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Berries, Bushes and Vines

Trellising/wiring for vines

Selection notes - sweet fruit bushes and vines

  • Not to grow: DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME, 5 Crops I would NEVER Grow Again in my Garden. Chokeberry (aka, Aronia) (tastes bland when fresh, plant elderberries or gooseberries instead), Autum Olive (good tasting for chickens, but not humans, plant Goumi instead), Armenian Cucumber, Goji berry (tastes like a bad tomato, plant ground cherries instead), Kohlrabi (plant cabbage or kale instead)
  • General notes: Little difference in taste between tayberry, boysenberry and marionberry. See Harvesting 12 DIFFERENT kinds of BERRIES at ONCE from the GARDEN
  • Akebia quinata (aka chocolate vine): See below.
  • Amaranth. New world native, grows like a weed (invasive), will grow in Tennessee, produces nice and abundance flower clusters with tiny seeds that can be eaten, edible (young) leaves, several varieties, can be used like sesame seeds or quinoa. One plant can produce half a pound or more of seed. Sellers: Rareseeds, SandHillPreservation (also sells Sorghum seeds), Amazon
  • Artic Raspberry (aka Nagoonberry): Thornless, low growing Raspberry, fruit is sweet-tart, small red berries in July. They grow 6" tall, extremely hardy to -50F.
  • Autumn Olive: Large shrub or small deciduous tree can grow up to 20 feet tall. Grows fast and out competes other plants. Large thorns. Fruit is tart/sweet and edible. Invasive species because seeds are dispersed by birds, opossums, skunks and raccoons. Seed germinates readily. Spread can be controlled by netting; however, it is still advised not to plant it. Extensive root system that reaches beyond crown. Can grow from roots, even if cut down and burned off. Great nitrogen fixer. Great as understory for walnut trees. Sold by: BurntRidge. Need to plant two for pollination.
  • Barberry (Berberis): Hardy (and thorny) shrub with vibrant colors, growth ranges 3-16' tall, a large genus of deciduous and evergreen varieties. Produces large crops of small, edible berries having a sharp acid flavor. Primarily used as sour flavoring or in jams. Sellers: TheTreeCenter.com ($30 to $80)
  • Beans.
  • Bladdernut (Staphylea pinnata, trifolia): See below. There are American and European varieties.
  • Blackberries: See below.
  • Blueberries: See below.
  • Buffaloberry (Shepherdia argentea): Bush that produces an edible but sour berry, nitrogen fixer, grows 8-12' tall, thrives in moist areas, very cold hardy, grows in zones 2-7. Needs male/female bushes to fruit. Good replacement for Russian Olive plants. Sellers: NatureHills
  • Cherry, Nanking: See below.
  • Chilean Guava: perennial, self-fertile, 3-4' tall, hardy to 10F - 15F, fruits in October, small yield of 1-2 lbs per plant. Bush produces a cranberry-sized fruit. A very attractive shrub, produces profuse, fragrant, small white flowers followed by pretty red berries. Sweet with a sprightly, Guava like flavor and fragrance. USDA zones 8-10. Sold by: AnniesAnnuals ($10), OneGreenWorld ($15), RollingRiverNursery ($15), eBay (seeds for sale). Videos: Chilean Guavas [shows three varieties].
  • Chokeberry (Aronia): Don't plant. Bland. See above video. Bush, 4-6' tall, harvest in September, berry is astringent when not ripe, tastes like a tart apple, pretty flower when blooming, pretty fall colors.
  • Cinnamon vine (Dioscorea alata/batatas/opposita/polystachya, aka 'Ube'): See below.
  • Cranberry:
  • Currants: Does not grow well in Tennessee.
  • Dead Man's Fingers (Decaisnea fargesii): Shrub can grow to 12' tall, grows in zones 5-9, giant-bean-pod fruit tastes like watermelon. Sold by: KeepingItGreenNursery.com ($18), MySeeds.co (5 seeds for $4.25)
  • Evergreen Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum): Bush that produces dark blue, tart and flavorful berries half the size of blueberries. Grows to3 feet in the sun and 6-8 feet in the shade. Sold by: BurntRidgeNursery ($10)
  • Goji berry: Don't plant. Tastes like a bad tomato. See above video.
  • Gooseberries: See below. However, consider growing Jostaberry instead, since it's a hybrid cross between a gooseberry and currant and tastes better than both!
