QUEEN OF THE BRAMLE FRUIT

Enlarge Image Image Gallery LEFT: During its dormant period, our raspberry patch looks quite lifeless. BELOW. The prunings (and any infected plants) from your bramble garden should always be burned . . . at a goodly distance from the patch itself. BELOW, LEFT: A good, heavy layer of mulch is one of the key ingredients for success in raspberry culture. BOTTOM: Fitting rewards for the berry grower's labors! PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

by Betsy Rogers

Now is the prime time to start next year's raspberry patch!

Strange as it may sound, some of my most vivid and enchanting childhood memories concern days spent walking dusty country lanes under a scorching summer sun . . . because there, among the weeds and bushes of the unkempt hedgerows, I'd see thick, tangled red raspberry brambles. I can clearly recall toddling along behind my mother as she stripped the leaning canes of their red jewels. The fruit smell seemed to fill the air, sunlight bounced in a green kaleidoscope from the leaves, and I was thrilled to see an occasional garter snake hanging heat drugged among the branches of a bush. Best of all, now and then my mother would pop an especially succulent sun-warmed berry into my mouth . . . and let me relish the special sweet/tart taste that only a fresh picked raspberry offers.

Because of those magical yesterdays, I've always associated summer with that rose hued fruit. Now that I'm older, I've learned that the unique, palate-pleasing nature of the red raspberry is due to the fact that the little fruits contain an unusually high number of esters . .. volatile organic compounds that-in combination with acids and such-produce distinctive flavors and fragrances. And, while there are two esters in blackberries, three in cherries, four in apricots, and five in strawberries, the red raspberry sports a total of nine of these ephemeral tastemakers!

A RUBY RARITY

Unfortunately, many folks are unable to obtain fresh raspberries at any cost. Oh, if you live in the right part of the country (and are lucky), you may be able to turn up a patch of wild berries by scouring hedgerows, windbreaks, and stream side brush. But it's quite unlikely that you'll find the fresh fruit in your grocery store. Raspberries can't be picked green to ripen later, you see, and they're far too delicate to survive lengthy shipment. More often than not, then, the only way to experience the flavor of fresh-from-the-cane "redcaps" is to grow them yourself.

PLANNI NG THE PLOT

Raspberries, which belong to the rose family (Rosaceae), have been cultivated in England for centuries. In fact, they were among the first fruits brought here by North America's original colonizers. The red razz most commonly grown today is a hybrid of the European species (Rubus idaeus)-which takes its name from the fact that the berries were found on Greece's Mount Ida in the days of Carolus Linnaeus-and the wild North American species (Rubus strigosus). Over the centuries, many different raspberry varieties have been developed .. . including the black, purple, and yellow strains, and even some types that bear fruit twice in one season! (The off color raspberries require slightly different care than red ones do, and I won't have the space to discuss them in this article.)

Naturally enough, your first job as a prospective raspberry-raiser is to select a site for your briar patch-to-be. Some experts believe that the reds produce exceptionally well in soil with a pH of 6 . . . but they don't really seem to be too fussy about soil acidity. They do, however, need earth that's moist, well drained, and rich in organic matter. An abandoned garden plot, for example, could serve as a bed . . . but only if it hasn't been used to grow tomatoes, potatoes, melons, or eggplant for at least three years, since all of these crops either attract or carry disease organisms that can harm the brambles.

The plot should be in full sun, no closer than 500 feet to any wild brambles (raspberries or blackberries), as these might infect the less-hardy domesticated plants. Likewise, you should also keep your bushes the same distance from any "tame" black rasp berries, since that variety could be killed by some diseases to which your reds can safely pIay host.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print