Make it a berry merry 2012, plant some delicious, easy-to-grow, beautiful berries and grapes in your Texas garden now and enjoy a visual and tasty addition to your home for years to come!

Blackberries in Texas gardens

Blackberries, among the easiest fruits to grow in our area, tolerate the wide variety of different soil types in our region. They also offer natural resistance to insects and diseases. Dallas garden centers, Calloway’s Nursery, and Houston garden centers, Cornelius Nursery, offer the following varieties for Texas gardening:

Apache-This thornless variety of blackberry was released in 1999 and is one of the later varieties to ripen in early July. It produces an abundance of large, sweet blackberry fruit. Resistant to rust diseases and blossom diseases, the plant grows erect and is self-supporting.

Arapaho-Released in 1933, this thornless blackberry variety ripens in late Texas gardens May to early June producing an abundance of large, very firm and flavorful fruit. The blackberry plant grows erect and is self-supporting.

Natchez-Introduced to gardens in 2007, the large, firm berries ripen around the first of June in Texas gardens with high yields. The plant seems to have good disease resistance.

Navaho-The first ever thornless Blackberry is erect and self-supporting. It was released in 1988. Glossy black berries are sweeter and firmer than other thornless varieties and produces fruit in Texas gardens in mid-June. The Navaho blackberry is very winter hardy in Texas and requires little maintenance.

Blackberry care and use tips

• Blackberries grow best in full sun when planted in rich, well-drained soils.
• Space blackberry plants 3 to 4 feet apart. Fertilize in early Spring when growth starts and again just after harvest.
• Blackberries are self-pollinators. They do not require another variety to produce fruit.
• After harvesting, prune out all canes that have borne fruit. Be careful not to cut out the new canes in the process as they represent next year’s crop. New growth can be tip-pruned once the canes reach 36 to 48 inches.
• Blackberries appear to be relatively insect and disease free.
• In the landscape, they can be used as a barrier hedge or trellised on a fence.
• Blackberries make excellent cobblers, pies, jams and jellies. Texas gardeners should make these versatile plants a part of the landscape for both visual and culinary enjoyment!

Growing Blueberries in Texas gardens

Acid loving Blueberries require little care or fertilizer in Texas gardens. We know of no insect or disease problems making the plants easy to grow and maintain. Plant blueberries in your garden or landscape in full sun and enjoy the rewards!

Calloway’s and Cornelius Nursery garden centers offer the following varieties:

Tifblue-The most popular variety blueberry grows vigorous and upright in habit and Tifblue readily adapts as a hedge. The delicious berries are large, light blue and highly flavored. They ripen mid-to-late season in Texas.

Premier- Vigorous, low spreading blueberry shrubs are popular for home orchards. Premier blueberries ripen in Texas gardens in mid-June with large, bright blue fruit. The Premier blueberry is disease resistant making it a favorite for new or beginning gardeners.

Blueberry care and use tips:

• Plant Blueberries in beds of highly organic material such as peat moss or compost.
• Select a well-drained site and mulch well after planting.
• Space plants 6 to 8 feet apart.
• They are not self-pollinating so you must plant two different cultivars.
• Do not feed Blueberries their first year.
• Use a well-balanced fertilizer such as Calloway’s Professional Azalea food at blossom time and again after the fruit has dropped.
• Handsome shrubs- Blueberries make attractive additions to your spring Texas landscape with a fresh flush of foliage.
• Summer interest develops as large, light or dark blue fruit ripens in Texas gardens during May and June.
• Fall color comes when cool weather turns blue-green leaves to Autumn tones.
• Blueberries prosper in large containers on patios and decks as well as in the landscape.

Growing ‘Dorman Red’ Raspberries in Texas

The best red Raspberry for the South, ‘Dorman Red’ offers a trailing habit that grows well on trellises. A vigorous grower, it will produce fruit in the second year. The soil should contain plenty of organic matter and drain well. Select a sunny location and mulch 2 to 3 inches after planting.

Dorman Red Raspberry is self-pollinating and produces large, bright red berries in Texas gardens early June.

Raspberry use and care tips:

• The fruit is excellent eaten fresh or used in jams, jellies and pies.
• Remove all old canes after they have borne fruit each Summer.
• Fertilize with a balanced fertilizer every six weeks during the growing season.

With just a little care, you’ll enjoy an abundance of your own tart-sweet fruit. And raspberries make a colorful addition to your landscape!

Growing Grapes in Texas

Grapes-for fruit, wine, shade and fall color! A single grapevine can produce enough new growth each year to cover an arbor or wall. It can also provide colorful edible fruit and dominant trunk and branching patterns for Winter interest!

Calloway’s and Cornelius Nursery garden centers offer the following grape choices:

Champanel-The Champanel grape produces a large, purple semi-seedless fruit great for jelly. A vigorous grower, Champanel represents the best arbor variety. Grapes ripen in Texas gardens in early July.

Mars Seedless- Offers medium-sized, blue seedless grapes with sweet fruit, excellent for eating fresh. One of the most disease resistant grapes to black rot and mildew, Mar Seedless grapes are a very productive variety ripen in Texas in mid-August.

Seibel 9110-One of our best varieties, the Seibel9110 produces large, white (almost seedless) grapes, excellent for eating fresh or for juices and wines. Grapes mature in Texas gardens in August and September.

Grape care and use tips:

• Grapes are very large, vigorous vines.
• Plant grapes at least 8 feet apart and provide some support to create summer shade.
• For best results, plant grapes in full sun in loose, well-drained soil.
• Once established, grapes tolerate drought.
• They self-pollinate so one variety will thrive in your Texas garden.
• Fruit is produced on last year’s growth so some pruning is necessary.
• A main trunk should be established the first Winter and shortened to the 3rd or 4th lowest buds.
• These buds will grow in the Spring. Select the strongest for the upper trunk. Remove the other shoots allowing the selected trunk to grow.
• Continue each Winter removing some of the older wood to maintain a healthy and producing vine.

Texas is a perfect place to grow grapes! So, plant your selections today and enjoy fruit and shade for years to come!