The berry patch at the end of March, 2026
I remember cutting the berries way back last year and being concerned about being too aggressive but they were so healthy and bountiful that this year I decided to be even more aggressive.
Does that look aggressive to you? As I recall, I pulled out a lot of canes and cut things way back.
This isn’t a great shot but you get the idea. This was June 2nd.
One of the reasons for more pruning the last 2 years is I bought a couple of thornless blackberries and I was making room for them. I think they were overwhelmed — I’m not even sure if they are still in there. I’m going to check on them when things calm down.
I think the lesson is that berries love being pruned.
I was going to apologize for posting so many pictures of berries but then I looked at my posts and saw that I haven’t posted any pictures of berries and all my readers are missing out.
It always starts with a surprise, “Hey look! A few berries!” Then things gradually pick up speed.
The everbearing never did much until the last couple of years. I remember walking in my neighborhood and someone had everbearing raspberries in their sidewalk planter and the bush was as big as a car. I was envious wondering why mine never did anything.
No more.
I had a massage appointment last week and the massage therapist said: Are these scratches all over your arms?
Me: YES! Because I have been berry picking.
You really need to get in there. There are lots of good berries in the middle and the patch is especially dense I guess from all the pruning.
I bought one of those Ball canners where you put the water in and turn a dial and it will warm your jars for you and then after you put the filled jars in you hit a button and it tells you when you are done. I love it. I have done 3 different techniques — twice with no pectin, one with pectin where I added the sugar in the beginning because I didn’t read the directions, and then last night I canned 8 pints (!!!) doing the pectin first and adding the sugar for a 2nd boil.
I did 1 batch of just raspberry and 1 batch with rasp, black, and blue and then 2 batches with rasp and black.
Contact me if you need more details.
So far I have shared berries with at least 5 neighbors, made a pie, frozen 2 qt bags of blackberries and 2 qt bags of raspberries and I’ve made 12 ish pints of jam.
Also, berry eating is mandatory. I don’t want to see any apples or bananas. Only berries.
I want to say things are slowing down but actually I just skipped a day of picking. They are still bountiful
I remember last summer I really enjoyed coming home from work and changing clothes and getting out there and picking berries.
But this year it takes about 2 hours.
The blueberries aren’t getting much representation in this post. They are not producing a terrifying amount, only a nice regular supply. I have 3 productive bushes plus 2 baby bushes. The baby bushes were originally planted out front but I changed my mind and moved them to the back and they are still trying to get settled. Maybe next year.
As of this moment we have 1 big container (4 cups?) of washed and sugared blue, black, and raspberries ready for the week. There are 2 containers with freshly picked and unwashed berries, maybe 2 cups of black and 4 cups of rasp.
That is the latest in berry news.
