur in late winter. However, in some areas winter ice storms can do tremendous damage to plants and trellis systems. If you produce blackberries in one of these areas, pruning can take place early winter to help avoid severe damage.
• Pruning and training videos can be found at:
• University of Arkansas Winter Blackberry Pruning
• NC State University Blackberry Pruning
• Make trellis repairs after plants have defoliated but before pruning and training.
• If you have a Rotating Arm Trellis, lay the canes to the ground. If you are in a colder region, have row covers available for protection from cold temperatures.

• Erect types
• Prune out the spent floricanes
• Cut lateral branches back to 12-18”
• Tie or weave canes to lower and upper wires
• Thin canes to 4-8 canes/ hill (4 ft spacing)
• Trailing types
• Prune out spent floricanes
• Tie or weave canes to wire so that they do not overlap
• Prune side laterals to 12-18”
• Thin canes to 6-8 hill (6-8 ft spacing)
• Primocane fruiting raspberries and blackberries
• Prune (mow) primocane fruiting types to ground level

 

Weed control

Check the 2021 Southeast Regional Caneberries Integrated Management Guide

for recommendations.

• Many summer weed problems can be best managed in the fall and winter using preemergent herbicides. Determine what weeds have been or could be a problem in your area. Check with local extension agent for cultural or chemical means to control these weeds. 

Insect and disease scouting

Check the 2021 Southeast Regional Caneberries Integrated Management Guide

 for recommendations.

·      Scout fields for insect and disease damage and remove those canes

• Remove wild blackberries and raspberries by the roots if they are within 600 ft of your planting during the winter 

Winter injury from cold

·      Injury from cold temperatures can occur to the canes and buds throughout the winter. Most often the damage occurs in the spring after the winter chilling hours have accumulated.

·      Review types of injury that can occur to the canes and buds. One site for cold injury information is the Team Rubus Blog.

 

Planting

• Take soil tests to determine fertility needs for spring plantings. 
• There are new raspberry and blackberry cultivars available each year. If you have not tried them or it is not known how they will do in your region, it is best to order a small quantity to see how well they will perform in your area
• For larger growers, prepare list of cultivars for 2022 plantings and order now. Smaller quantities of plants can be ordered in early 2021 for spring planting.
• Nursery lists can be found at:
• North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association 
• For a comprehensive nursery list for all small fruits, see Cornells Nursery Guide for Berry and Small Fruit Crops

 

Water management

• Make repairs to irrigation system (check pumps, lines, etc)
• Plants generally do not need supplemental water in winter 

 

Marketing and miscellaneous

• Order containers for next season
• Make contacts for selling fruit next season

 

 

For more detailed information, check the Southern Region Integrated Caneberry Management Guide and the Southeast Regional Bramble Production Guide online version: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/southeast-regional-caneberry-production-guide

Or PDF version: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/show_ep3_pdf/1607523686/22996/

 

Attend grower meetings

North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association (virtual meeting in 2021)

https://www.raspberryblackberry.com/

 

SE Regional Fruit and Vegetable  Conference (Savannah meeting is virtual in 2021)

https://seregionalconference.org/

 

 

Winter Injury Talk Savannah GA January 2015 part 2

Today in Savannah GA at the Vegetable and Fruit Conference, Wayne Mitchem, Ervin Lineberger and David Lockwood held a session on Winter Injury in blackberries. Here are Waynes Slides. He is a grower in the Lincolnton, NC area. Wayne Mitchem outlines the scenario on his farm during the 2013 growing season and the winter of 2014 below. 

In short, the conditions that were present on his farm during the 2013 season, lots of rain and late harvest season of Navaho kept the plants from hardening off. The result was cane injury to his Navaho plants most likely occurred in November. 

He lists some great management suggestions in the last slide and made during the session:

-prune out dead canes, this will minimize diseases that may be harbored in the dead canes, and increase air circulation in the canopy

-foliar fertilization may help in spring and summer to help deliver nutrients to the developing crop. (see comments on previous blog post http://teamrubus.blogspot.com/2014/04/cane-damage-what-to-do.html)

-there will be a need to increase pruning in 2015, as more canes were produced in 2014

-damage in November made plants more susceptible to cold later in January

See other posts on winter injury here:

http://teamrubus.blogspot.com/search?q=winter+injury

Winter caneberry checklist/chores

 

This checklist was originally developed for blackberry growers in North Carolina. You may have to adjust your work activities either earlier or later depending on your location. For more detailed information, check the Southern Region Integrated Bramble Management Guide and the Southeast Regional Bramble Production Guide at: Link to SRSFC Caneberry IPM and Production Guides.

