Growing your own berries may not always be possible due to lack of space but there are new berry varieties available that are smaller sized plants which grow well in containers. Brazelberries are a collection of ornamental berry plants that have been bred with the homeowner in mind. The smaller sized plants are attractive enough to be placed in decorative pots and placed on the patio and yet they are still productive, producing tasty fruit. The Brazelton family from Oregon have been breeding new varieties of berries over the past 20 years, and have created a new collection of their best varieties called the 'Brazel Berry Collection. The brazelberries are rated as zone 5 and are not winter hardy for the Prince George area, so will need extra care over the winter months to carry them through for the next season. Plants in containers need to be taken into a protected area such as a garage/shed where temperatures do not go below -10 Celsius. Keep the soil moist but not wet over the winter months and in the spring the plants are brought back outside when temperatures warm up.
The first variety in this collection is the 'Raspberry Shortcake' which is a thornless, compact sized, raspberry plant, that produces full sized, tasty fruit. The plant grows 60-90 cm., and does not need any support from a trellis. It should be planted in a container, large enough for the plant to expand over the years. A suggested size is 60-90 cm pot size. Use a high quality, good draining, outdoor soil mix when planting into the container. Place the planted container in full sun. 'Raspberry Shortcake' is an easy to grow plant. It should be fertilized in the spring with a fruit and berry fertilizer and pruned yearly, in the spring. The old non fruit bearing canes which are the canes that produced fruit last season should be removed at ground level, leaving only last years new canes and the new growth shoots that emerge from ground level. Fruit is produced on last years canes.
There are three Brazelberry blueberry varieties available. Peach Sorbet, Jelly Bean and Blueberry Glaze. Jelly Bean is the smallest sized plant, growing 30-60 cm. It is an attractive plant with brilliant green foliage. Although small in size it still produces clusters of large, tasty fruit. Peach Sorbet is a plant with year round interest as it does not loose its attractive leaves over the winter. Leaves range from peach to pink to orange to green. Over the winter the leaves are said to turn an eggplant purple. Blueberry Glaze is an attractive looking plant with its shiny dark green leaves that is said to resemble a boxwood. The plant produces very dark, almost black, small sized berries, that have been compared to tasting like wild blueberries. It grows 60-90 cm in size.
Blueberries prefer a more acidic soil that has pH of 4.5-5.5. Mix peat moss into the soil to lower the pH. A simple pH soil test can be done to determine the pH levels of the soil. Fertilize plants in the spring with an acid fertilizer such as an azalea/rhododendron fertilizer. It is suggested that the Brazelberry blueberry plants are pruned in the spring before the plant breaks into leaf. Remove any dead or non producing branches, so the plants energy goes into berry production.
All the brazelberry varieties are self pollinating, meaning that they do not need another plant to produce fruit, however if there is more then one plant, fruit production may increase. During the growing season, keep plants consistently moist but not soggy and over the winter months when the plants are stored, the soil should remain slightly moist. Brazelberries are attractive yet purposeful, container plants that can be mixed with annuals, to add to an edible landscape.
*Reminder~ The annual pruning clinic is back. Saturday, April 12-10;00 a.m., or Sunday, April 13, 1;00 p.m. Both sessions are held at the Art Knapp West location on 4411 Kimball Road.
