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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Four days of berry hard work......

 Here's three day's worth of working the boysenberry patch.....and I have one more day to go. Farmer Deno is just about done dividing the crowns of the berry plants.....so far having created 150% larger patch. This divide and plant will continue for another few years til we have 2000 linear feet of berries. I'll also will be planting new plants from cuttings.
 Our berries are "thorn-less".....but the plants do at times..... run off shoots that are thorned. I have spent the days digging those out....if not done....these thorned canes will take over the entire growing area. It's not a lot of fun to pick berries that have thorns hidden away.
 Did you know that these berries were created by Napa farmer Rudolf Boysen during the 1920s, the boysenberry is a unique cross between the European raspberry, common blackberry, and loganberry.

 What? You thought that Walter Knott of  Knott's Berry Farm create this berry? I did til a few months ago! BTW....Smuckers bought the brand name "Knotts"..... makes the preserves and jams now. The product is nothing like it was when I went to the Knott's Berry Farm with Mom and Dad back in the late 50's.