Fruit Part 2: Bushes

Now, the berries. Blackberries grow quite well in Texas, and the "Sustainable Central Texas" website even says that Blackberries are "the best berries for Central Texas." They need lots of sun, so I started "Ebony King" and Apache varieties down along the chain link fence they can climb up:


I also put in strawberries of the "Chandler" and Sequoia varieties, but these went into the box with the veggies, 4 plants per square foot. I went with 2 varieties of each strawberries and blackberries because I want to see which type performs well.

Finally I put in some blueberries. Like the cherry tree these are kind of a stretch for Central Texas. Blueberries are notable for two things: their preference for cold weather and their need for very acidic soil. The first problem I think I solved by carefully selecting the type of berry. In addition to the "Highbush" and "Lowbush" varieties there is a "Rabbiteye" type which is best for Central Texas. Of all the Rabbiteye types, I chose "Climax," which matches my climate at a recommended 420-700 chilling hours.

The acidity problem is more difficult. Because the blueberries need a very acidic soil, I don't think I can "cheat" and acidify the regular soil. Instead, I'm going to plant the blueberries in containers, and fill those containers with blueberry-friendly peat moss, which was left over from making "mel's mix."



The containers are placed behind the square foot bed, but they are suprisingly light, so I can move them as the sunlight dictates.