  • Goumi berries (Elaeagnus multiflora): See below.
  • Grapes
  • Ground Cherry: See below.
  • Hardy Kiwi: Vine producing grape-sized kiwis. See below. This is not the larger kiwi (Actinidia deliciosa) which only grows in zone 8 or greater.
  • Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum): Upright bush, red berries (not true cranberry), blooms April/May with berries in the fall. Self-fertile, 6-10' tall. American varieties are edible but very tart. Birds will eat the berries when dry in the winter (Jan/Feb). One user mixes juice from this berry with honey, 4:1 ratio. European varieties (Viburnum opulus) are inedible, acidic, astringent and tastes like vomit. Sold by: RollingRiverNursery.com.
  • Honeyberry (Lonicera caerulea): Similar in color and flavor to blueberries. The shrub growing 4-6' tall with small (<0.5"), edible berry. Choose late bloom varieties for zones 6-9. Late bloomers include: Solo, Kawai, Blue Mist, Keiko (sweetest), Maxie, Tana, Blue Hokkaido, Blue Pacific, Blue Pagoda, Blue Velvet, Honey Bunch, Sugar Pie, Taka, 85-19, Pirika, Blue Moon, Blue Sea. See chart. Need to buy 2-3 varieties for pollination. Please note: they fall into *summer* dormancy (lose their leaves) after they finish bearing fruit. Sellers: Rolling River Nursery (cheaper than HoneyBerryUSA, avg. $14), HoneyberryUSA. (huge selection, avg. $19).
  • Jostaberry: See below.
  • Magnolia vine (Schisandra chinensis, aka Five Flavor Fruit, Chinese Magnolia Vine): See below.
  • Maypop vine (Passiflora Incarnata): See below.
  • Melons and Watermelons.
  • Pigeon peas (Cajanus Cajun): Erect shrub, grows to 4' and produces highly nutritious peas. Not frost tolerant, so have to plant each year from seed. Try northern-adapted varieties. Read: Growing Pigeon Peas. Sellers: MRC Seeds (sells several varieties).
  • Physalis peruviana (aka Cape Gooseberry, Goldenberry, Incan Berries, Peruvian Ground Cherry or Pichuberry): Not botanically a gooseberry, but a member of the genus Physalis - which includes tomatillos. Strong, sour, earthy flavor. Buy and plant from seed from Amazon. Grows to 2-3' tall, somewhat vining. Fruit is ripe and edible when color changes from green to yellow. Read more here. Need frost protection during the winter. Plant is susceptible to all kinds of diseases and pests like powdery mildew, root rot, cut worm, stem borer, leaf borer, fruit moth, potato beetle, cucumber beetle, etc.
  • Physalis pruinosa (aka, Strawberry Ground Cherry or just 'Ground Cherry'): dimensions 2'H x 3'W, 2-5 pounds of fruit per plant. Why you should grow Ground Cherries in your next summer garden
  • Raspberries. See below.
  • Salmonberries: Fairly tasteless.
  • Seaberries: Fruit is too small, 2" thorns - lots of flat tires! Sold by: OneGreenWorld.com (consider buying the "Sea Berry Bundle" which comes with 1 male and 3 female plants).
  • Silverberry (Elaeagnus Pungens): Screening evergreen shrub, categorized as a noxious weed, nitrogen fixing, can grow thick and tall (15-20' tall, 6-8' wide), needs aggressive pruning each year to keep it under control, grows 3' per year, flower has a strong scent. Produces an edible berry that birds love which tastes like a peanut and is sour. Do not plant near your foundation. You will have a MASSIVE problem if you let it grow out of control. Watch the following video as an example: When You Let Elaeagnus (Silverberry) Grow Unchecked for 8 Years
  • Squash.
  • Strawberries: See below.
  • Sugar Cane, Hardy (Saccharum arundinaceum): Cold hardy to zone 6a. Article: Cold Hardy Sugarcane Plants. Fertilizers: Besides NPK, it needs abundant calcium, magnesium and sulfur. Also benefits from biochar if available. Sellers: PlantDelights ($25), eBay (GaWalterNursery.com - Germination instructions).
  • Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus): Similar to a raspberry but smaller, thornless, shade tolerant, 5-6' tall, hardy to -30F, self-fertile. Sold by: OneGreenWorld.com ($17). What are THIMBLEBERRIES? (Rubus parviflorus) - Weird Fruit Explorer Ep. 340. Tastes like raspberry plus strawberry combination, better tasting than raspberry.
  • Tomatoes.
  • Ube (Dioscorea alata): See Cinnamon vine below. Other names and varieties are: Japanese Yam, Chinese Wild Yam, Dioscorea batatas, Dioscorea opposita.

