There is nothing that says summer more than fresh berries right off the vine; or even better in a pie! Is anyone else noticing their mouth-watering now! I was very excited to see berry vines at the farmhouse when we moved in and knew they would need some TLC so we could have plentiful berries. We have boysenberries and like other cane berries such as blackberries and marionberries, they will need to be trellised in order to provide easy picking for yourself and support for the vines.
I consulted my dad who in my opinion is my expert in this field. He has been trellising berries for years and has several varieties that always produce wonderfully.
The best time of year to trellis berries is between Feb-Mar depending on your location. Trellising is best done when the vines are still green and still pliable to wrap around wire. The key is making sure to do it before the vines start getting brittle.
Materials Needed:
- Bypass pruners
- Garden gloves (these are my favorite)
- Heavy gauge wire
Trellising the Vines
If this is the first time you are trellising your vines; the most effective way is to run two heavy gauge wires (this would work) at least 1-2 feet apart in between two metal or wood posts.
After removing last years brown and dead branches you will see new growth vines going every which way. They actually start to root themselves in other spots in the flower beds and in our case in the field about 5 feet away from the root base.
Start trellising by taking a vine that is close to the root base and bring it up to the top wire and start by wrapping it around and around the wire toward your post. We actually have two boysenberries plants next to each other. The goal I try to achieve with each vine is to wrap it so that it creates a “rectangle.” You can see in my finished picture below what I wanted to achieve.
I am sure there are other ways to trellis berries, this is just the way I was taught. (Thanks Dad!) Now you just have to patiently wait for summer to come and enjoy those juicy berries!