You should be okay with most varieties. They all fruit for me in 9b, San Jose. Marion in excellent....

I grow all these and the fruit for me:

Red Raspberry (Tulameen, Heritage, Caroline, Autumn Bliss, Saanich)

Yellow Raspberry (Anne, Fall Gold)
Blackberry (Natchez, Black Satin, Navaho, Ouachita, Triple Crown, Arapaho)

Crosses (Marionberry, Boysen, Ollaie)

Thank you....

That is nice to know. I suppose I will need to provide some kind of shade in the summer months? Or can they handle the Inland heat?

Norco, Ca chill hours are around 200-300. This year I do not even think we have reached 100. San Jose receives a lot more than that yes?

Well, lots of micro climates in San Jose area. Used to be a lot more chill here but with everything being paved over it's less and less each year. My zip code went form 8b to 9b with new USDA zones. On a good year we get 400-500 on a bad year 300-400.

Berries are cheap to buy, and primocane varieties give fruit first year, all others second year. So not much time/investment in finding out what will work for you. Plant a few varieties and see which do best for you.

I've seen commercial growers in CA have shade cloths over their blackberries. You might need some protection from the brutal summer sun.

Buena Park was once the Boysenberry capitol of the world. Is Norco warmer in the winter?

I have Boysenberry, Triple Crown, Ollalie, Tay, and Ouchita in the northern San Joaquin Valley. Chill hours are plentiful here but we also get long stretches of upper 90's and 100's in the summer. Mine are usually dry-farmed but the lack of rain is probably going to force me to water some this year. Regular watering and lots of mulch and you should be fine.

I have a couple of Boysenberries near a vegetable bed and they probably pull water from there - they are never as flavorful as the Boysenberries that don't have water nearby.

gary

Here is a link that might be useful: California chill hours

Boysenberries need 250-300 hours according to the California Rare Fruit Growers.

The document linked to below gives chill-hours for a few varieties. Kiowa and Ouachita need 200 and 300, respectively, so they should work for you.

gary

Here is a link that might be useful: blackberries

This post was edited by Waiting on Mon, Feb 17, 14 at 18:33

wow... heritage survives in san jose? im up in nw ontario and it fruits and grows well. hows that for a growing range!

Puggylover, Did you ever try to growing Black, rasp, bosen, marion? If so, which worked and which died?