Gardening Articles: Edibles :: Small Fruits & Berries Small
Fruits & Berries 101 (page 3 of 4) by National Gardening
Association Editors Although closely related to the reds,
blackcaps have a distinctive flavor, ripen a little later, and
require slightly different training. Black raspberries spread by
bending the tips of their canes to the ground where they root,
leapfrogging along at two to three feet a year. New shoots arise
only from the original crowns, not willy-nilly from the roots as
with reds. In most other respects, they're very similar to the
reds. There are no fall-fruiting black raspberries. In an
attempt to bend to the ground and root, the canes elongate and
become thin and weak at the tips. Unless you want to start new
plants, cut these raspberries back to 3 or 4 feet. They'll be
self-supporting, with no loss of fruiting potential. Cut the old
canes out after harvest. Since black raspberries don't throw
root suckers, they take much less thinning than reds. Currants:
Black, White, and Red Judging