Infrastructure: 14 raised beds (4 × 16 ft), two parallel rows of 7, 3–4 ft walking paths. Rows run N–S. 9 beds assigned to berries, 5 available for expansion. Fencing: Meadow area 50% enclosed by 9 ft fence, remainder 5 ft fence.

Row A (west) — Cane Berries

Row B (east) — Bush Berries + Available

Separate locations

Trellis runs: A1↔A2 (floricane), A3↔A4 (primocane), A6↔A7 (blackberry). Posts at bed ends + center.

Fruit on second-year wood (floricanes). Remove spent floricanes after harvest, thin new primocanes in late winter. See Pruning Calendar for details.

Row 1 total: 8 plants, 20 ft row.

Fruit on current-year canes. Simplest management: mow entire row to 2–3" in late February/March → one big fall crop. See Pruning Calendar for details.

Row 2 total: 9 plants, 22.5 ft row.

CRITICAL: Plant 75–100+ ft from ALL red raspberries. Red raspberries asymptomatically carry mosaic virus; aphids vector it to blacks, which it kills. Site in Lower Meadow or a far property corner.

3 plants, 11 ft hedgerow. T-trellis recommended — blacks get heavy and arch. Tip-prune primocanes at 24–30" in summer to force lateral branching.

All three varieties are thornless. Ouachita is erect (self-supporting); Triple Crown and Chester are semi-erect and need T-trellis.

Row 3 total: 7 plants, 38.5 ft row.

Separate acidified raised bed — pH 4.5–5.0 (everything else needs 5.5–6.5). Do not co-plant with any other berry type.

One 4×8 ft raised bed filled with 50/50 peat + pine bark fines. Elemental sulfur to reach target pH. Mulch with 3–4" pine needles or pine bark. Techline CV drip at 12" emitter spacing. Remove ALL flowers for the first two growing seasons — establish roots, not fruit.

Row 4 (with Red Lake currant): 6 plants, 27 ft row. Bush form, no trellis. Fruit on 2–3 year old wood. See Pruning Calendar.

Row 5 (back edge): 2 plants, 7 ft row. Must be within 50 ft of each other for cross-pollination. Grows 8–10 ft tall × 8 ft wide — site where they won’t shade other plantings. Remove canes older than 3 years each winter, keep 6–8 vigorous younger canes.

Planted in three existing 4×8 ft raised beds, not in the Berry Patch.

75 plants total. Spacing: 4 rows × ~7 plants per row at 12" × 14" within each bed.

These are non-negotiable and determined the layout:

1. Black raspberries 75–100+ ft from reds — red raspberries asymptomatically carry mosaic virus. Aphids transmit it to blacks, which it kills. No exceptions.
2. Blueberries in separate acidified bed — pH 4.5–5.0 vs 5.5–6.5 for everything else. Soil pH runoff could affect neighbors.
3. Floricane and primocane raspberries in separate rows — completely different pruning cycles. Mixing leads to pruning mistakes that destroy next year’s crop.
4. Elderberries within 50 ft of each other — cross-pollination required (York + Adams).

T-Trellis (Rows 1–3, black raspberry block)

Posts every 15–20 ft along the row. Set posts 24" deep (below frost line). 4×4×8 ft pressure-treated posts or heavy-duty T-posts.

Materials estimate: 14 posts total, ~350 ft wire, 12 crossarms, 16 wire tensioners.

No trellis needed

Ouachita blackberry (erect habit), gooseberries, currants, elderberries, blueberries.

All berry plantings tap off the existing Netafim drip system.

Watering schedule (established): Cane fruits every 2–3 days, 45–60 min. Blueberries every 2 days, 30–45 min. Bush fruits every 3–4 days, 30–45 min. New plantings: daily for first 2–3 weeks.

Head assembly: Spigot → GHT-NPT Adapter → Disc Filter (120 mesh) → Pressure Regulator (25 PSI) → YoLink YS5012 Valve → 3/4" Mainline

Winterization (November): Remove figure-8 end caps, flush lines, close valve, drain mainline. HCVXR rated for freeze/thaw — lines stay buried.

Between rows: White Dutch clover — fixes nitrogen, suppresses weeds, feeds the apiary. Broadcast seed 3–4 weeks after berry plants establish.

Row edges: Sweet alyssum — pollinator support and beneficial insect habitat. Self-seeds and returns each year without replanting.

Goal: expand berry plantings across the property using propagated stock.

• Tip layering (black raspberries): Bend cane tip to ground in late summer, cover with soil, roots form by spring. Cut and transplant.
• Division (all raspberries): Dig up suckers from base of established plants in early spring. Replant immediately.
• Root cuttings (red raspberries): Cut 4–6" root sections in late fall, plant horizontally 2" deep.
• Blueberry cuttings: Softwood cuttings in June–July from new growth. Root in peat/perlite mix under mist.

Order recorded in farmdb as order ID 2 (supplier: Stark Bros, ID 5). All items received. Total: 24 line items covering 22 varieties plus 2 gooseberry collections.

Plus 2× Gooseberry Collection @ $35.99 each ($71.98 total).

Database: species IDs 219–232 (original) + 255–261 (added 2026-05-17). All have full species_berry subtable records.