Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Extended Season for Thornless Blackberries & Everbearing Raspberries

   We praise God that we're getting some rain this morning, and hope we get more today.  Thornless blackberries will keep ripening until at least Aug. 16 or 18 this year, so there's still time to set a day to come pick blackberries.
   We have only 20% the amount of our usual thornless blackberry crop due to extensive cold damage to the fruiting canes last winter, so you still need to call 620-597-2450 to set a day and time to pick blackberries. We sell them pick-your-own only, for $2.55 per quart + tax pick-your-own.
A group who picked 'Triple Crown' thornless blackberries on Mon. evening July 28 also picked some everbearing red raspberries and yellow raspberries.
   A few everbearing red raspberries and yellow raspberries are ripening now until about Oct. 15, so those who come to pick blackberries may pick some raspberries also.  Raspberries are still $1.86 per pint + tax pick-your-own.  Black raspberries and purple raspberries are done for the season.
More everbearing yellow raspberries and red raspberries will keep ripening now until about Oct. 15.
   Sandhill plums will keep ripening until about Aug. 4 or 5.  Sandhill plums are small and very tart, so not for fresh eating, but make wonderful jams, jellies and sauces.  Sandhill plums are $2.55 per quart + tax pick-your-own, and are sold pick-your-own only.
   We still have cracked 'Pawnee' pecans for sale, for $14.86 per 5-lb. bag.  We're open our summer hours until Aug. 31: Mon. to Sat. 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 7-9 p.m., and Sun. 7-9 p.m. only. 

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

More Blackberries & Sandhill Plums Ripening

   'Triple Crown' thornless blackberries are ripening now, along with 'Apache' and a few 'Ouachita' blackberries.  'Natchez', our earliest blackberry variety, is almost done now, but the others will continue ripening until Aug. 16 or 18.  We are irrigating the blackberry rows, so blackberries are still large and juicy despite the high heat and drought. 
'Triple Crown' thornless blackberries are ripening now, and will continue ripening until Aug. 16 or 18.
   We have only 20% the amount of our usual thornless blackberry crop due to extensive cold damage to the fruiting canes last winter, so you still need to call 620-597-2450 to set a day and time to pick blackberries. We sell them pick-your-own only, for $2.55 per quart + tax pick-your-own.
   A few everbearing red raspberries and yellow raspberries are ripening now until about Oct. 15 or so.  Black raspberries and purple raspberries are done for the season.
   Sandhill plums will keep ripening until about Aug. 4 or 5.  Sandhill plums are small and very tart, so not for fresh eating, but make wonderful jams, jellies and sauces.  Sandhill plums are $2.55 per quart + tax pick-your-own, and are sold pick-your-own only.

Many sandhill plums are ripe now until about Aug. 4 or 5.
   We have NO peach crop this year, since winter cold killed all the peach fruit buds.  Instead of harvesting peaches, our crew is spending a couple weeks on summer pruning of peach trees this year.  With no peach crop, branches can grow 6 feet or more in a season, and need to be cut back to keep the trees from growing too tall or wide, so next year's peach crop can be harvested.
Our crew is summer pruning peach trees this year, to keep the trees from growing too tall or wide, so next year's peach crop can be harvested.
   We still have some cracked pecans for sale for the next few weeks, during our open hours.  From June 1 to Aug. 31, we're open Mon. to Sat. 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon & 7-9 p.m., and Sun. 7-9 p.m. only.  We're closed Sun. mornings for church, and closed every afternoon from 12 noon to 7 p.m. due to high summer heat.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Few Thornless Blackberries Ripening Slowly

    Thornless blackberries are VERY limited this year due to much winter damage to the canes, so you must call a few days ahead to reserve a day and time to pick them, between July 25 and Aug. 9.  (We're already booked through July 24.)  Once ripe, the thornless blackberries are good size and quality, but we only have 20% the amount of our usual crop, and they are ripening more slowly this year.  Thornless blackberry harvest should continue until Aug. 10 or 15 this year.
'Natchez' blackberries, just after being picked this morning, show many developing and ripening berries.  Thornless blackberries are ripening more slowly this year.  Blackberries with red at the base are still very tart, and do not ripen further once harvested.
    As always, blackberries (and our other berries) are sold pick-your-own only.  Blackberries are $2.55 per quart + tax pick-your-own.  We provide containers, and just ask that you return them for reuse if you make another trip to Brenda's Berries & Orchards.

