[Arid_gardener] blackberries and blueberries

[Tyler Storey]

Andy, you're in luck -- I think.

Palm Springs has some significant climate differences when compared to
Maricopa County, but it is in the same Sunset climate zone (13) which is a
fairly reliable guide for the plants you mention. With a little extra care
and attention you should be able to grow blackberries, blueberries, and
stone fruits.  It won't be quite the same as back home but, speaking as a
transplanted Northwesterner, you will value your crop all the more.  

For blueberries, unless you have an acidic soil, try them in pots -- large
pots so they don't heat-stress.  Use a commercial potting mix made with some
portion of real soil, and supplement with about 50% peat moss for acidity.
Your best variety to try is one called "Sunshine."  Filtered shade in the
hottest weather.  

For blackberries, you're on more solid ground.  Literally.  Find a planting
area with sun, but shielded from the hottest mid-day or reflected sun,
supplement the soil with a deep dig of compost or other rich organic matter.
Give the vines something to grow on.  Blackberries flower and fruit on last
year's vines.  This means each year you cut back the vines that flowered and
fruited, then tie up the vines that grew fresh.  Varieties that do well in
Zone 13 -- I grow them here in Phoenix -- include Boysenberry, Loganberry,
and Brazos.  I'm trying Marionberry for the first time this year, so the
jury is still out.  Keep the vines well mulched and watered, but don't drown
them out -- you're aiming for even, steady moisture, not a swamp.  

For stone fruits, the Santa Rosa plum is not only a tough and reliable tree
in Zone 13, but it also provides excellent fruit and is self-pollinated.
For apricots, try Royal or Blenheim, or Katy, but don't be surprised if the
tree itself is fairly short-lived -- say a decade instead of several.
Peaches are grown in the desert but to my palate they so miss the qualities
of peaches grown elsewhere as to be not worth it -- I'm a bit of a peach
snob, though, and thus unreliable on that score.  

Do remember when growing any kind of deciduous fruit in the desert that
watering is critical.  That doesn't mean over-watering, but it does mean
paying attention to watering the full root zone to a depth of three feet
(for trees) every time you water, especially during flowering and fruiting
season.  Proper water during early fruit development is necessary for later
fruit development.  Fruits form their structures early on, and the
maturation process is largely a process of the early structures enlarging
and developing -- an early lack of water will mean that there is no fruit
structure to develop and no amount of late water can make up for that.  

I hope this helps.  
Tyler

tyler at tylerstorey.com
http://tylerstorey.com
602-738-2978

-----Original Message-----
From: arid_gardener-bounces at CALS.arizona.edu
[mailto:arid_gardener-bounces at CALS.arizona.edu] On Behalf Of Andy
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2008 11:38 AM
To: Arid_gardener at Ag.arizona.edu
Subject: [Arid_gardener] blackberries and blueberries

Do you know of any good luck with berries in the low desert.  We are New 
Englanders transplanted to  Palm Springs.  We have come to love the 
native desert plants and landscaped with them but we really miss our 
dark purple blueberries and blackberries.  Any hope?

Also how about stone fruits?

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