Use and Care Manual
Raspberries—Raspberries are a bramble fruit and
should be cultivated as you would blackberries.
Plants are more erect, however, and still benefit
greatly from a simple trellis. Space red and yellow
varieties 2 feet apart in rows 6 feet apart; blacks
and purples 3 feet apart in rows 8 feet apart.
(NOTE: Plant blacks and reds 300 feet apart to
prevent the spread of disease.) Except in the case
of fall-bearing types, new canes don’t produce fruit
and put out few, if any, branches. Little thinning is
needed until plants have been in the ground for a
few years.
Pruning Red Raspberries
Pull
out
suckers
When thinning brambles, leave the thickest canes
and remove the thinnest (see illustration above).
Prune red and yellow raspberries back to 8-12
buds on a cane, leaving the thickest canes at least
4-6 inches apart in the spring. Remove the fruiting
canes after harvest. Prune blacks and purples when
new growth starts in the spring, leaving 10-15
buds per cane and four to five canes per clump.
Encourage branching by pinching back the tips
of black raspberry plants in late summer (see
illustration below). With reds, remove suckers
rather than canes from original plants.
Head back
or pinch
Pruning Black Raspberries
Visit Gurneys.com, Gardening-How To
Videos to view our “How to prune black raspberry
plants in late winter or early spring” video.
Saskatoon Blueberries—Native to North America,
this hardy shrub provides blueberry-like fruit in
harsher climates and drier, more alkaline soils than
true blueberries. Plant in full sun to partial shade
and water regularly for best fruit production. Prune
only to maintain an attractive shape or to remove
crowded or damaged branches.
Strawberries—Strawberries need well-worked soil
with good drainage and plenty of organic matter.
Add 1 pound of fertilizer per 100 square feet. Plant
so that the crown is even with the surface of the soil
and make sure all the roots are covered.
Junebearing strawberries produce a single crop.
Everbearers produce one crop during the regular
strawberry season and another smaller one later
in fall, plus a few fruits in between. Day neutrals
are the truest everbearers, producing fruit spring,
summer and fall.
Set strawberries 15-24 inches apart, water well
and mulch with straw. Remove blossoms from
Junebearers the first year. Remove everbearer and
day-neutral blossoms until July 1, then allow the
plants to set fruit. This allows the plants to become
established so they’ll set far more berries the second
year than they ordinarily would have. Water them
well, keeping the top 2 inches of soil evenly moist
all season long. Protect in cold climates with a
winter mulch.
VEGETABLE PLANTS
If your vegetable seedlings arrive on a cloudy day,
plant them right away. If it is hot and sunny, wait
to set the plants out until late afternoon or early
evening, digging to the correct depth and spacing
for each. Fill the holes with water and let it soak in.
This first soaking gives the roots plenty of moisture
to get seedlings off to a good start. Set the plants in
the holes and firm the soil around them to remove
air pockets. Leave a slight depression around each
plant to collect and hold moisture; water well.
If temperatures still dip below freezing at night,
protect newly planted seedlings by covering them
with protective caps or floating row covers.
VINES
Plant vines a minimum distance of 1 foot from
the house to ensure adequate air circulation. After
they’re planted, cut them back and stake them
securely. Lightly firm the soil around the roots
and fertilize after new growth appears. Remember
that climbing vines need plenty of water and well-
drained soil.
Bittersweet—This vine does well in poor soil and
full sun to shade. Both a male and female plant must
be planted for fruiting to occur. Great for fences,
rock piles or old trees.
Chocolate Vine (akebia)—This twining, vigorous
vine performs well when offered support from
a trellis or fence, but can also be left to trail as
a ground cover. Prefers full sun to partial shade
and moist, fertile, well-drained soil, although it
is tolerant to many soil types. Space plants 8-10
feet apart and prune after flowering in the spring if
needed. Can also be cut back to ground level at the
end of the growing season. Two varieties are needed
for pollination if fruit production is desired.
Clematis—Some varieties of clematis (Utopia/
Cardinal) bloom on new growth and should be hard-
pruned about the second or third set of buds, about
8 to 20 inches from the ground, in late winter/early
spring. Other clematis (Casper) will produce their
first flush of blooms from last year growth and a
smaller flush of blooms will be produced later from
new growth. Lightly prune shoots at a height of
about 3 feet from base.
A key essential to establishing your clematis plants
is to make sure the root system is kept cool. A sunny
location where roots can grow under a cool covering,
such as other perennials, mulch or a large flat rock
is ideal. Deep planting—about a half inch deeper
than it was grown in the nursery—encourages
extra-strong root development. Frequent, thorough
watering stimulates vigorous growth.
Honeysuckle—This twining vine needs full to
partial sun and a sturdy support such as a fence.
Prune in spring, removing deadwood or broken
vines.
Hops—Lay root cuttings on their side in a 6-inch
trench, covering them with 2 inches of soil.
Gradually fill in trench as the vine grows. Keep
well watered.
Wisteria—Wisteria prefers slightly acidic, organic
soil and flowers 3-5 years after planting. Provide
a sturdy support and trim back aggressive growth
during the summer. Regular pruning in spring
encourages formation of flower spurs.
WINDBREAKS
Plant windbreaks to the north and west of the
area you’re planning to shelter. The first row
should be planted 100-150 feet away from the
house or building to be protected. Follow the
general planting directions on page 1. Trees
will grow two to three times faster if weeds
are kept down the first 2 years. Plant the tallest
trees in the middle, with shorter trees next to them
and bushes on the inside. Use densely needled
evergreens for the outside rows. Distance between
windbreak rows may vary, but if you plan to
use a cultivator for weed control, leave room to
maneuver.
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