Notes on Raspberries and Blueberries for Ottawa-Area Gardens

Consumers who wince at paying $3 a half litre for red raspberries are tempted to grow them in the backyard. Raspberries do well in the Ottawa area but are very labor intensive. After you have grown your own, you'll know why they're so expensive!

Raspberries MUST have a well drained site. Before planting, the bed should be dug deep to remove all traces of couch grass and weeds and enriched with well-rotted manure or compost. Raspberries will be grown in place for up to 10 years, so give them an excellent start. Choose only virus-free stock from a reputable nursery. If your patch is in the country, remove wild raspberries in the vicinity as they harbor pests and diseases which can be transmitted to your canes. Varieties which are hardy and productive here include Latham and Comet. Comet is tall, vigorous and needs support. It will give an extra autumn crop in Ottawa. Muskoka is suitable where no spruce trees grow in the vicinity. Spruce is the alternate host of a rust which ruined our Muskoka berries in wet seasons. Muskoka canes are almost spine free but have a tendency to branch. Heritage is an autumn-bearing raspberry which does fine in Ottawa but was a disaster here in the Gatineau Hills where we get early frosts. Boyne is in its second year here and a neighbor is trying Killarney. Both have the same parentage and similar appearance with stocky, spiny Canes. Boyne came through last winter perfectly.

Raspberries should be planted 2 feet apart in rows 6-10 ft. apart. Once established, they require a yearly pruning out of all canes which die back after fruiting. New canes which are weak should also be removed to prevent crowding and poor air circulation. In years when the raspberry cane borer is a problem, all the wilted tips must be removed below the two rings chewed by the beetles. Any canes showing disease or swollen galls should also be destroyed. Raspberries should be mulched to prevent weeds and retain moisture which is critical during fruiting. Tall canes need support or they will be damaged by ice and snow loads. For more information see the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food publication on Raspberries and Blackberries in Ontario.

Are you interested in edible landscaping? Despite severe winters of -40° which kill blueberries back to the snow line, cultivated varieties are a fine addition to the home garden because the shrubs are so attractive. The glossy green foliage turns crimson in autumn for added interest. If the winter is decent, (established bushes will survive - 20°) you will be rewarded by pretty white flowers followed by big berries. Blueberries should be treated like rhododendrons. Plant in a sunny sheltered spot but NOT a southern exposure where the bushes will be subject to freeze-thaw cycles during the winter. Blueberries require an acid soil which stays moist. When planting, dig a 2 cubic foot hole. Replace the soil with a mixture of 1/2 peatmoss, 1/4 sand and 1/4 soil and center the bush. I mulch with sawdust and fertilize with a soluble evergreen fertilizer like Rx 30 although aluminum sulphate may be used to maintain acidity.

Blueberries are easily propagated from tip cuttings taken in summer. Varieties which have done well for me are Earliblue, Bluecrop and Blueray. You need two or more varieties for cross-pollination. You also need netting to protect your crop from robins! I use two or three old Christmas trees tied like a teepee to shelter my blueberry bushes from winter sun and screaming gales. They will also bear the snowload which could break the blueberry twigs.

Anne Ginns

Please contact the OHS or the author if you wish to republish these articles. © Ottawa Horticultural Society

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