 

This list is intended as a general guide. However, it can be used to guide you to think about what types of activities occur at various times of the year. Check the items off as they get done. If you would like other items to be added to this list, send them to me and I will add them next time.

 

WINTER 

Plant growth and development

• Plant is not visibly growing during the winter months although many blackberries will retain their leaves through the winter
• Some floral differentiation is occurring in the flower buds (i.e. they are forming flowers)
• Low chilling cultivars can break bud in January after adequate winter chilling.  See previous blog post for more information.

Developmental stages at this time of year as mentioned in the 2021 Southeast Regional Caneberries Integrated Management Guide are : 1. Dormant 2. Delayed dormant (swollen bud) to green tip.

 

Pruning and trellising

• Pruning should occur in late winter. However, in some areas winter ice storms can do tremendous damage to plants and trellis systems. If you produce blackberries in one of these areas, pruning can take place early winter to help avoid severe damage.
• Pruning and training videos can be found at:
• University of Arkansas Winter Blackberry Pruning
• NC State University Blackberry Pruning
• Make trellis repairs after plants have defoliated but before pruning and training.
• If you have a Rotating Arm Trellis, lay the canes to the ground. If you are in a colder region, have row covers available for protection from cold temperatures.
• Erect types
• Prune out the spent floricanes
• Cut lateral branches back to 12-18”
• Tie or weave canes to lower and upper wires
• Thin canes to 4-8 canes/ hill (4 ft spacing)
• Trailing types
• Prune out spent floricanes
• Tie or weave canes to wire so that they do not overlap
• Prune side laterals to 12-18”
• Thin canes to 6-8 hill (6-8 ft spacing)
• Primocane fruiting raspberries and blackberries
• Prune (mow) primocane fruiting types to ground level

 

Weed control

Check the 2022 Southeast Regional Caneberries Integrated Management Guide

for recommendations.

• Many summer weed problems can be best managed in the fall and winter using preemergent herbicides. Determine what weeds have been or could be a problem in your area. Check with local extension agent for cultural or chemical means to control these weeds. 

Insect and disease scouting

Check the 2022 Southeast Regional Caneberries Integrated Management Guide

 for recommendations.

·      Scout fields for insect and disease damage and remove those canes

• Remove wild blackberries and raspberries by the roots if they are within 600 ft of your planting during the winter 

Winter injury from cold

·      Injury from cold temperatures can occur to the canes and buds throughout the winter. Most often the damage occurs in the spring after the winter chilling hours have accumulated.

·      Review types of injury that can occur to the canes and buds. One site for cold injury information is the Team Rubus Blog.

 

Planting

• Take soil tests to determine fertility needs for spring plantings. 
• There are new raspberry and blackberry cultivars available each year. If you have not tried them or it is not known how they will do in your region, it is best to order a small quantity to see how well they will perform in your area
• For larger growers, prepare list of cultivars for 2023 plantings and order now. Smaller quantities of plants can be ordered in early 2022 for spring planting.
• Nursery lists can be found at:
• North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association 
• For a comprehensive nursery list for all small fruits, see Cornells Nursery Guide for Berry and Small Fruit Crops

 

Water management

• Make repairs to irrigation system (check pumps, lines, etc)
• Plants generally do not need supplemental water in winter 

 

Marketing and miscellaneous

• Order containers for next season
• Make contacts for selling fruit next season

 

Attend grower meetings

North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association is hybrid this year. For more information check here their link. Here is a brief summary of the meeting.

This virtual conference February 21-24, 2022.

A special seven-session virtual short course, “Getting Started in Raspberries & Blackberries,” will be offered. It starts Jan 31. See link above.

North Carolina Commercial Blackberry and Raspberry Association will be holding a meeting on Feb 4, 2022.

Contact Daniel_Shires@ncsu.edu or Karen_Blaedow@ncsu.edu

 

Please check with your local Extension service to learn of meetings in your state.

