Saturday 29 June 2013

An Abundance of Berries, by Kira

 
 
 
 
The blueberry bushes we planted a few years ago are starting to produce.
 
 
 
 
Black, red, and white currents are planted up on the fruit hill and all six bushes are thriving!
 
 
 
 
Wild gooseberries.
 
 
 
 
One of the best years ever for wild strawberries.
 
 
 
 
If all of our wild blackberries do well, we will have tons to eat fresh and to freeze for winter.
 
 
 
 
Thimbleberries, they have a beautiful, mildly fragrant flower. A sweet and tart large berry that is very seedy but so yummy!
 
 
 
 
 

2 comments:

  1. Looking Beautiful! Do you have any special teas, concoctions or otherwise sneaky potions to keep birds and other berry hungry critters at bay? garlic based compost tea, netting? Many of our blueberries have already been picked clean....but only year 2 so we would have clipped them anyway. Cheers,
    Jay

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  2. Hi Jay!

    In the past, the only birds that have caused problems have been our own. The past couple years our chickens have feasted on our blueberries, currents, strawberries and any low grapes. Last spring our flock was fenced in, so we have been enjoying this years fruit!
    We have had caterpillars on the apple trees, I haven't had to mix any concoctions. With our apples being dwarf trees we are able to pick off any pests.
    On our grape vines, last spring we had tiny, shinny blue beetles. Between them and there offspring they ate many of our first leaves but seem to have left the buds and flowers alone. I should have used something on them, because I'm sure they will be back next year and more of them!
    I have been told you can make a concoction out of rhubarb leaves and spray it on the plants. Have you heard of this or tried it?
    Also heard that fish emulsion works to get rid of insects. Which it may, but I think we may have bears interested in our fishy grape vines if we went that route. Have you used fish emulsion on insects?
    Kira.

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