Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Harvest plums when they come off the tree with a slight twist of the stem. Most of the plums
on the tree will ripen all at once, so be prepared for pounds of delicious fruit at one time. Plums
will store for a few days in the fridge, but then you'll want to preserve them somehow. You can
dehydrate them, make pies or tarts, and can jams or preserves.
Vines and Berries
Fruiting vines and smaller berry bushes are one of my favorite ways to sneak deliciousness into
the landscape. They are easy to tuck into off spaces—along the walls and fence lines, or into the
awkward spaces between trees and perennials in mixed borders. This section discusses some of the
most common berries and fruiting vines that you might want to add to your landscape.
Blackberries and Raspberries (both
Rubus spp.
)
These brambling fruits are hardy in zones 3 through 9 depending on the type and variety. Most
brambles bear on second-year canes, so you should prune one third of the canes each year to keep
your brambles under control. Raspberries will spread by runners under the ground, creating larger
and larger thickets each year if not periodically cut back.
Trellis your raspberry or blackberry vines against a fence, arbor, or wall to make it easier to pick
them. You can also choose cultivars that are thornless, which also makes it easier to pick ripe
berries. In fact, the thornless varieties make a great addition to a kids' garden area because children
are irresistibly drawn to these delicious summer berries.
There are few tastes that say “summer” better than the fresh-off-the-vine flavor of raspberries
and blackberries.
(Photo courtesy of Rachel Matthews)
