Around the Yard

Things to do this week:

* Prune berries. Left to their own devices, blackberries naturally turn into a bramble. Look along any California creek bank to see what a tangle the native blackberry becomes when left unpruned.

Vining canes on ‘Ollalie,’ ‘Boysen,’ ‘Marion,’ ‘Logan’ and other Western types produce berries only after two years of growth. Then those canes will not make fruit again. So as soon as the last plump berry is picked, cut back that cane to the ground. Once all the old canes have been pruned off, fasten the new canes that haven’t fruited yet onto the fence or trellis. Next year they will produce blackberries.

Suckers, some of them quite thorny, appear all around blackberry plantings. Dig out the thorniest if you have a nearly thornless variety, and any that are not growing where you want them. Leave others as eventual replacements for aging vines.

Raspberries aren’t nearly as rambunctious, nor do they produce as much. Some kinds have their first crop in the fall and their second the following spring. Others have their first crop in spring and their second in fall. Wait until after that second crop, and cut those stems to the ground.

* Protect fruit. Put nylon bird netting over clusters of fruit on trees about two weeks before you expect them to ripen. Dangling pieces of red and shiny silver tape from branches is the next best defense against birds. Or if you have some of those shiny CD-ROMs that come in the mail, hang them in the tree. The netting and sparkling tape are at nurseries or try Peaceful Valley Farm Supply in Grass Valley, CA; https://www.groworganic.com.