Irish Gibson picked 'Natchez' blackberries on Sat. morning July 12.  Since winter damage killed back many of the canes, much of the crop is low on the canes.
   A few purple raspberries are still ripening for the next few days, until July 16 or 17.  Some everbearing red raspberries and yellow raspberries will ripen from about Aug. 1 to Oct. 15 or so.  Black raspberries are done for the season.
   Sandhill plums will keep ripening until about Aug. 4 or 5.  Sandhill plums are small and very tart, so not for fresh eating, but make wonderful jams, jellies and sauces.  Sandhill plums are $2.55 per quart + tax pick-your-own.
   We have NO peach crop this year, since winter cold killed all the peach fruit buds.
   We still have some cracked pecans for sale also for the next few days, during our open hours.  From June 1 to Aug. 31, we're open Mon. to Sat. 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon & 7-9 p.m., and Sun. 7-9 p.m. only.  We're closed Sun. mornings for church, and closed every afternoon from 12 noon to 7 p.m. due to high summer heat.  (We've had these same summer hours for 14 years now.)
Our summer hours continue through Aug. 31.  We switch to our fall hours on Sept. 1.
   The 2013 apple crop is now sold out, but we'll have a good apple crop this fall, ripening from about Aug. 25 to Nov. 20.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Many Purple Raspberries Ripe

   Many purple raspberries are ripe now, and harvest of them will continue until about July 15 or 16.  Purple raspberries are hybrids between red and black raspberries, so exhibit hybrid vigor in larger plants, larger fruit, and very heavy yields.
Purple raspberries develop a deep purple color when ripe, and many are ripe now and for the next 2 weeks.
   Some red raspberries and black raspberries are still ripening and will keep doing so until about July 5 or 6, but red and black raspberries are much less plentiful than they were a week or two ago.
Trent (in background) & Lindsey Kling picked one flat of red raspberries (front flat) and 3 flats of purple raspberries (back  flat) this morning.
   Thornless blackberries will be very limited this year, due to extensive winter damage to the canes.  Thornless blackberries have much larger and sweeter fruit than wild thorny blackberries, and of course no thorns or chiggers, but thornless blackberries are not as cold-hardy as wild thorny blackberries.  I reported in April that the thornless blackberry crop would be reduced to about 1/3 of our usual crop overall, but more cane damage keeps showing up.  Growing shoots on the fruiting canes can't get enough water from damaged xylem tissues in the canes, so the leaves wilt, fruit shrivels, and canes die back.  I now estimate we'll have only 20 to 25% of our usual thornless blackberry crop this year.
   Call 620-597-2450 a few days ahead if you want to pick thornless blackberries.  Some are ripening now until about Aug. 8 or 10, but the heaviest harvest time will be about July 15 to 31.
   As I reported in April, we have NO peach crop this year, since winter cold killed all the peach fruit buds. 
Sandhill plums make wonderful jams, jellies and sauces.
   Sandhill plums have started ripening, and will keep doing so until about Aug. 4 or 5.  Sandhill plums are small and very tart, so not for fresh eating, but make wonderful jams, jellies and sauces.  Sandhill plums are native to sandy soils in central Kansas and Oklahoma.  We took our family on "plum hunts" there back in 1997 & 1998, before we started our fruit farm, and selected plants with larger and better fruit and resistance to bacterial spot disease.  We propagated seedlings from these plants and planted them on our farm, and let customers harvest some of the plums.
    As always, raspberries and blackberries are sold pick-your-own only.  Raspberries are $1.86 per pint + tax pick-your-own, and blackberries are $2.55 per quart + tax pick-your-own.  Sandhill plums are also sold pick-your-own only, for $2.55 per quart + tax.  We provide containers, and just ask that you return them for reuse if you make another trip to Brenda's Berries & Orchards.
   We are open our usual summer hours on July 4.  From June 1 to Aug. 31, we're open Mon. to Sat. 7:30 a.m. to 12 noon & 7-9 p.m., and Sun. 7-9 p.m. only.  We're closed Sun. mornings for church, and closed every afternoon from 12 noon to 7 p.m. due to high summer heat.