Selection (for purchase):

  • Vines bearing fruit:
  • Vines bearing vegetables:
    • Squash 'Fordhook acorn'
    • Tatume (Cocozella pepo, squash)
    • Tomato 'Burgess Climbing': 20' long vine, large (5-inc), deep-red, meaty in 85 days
  • Citrus: All from McKenzieFarms and usually sell for $25 each + shipping.
    • Owari Satsuma - Hardy to 12F, self-fertile, abundant, sweet, easy to peel, 3-5' tall, 1/2 to full sun, 40+ fruit.
    • Kimbrough Satsuma. Hardy to 12F.
    • Changsha Mandarin Plant - hardy to 10F.
    • Nippon Orangequat - hardy to 10F. Tart, can eat entire fruit including skin, 5-8' tall, self-fertile, ripen late fall to winter.
    • Thomasville Citrangequat - Hardy to 5F. Juicy and tart like a lime, self-fertile, ripens Jan-Apr, 12-14' tall.
    • Bloomsweet Grapefruit - hardy to 15F. lemon-flavored white grapefruit, shaped like a large pear, peel and eat like a tangerine, bears huge clusters of fruit, sweet but mild tasting, not bitter like grapefruit, ripen mid-winter.
    • Citrumelo - cold hardy to low teens or lower, 5' tall, tastes like a cross between a lemon and grapefruit, 4" fruit, 40+ fruit, self-fertile, ripens Nov-Jan.
  • Feijoa (aka Pineapple Guava). See below. Sellers: McKenzieFarms ($12.50 + shipping). Needs winterizing.
  • Russian Giant Pomegranate: Sellers: McKenzieFarms ($25 + shipping). Needs winterizing.

Akebia quinata (aka chocolate vine)

  • Description: Fast growing vining plant to around 25-30', spread 6-10', hardy to zone 5-6. Produces sweet, edible fruit when two different varieties are planted. Prune as needed in late spring after flowers appear. May be cut to the ground to renovate. Foliage is semi-evergreen in warm winter climates. Grows rapidly and can suffocate shrubs or other vegetation if not kept in check. Though not designated a noxious weed by the Federal Government, environmental groups consider this plant too invasive to plant where it can spread or reseed itself into natural areas and crowd out native plants. However, you can keep it in check by regular (late spring) pruning.
  • Maintenance: Again, need two varieties to get fruit.
  • Varieties: All are fast-growing to around 25-30', grow in sun or shade, and are hardy to Zone 5-6. See PortlandNursery.com
    • Akebia pentaphyll 'Purple Incense' - A hybrid between Akebia quinata and Akebia trifoliata, 'Purple Incense' has really fragrant dark purple flowers and exceptionally large fruit.
    • Akebia quinata – Five-leaf - Dusky purple flowers and blue-green leaves w/ purple new growth. Leaves are on the smaller side, about 2-3" across.
    • Akebia quinata 'Shiro Bana' - Pale yellow to white flowers, large yellow-green leaves and dark purple fruit. This variety is really vigorous and healthy.
    • Akebia quinata 'Silver Bells' - Light pink to white flowers, pale blue fruit and very fast growth.
    • Akebia trifoliata 'Deep Purple': Three-leaf Akebia - Darkest purple, almost black flowers and large leaves with wavy edges. Growth is more dense and compact than other species.
  • Chocolate Vine (Akebia Quinata). Duration 5:38. Good video showing the plant and fruit.
  • From seed: A little pricey to purchase plants. Consider growing from seeds. Start seeds per instructions here: <<CaribbeanGardenSeed.com>>. Start indoors 6-10 weeks before last spring frost date and then plant outside.
  • Sellers:
  • My seed selection: Five-leaf (from Etsy), 'Deep Purple' trifoliata