 

Cold Weather Update

Cold Weather Update January 2026

Gina Fernandez1 and Hannah Lepsch2

1Extension Specialist and 2Research Assistant/PhD student

NCSU Dept. Horticultural Science

A recent storm producing ice, sleet, and snow across North Carolina has raised understandable concerns about potential cold damage to blackberry crops. While colder temperatures are still forecast, early observations and data provide useful insight into what growers should expect and what to monitor closely in the coming weeks.

Ice Storms: Limited Cane Damage Observed So Far

Ice accumulation varied across the state, with some areas experiencing significant  accumulation of over 0.05 inches (Figure 1). In many fields, blackberry canes were coated with ice (Figure 2); however, there is currently no evidence of widespread cane breakage or structural damage from ice weight. Blackberry canes are generally resilient during dormancy, and past experience suggests that ice alone rarely causes major injury.

Figure 1. Ice accumulation across North Carolina,  Jan 24-25, 2026. Courtesy: NC Climate Office. 

Figure 2. Ice accumulation on 'Von' Blackberry, western NC. 

(NOTE: Do not use overhead irrigation for frost or freeze protection in blackberries. Past events have shown that overhead irrigation in the spring to protect buds can increase ice load on canes and result in cane breakage, often causing more damage than protection)  

Cold Temperatures and Bud Damage

To better understand cold tolerance this winter, buds of ‘Ponca’, ‘Ouachita’, ‘Von’, and ‘Galaxy’ were collected in early December 2025 and early January 2026 from three locations in North Carolina: the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Mountains. Buds were evaluated for cold injury following exposure to a range of low temperatures. 

Results showed that:

• In both December and January, more than 50% of buds were killed at temperatures near -6°F at the Coastal Plain site.
• In the Piedmont and Mountain sites, bud kill reached 50% at temperatures closer to 0°F 
• 'Ponca' has shown damage in the mid teens.
• Temperatures recorded at these locations have not reached these critical thresholds, suggesting that widespread bud loss is unlikely at this time. 

Additional bud sampling is planned later this week to further evaluate bud survival following recent cold events. 

Cold temperatures and Cane Damage

In addition to bud injury, cold temperatures can also cause damage to blackberry canes. Over the next few days, forecasted lows below 10°F may increase the risk of cane injury, especially in exposed sites or on less cold-hardy cultivars.

Cane damage is not always immediately evident. In many cases, symptoms may take several days or even weeks to appear. Dead or severely injured canes often turn brown or gray, rather than remaining green and healthy. In some situations, damage is not obvious until spring, when floricane buds begin to leaf out but then shoots wilt or collapse shortly after growth starts.

Because of this delayed symptom development, growers are encouraged to be patient and continue monitoring canes as temperatures warm.

Chill Accumulation: Generally Adequate Across the State

Chill hour accumulation is another important factor influencing blackberry performance in spring. As of late January:

• Coastal Plain: approximately 673 chill hours

• Piedmont: approximately 861 chill hours

• Mountains: approximately 893 chill hours

Most blackberry cultivars require 300–900 chilling hours, indicating that chilling requirements have largely been met across North Carolina. Adequate chill accumulation supports uniform bud break and flowering as plants move out of dormancy. 

Deacclimation: Why Spring Buds Are More Vulnerable

As winter progresses into late winter and early spring, blackberry plants begin to deacclimate, meaning they gradually lose cold hardiness as chilling requirements are met and buds prepare for growth.

Because of this:

• Buds become more sensitive to cold as spring approaches

• Temperatures that would not cause damage in mid-winter can be damaging later

• Spring killing temperatures are higher than winter killing temperatures

This is why late winter and early spring freezes often cause more visible damage than colder mid-winter events.

What Growers Should Do Now

• Monitor forecasted low temperatures closely, especially over the next several days

• Delay pruning decisions, particularly in colder regions, until cane and bud survival can be assessed

• After a period of warmer weather, cut buds and canes to evaluate tissue color, healthy tissue will be green, while damaged tissue will be brown or black (Figures 3 and 4).

Figure 3. Primary bud of blackberry is brown/black and is dead. Note that the secondary bud is still green. 

Figure 4.  Blackberry cane showing browning just under the bark, this is vascular damage. 

Bottom Line

Although winter weather has been challenging, current data suggest that temperatures so far have not been low enough to cause major bud loss in most areas of North Carolina for most of the cultivars we studied (except 'Ponca'). Bud and cane injury remains a possibility following upcoming cold nights and throughout the spring, but symptoms may take time to appear. Continued monitoring over the next several weeks and months will be key.

