We have everbearing red raspberries, I think they are Heritage variety. The patch is nearly 20 years old. It is true, that they spread. Healthy canes send out lateral roots, and a daughter plant will pop up maybe 2 or 3 feet from the parent plant. The roots can easily go under a fence, & come up in the neighbor's lawn. It is easy enough to mow down these volunteer plants, and after a few passes with the mower, over a month or so, they die back and disappear. However, many of the volunteer plants will come up within the boundary of the raspberry patch, and eventually the area becomes an overgrown thicket. When this happens, you can harvest fruit from around the edges, but it is physically impossible to get into the patch to reach much of the fruit. Weeding is also nearly impossible. It took me a while to figure this all out. The solution is pretty simple. In the fall, I cut down the patch, and dig up sufficient clumps to maintain 3 foot spacing. In the spring, I will repeat this if necessary. These clumps of perfectly healthy volunteer raspberry plants can be used to start a new patch, if I can find someone to take them. Otherwise, they go on the compost pile. I don't find it difficult or time consuming to keep the raspberry patch in good shape, but it did take me a few years to figure out what needed to be done.

I can answer your grape question. Grapes are vines and need something to climb on, although you can train them like a tree, and let their canes drop down. Search You Tube for videos on head pruning grape vines.

If you grow them in containers, you should not expect big harvests, but it can be done.

Nice sale!

Suzi

Don't let your blackberry canes arch to the ground and take root there. Keep fallen fruit picked up and the seeds will not sprout. Keep tiny seedlings weeded out.

Blackberries will send out the infrequent rogue root that will pop up a cane some feet away, but these are easily controlled.

Blueberries are ideal for containers.. They need acidic soil, which is perfect environment to make in a container.. Get varieties that pollinate eachother...

Grapes - need trellis, vines.. From my understanding, you can get the vine as short as 3-5 foot or as long as 20 ft...

Rasp/blackberry - a trellis would contain thm very nice, a heavy layer of mulch would do great, and just mow over the extra runner.. With a trellis you can keep them contained to a small, certain space...

$2.50 for a plant, good deal.. But a few of each.. And if anything, sell them for $5 bucks... Or better yet, take multiple cuttin and sell each cutting for a few bucks.. There's always money to be made, if your creative..

Joe

Thanks to all for quick response.

Yes, it is a good sale and still they have few more left. I got 2 Blackberries Navaho & Arapaho, 2 Raspberries Willamette & Autumn bliss, 2 Blueberries Sunshine & Climax and 3 grapes Flame, Thomson & Niagara and few extra plants to give away.

@ericcwi - all the open space I have in my back/side yard is closer to the fence. I may have to plant Black and Rasp about 2 feet away from fence, who knows my neighbors can get free plants down the line :-)

desertdance, thanks for the posting. I'm planning plant all the grapes closer to fence, for now they can use fence to climb on but eventually I plan to install Trellis.

@larry gene - thanks for the advice on Blackberry, I'll be extra careful and watch out for seedlings and new shoots

@raw nature - thanks, will plant Blues in container and rest of them in the ground. Next year I plan to install Trellis. I agree, there is an opportunity to make money here. I did get few extra plants, i gave couple of them to my friends who had earlier given me free plants and I already made deal for plant exchange for 3 of them and I'll try to sell the rest or try for plant exchange.

If you have the room, I would plant them.. In a few years you'll have tons of suckers from the black/raspberry.. Its not like you'll make a living, but a few bucks here and there will work, aye? You'll going to have to do somethin with the runners anyways! I just go my order in, I to am planting grapes on a fence, well see how it goes! Make sure to out lots of peat in the blueberry container..

Joe

Watch out for new distant blackberry shoots; anything within a foot of the original planting is likely next year's fruiting canes.

I have grown Muscadine and The Champanel Variety of bunch grape for many years (27) Last year I decided to start pruning my Champanel as a spur pruned vine. This vine is seven years old and averages bearing 18 gallons a year. My problem is that this vine is the most vigorous grape vine I have ever seen. That has never been a problem until this year when I had much less crop than in the past. I was wondering if anyone has had experience with the Champanel ( a Texas Variety) and how to prevent so much growth that the grape clusters are hidden and do not get enough sunlight.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Garden Page

I have grown Muscadine and The Champanel Variety of bunch grape for many years (27) Last year I decided to start pruning my Champanel as a spur pruned vine. This vine is seven years old and averages bearing 18 gallons a year. My problem is that this vine is the most vigorous grape vine I have ever seen. That has never been a problem until this year when I had much less crop than in the past. I was wondering if anyone has had experience with the Champanel ( a Texas Variety) and how to prevent so much growth that the grape clusters are hidden and do not get enough sunlight.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Garden Page