Growing berries from seed?

[Ariel301]

I would like to get some berries growing--blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc. I'm looking at buying a few plants, but they're rather pricey everywhere I look, and will still take a year or two to really get producing. I also just have not had luck so far with bare-root plants, it seems that most of them I have ordered don't ever grow.

I saw some deals on Ebay where I could buy seeds for these plants for super cheap...but I can't find any information on growing them this way. Has anyone grown these plants from seed before? Did they sprout and grow well? I know it will take longer to get fruit from them than just buying the plants, but how long are we talking? Any information I could get would be helpful in deciding whether to get some seeds or not.

 

[Rosalind]

It will take about 2-3 years to get decent-sized blackberry and raspberry bushes from seed, if the volunteers in my backyard are any indicator. Blueberries grow slooooowly, I would guess closer to 4 years, minimum, if not more like 5-6 before you'd see fruit.

Can you define "expensive"? Plants from the garden centers, yes, are hideously expensive, I agree--that's where I make DH buy me new bushes when he has mowed mine. Many vendors of bare-root plants are not so great at shipping, don't hire staff who know the difference between dormant and dead. A few are quite good though. I got my berries from Nourse Farms, and all I did was stick the bare-root plants in the dirt in spring. Did not water them, did not fertilize, they did fine. Most of their bushes were $8 for blueberries, $3-4/plant for raspberries. Got a little fruit in a year, more in two.

Probably would have gotten a lot more fruit a lot sooner if DH hadn't mowed 'em...

 

[Ariel301]

Well, my dilemma is solved. The sale that I missed a few weeks ago from Gurneys online is back on, so I am getting blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. $35 is going to get me 8 blackberry plants, 9 raspberry plants, and 200 strawberries, thanks to that nice $25 off coupon they have too! That should make a good start.

I decided to hold off on blueberries for this year, even though we really like them. They're still pretty pricey at $8+ a plant, and we'd have to also buy stuff to acidify our soil, because it's nowhere near acid enough for them. Maybe in the future I can get some.

When I get a few more spare dollars I think I'd like to get some of the seeds and try them too. They were only about a dollar a package plus a little for shipping, and guaranteed at least 80% germination. I guess it couldn't hurt to have them in my seed stash so we can expand our berry garden in the future.

 

[simple life]

I like Nourse as well. I bought bery 20 canes from them and just ordered 5 more. I planted the "brown sticks" less than a month ago and they all have beautiful green leaves up and down them.
There blueberries have done very well too.
I am glad that you went ahead and got the canes because it is more of a chance starting from seed than knowing you've got something substantially further along. Now if you get the seeds and they don't take at least you have the plants you ordered.
It seems like alot more people are planting blueberries and brambles this year. I wish I had done it years ago.

 

[elijahboy]

oh pls tell me where that 25 coupon is

 

[the lemon tree]

oh pls tell me where that 25 coupon is

If you spend more than $50 and use coupon code "512963" at checkout, you will get $25 off. Not too shabby, indeed.

 

[elijahboy]

SUPERBAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANKS

 

[simple life]

I used that the 25.00 coupon a couple of weeks ago, actually for like the third time this season and then yesterday I ordered less than $50.00 worth of stuff and I was surprised at the checkout to see they were taking $20.00 off my order.