Additional updates will be shared as new data become available.   

Cold Injury in Caneberries

Temperatures on Jan 2, 2018 at 3 am in NC, SC and part of GA.  Source:http://www.nc-climate.ncsu.edu/map/ 

Last week many areas of the southern US experienced some very cold temperatures and in some locations closer to the coast there was some significant snow accumulation.

We are monitoring our berry crops, strawberry crowns at Central Crops Research Station looked good late last week. The crowns were creamy white when we sliced them open.

I will be in Savannah at the SE Regional Fruit and VegetableConference if you want to bring in some caneberry samples, we can look at them together. I don't expect to see bud damage at this point, but there may be some damage to the canes.

I have posted information on caneberry winter injury several times in the past. Here is a link to all the posts, there are numerous pictures to help you identify potential cold injury.

https://teamrubus.blogspot.com/search?q=winter+injury

Winter Injury Talk Savannah GA January 2015 part 1

Yesterday in Savannah GA at the  SE Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference, there was a session on winter injury in blackberries. Here are slides from Dr. David Lockwood, University of Tennesse. He reviews how plants prepare themselves for winter, types of injury that can occur and practices for reducing freeze damage.

Assessing Winter Injury in the Piedmont and Western North Carolina Class Exercise

Guest writer: Nicholas Basinger nabasing@ncsu.edu, Graduate Student, Department of Horticultural Science with data collection help from HS 422 class members. Edited by G. Fernandez

Deep cold, accompanied by snow came into the state the last week of January.  Some growers were reporting temperatures in the negative single digits.  After this weather came and went,  growers were wondering if the frigid air had affected their crops.

Samples of whole canes were collected from 3 locations: the Piedmont Research Station (PRS) in Salisbury, NC, the Upper Mountain Research Station (UMRS) in Laurel Springs, NC and a grower site located near Hendersonville, NC.  We looked at 4 varieties of blackberries and 3 varieties of raspberry.

These samples were brought back to NCSU and dissected on February 10, 2014 as part of a class exercise in HS 422, Small Fruit Production.  The objective of the exercise was to determine if bud damage had occurred due to the cold temperatures in the past few weeks. Three buds from an upper lateral, three from a middle and three from a lower lateral (see drawing below) were dissected and assessed for damage.

We observed the most injury in raspberry varieties from the UMRS (elevation 2800 ft), which saw temperatures of -9 ^oF during the late January freeze.  By the time the freeze hit on Jan. 30,  780 chilling hours had accumulated at this site. Previous days to the lowest recorded temperature were in the mid 40’s.  This is almost a 50 degree temperature shift in a matter of 2 days.   Raspberries do not tolerate large temperature fluctuations and are more susceptible to cold damage when their chilling requirements have been met.  Almost all of the raspberry canes at this site showed bud damage throughout the cane. Fortunately, the raspberries sampled were primocane-fruiting types and will be mowed to the ground in a few weeks. They will  produce a crop on the primocanes later in the summer.  

In all locations, we observed some injury to blackberry buds.  In general, injury was observed on buds furthest from the crown. And the colder sites, Hendersonville and Upper Mountain Research  Station in Laurel Springs had more injury than the Piedmont Research Station in Salisbury.

Below are some examples of what to look for when dissecting caneberry buds. 

The cold temperatures have permanently damaged this Navaho bud. Notice that in the center of this bud there is a dark dot (necrosis).  This will not produce fruit in the spring.  Photo: Gina Fernandez

This picture is a great example of healthy Navaho bud.  Notice that the bud looks green and there are no signs of necrosis. Photo: Nicholas Basinger

If you are interested in taking samples from your field, we suggest you sample an entire cane as is illustrated in the diagram above to determine where the injury has occurred. If the majority of the injury is on distal portions of canes and laterals, those buds can be removed by pruning. For more on how to sample read this posting: http://teamrubus.blogspot.com/2014/01/assessing-cold-damage-in-blackberry-and.html

ALSO, here is a link to an awesome (GF opinion) video, showing how to dissect and look at buds,  click HERE. When dissecting it is VERY important to cut down middle of the bud; if you do not cut down the middle you may not be able to see damage if there is some present.