Reclaiming the Berry Patch

When our family moved to our little 10 acre patch of land. We were happy as could be to have inherited an overgrown Raspberry and Blackberry patch. This was no little patch by any means. It extends clear across the backside of the barnyard and over the other way to edge of the side field.

The raspberries and blackberries had once been their own separate patches. Now they are all tangled to make a rather formidable barrier for us pickers. We moved here at the tail end of the berry season. So we left the patch alone as there were so many other things that needed our attention before winter came.

Last summer I was able to finally tackle some of it. I spent several days getting scratches. and tangled up in that thorny jungle. I made my way into the patch from north to south with a string of twine, trying to sort out that hot mess. I had managed to corral about three foot wide rows. untangling the canes as I went.

When I wasn’t out working to establish paths of sorts I was out collecting the berries. Even with help of my friend and the kids here and there we never put a dent in the patch and we were well above 20 quarts.

The blackberries were the worst to deal with, with their vicious thorns. I swear they would take chunks from your flesh, forget merely scratching you. There where still a ton of berries on the canes and I had to leave them.

Haying season came on and being very short handed that pretty much ended the berry season for me. I could only be in so many places at once.

So here it is our second spring and I am once again preparing to tackle the patch. I may have gotten about half way through last year, so it is my hope to get the rest of the way through it this year.

If the chance arises this year. I will work towards transplanting what I can in order to establish another patch. I have a future goal set to sell young plants at the flea market and the produce auction in our area. So creating a new patch with that purpose in mind will hopefully help me to gain some organization here.