Blackberries

  • Description: Blackberry plants and Dewberry plants are excellent sweet berries that are easily grown in Tennessee gardens, however, new thornless blackberry plants from the University of Arkansas Horticulturalist research are now being grown on a tremendous scale commercially, and the home gardener is very pleased to pick from blackberry plants that don't have thorns. Dewberry plants are still basically a thorny blackberry plant, but with fewer sharp thorns than the common wild blackberry plant that is still planted on a large scale to feed wildlife animals and game birds.
  • Thornless vs thorned: Thorny varieties are better. Thornless varieties seem to compromise taste, vigor, and or ease of management. However, most are sold as thornless.
  • Maintenance: It is intolerant of wet soils and raised beds should be considered in areas with heavy clay soils. For established shrubs, tip-prune new vegetative (non-fruiting) canes in summer. Immediately after fruit harvest, remove all canes that fruited to the ground. In late winter to early spring, remove any canes damaged by winter and thin the remaining canes to 4 or 5 strong, well-spaced canes plus trim the laterals thereof.
  • Pruning: For established shrubs, tip-prune new vegetative (non-fruiting) canes in summer. This will cause laterals to grow. These laterals will yield more fruit (than non-pruned) the next year.
  • Planting: pH 5.5 - 6.5. Like blueberries, blackberries like an acidic soil. Do NOT add lime which makes the soil more alkaline. See also: Almanac.com. Also add kelp to increase sweetness.
  • Pruning/Trellis: Dr. Arlie Powell demonstrating how to trellis blackberries. Must see part 2: Dr. Arlie Powell Blackberry #2. Uses similar method to growing grapevines.
    • Dr. Powell uses a single wire at the top at roughly 5' and a single wire at the bottom at roughly 3'.
    • Primocanes (first year growth) are left alone (not-wired until after harvest). Only two primocanes are allowed to grow--one for the top and one for the bottom wires. All others are cut off during the growing season--twice in April, twice in May and once in June.
    • After floricane fruiting is done (e.g. June), prune the floricanes off to the ground. If harvested in June, then the removal of the floricanes is done in July.
    • Trellis and train the two primocanes that remain after the harvest, and attache one to the lower and one to the top wires.
    • Floricanes are trellised with one bound to the lower wire and one bound to the top wire. The lower floricane is topped just above the lower wire so that side (fruiting) branches can be wrapped around the lower wire. The upper floricane is done the same way.
    • Remove any branching that is not close to the wires and will not be trellised.
  • Training on a trellis (two-wire and two-cane system): He allows the first cane to grow 2 or 3 inches above the 24-inch-high wire, and then cuts it off an inch below the wire. Two side shoots will branch out below where the stem was cut. These are then trained to run along the wire. The second cane is allowed to grow a couple of inches above the 48-inch wire; then it's cut an inch below that wire. The two side shoots that appear are trained to grow horizontally on the upper wire. As the side shoots lengthen, they are wrapped around the wires and loosely held there using plastic ties or twine.
  • Runners: Blackberries are vigorous runners. Those runners can travel across the yard. Runners can pop up as far away as 10 feet.
  • Sellers: Nourse Farms. Sold January thru July, or Pense Nursery.
  • University of Arkansas varieties:
    • Apache - thornless, harvest June 23. Some like, some don’t, and reason is white drupes; not for shipping.
    • Caddo - harvest June 8, high yield, large-fruited, exceptionally sweet, high-flavored. Sellers: PenseBerryFarms
    • Natchez - thornless, harvest June 3
    • Mary Carmen - thorny, produces both primocane and floricane.
    • Osage - thornless, harvest June 10, medium fruit. Thirteenth release from UA.
    • Ouachita - thornless, harvest June 12. Should be sweet; however, not my experience.
    • Ponca, Sweet-Ark CV - One of the sweetest and most flavorful. Sellers: NourseFarms, PenseBerryFarms
    • Prime Ark 45 - large fruit on floricanes (smaller on primocanes), produces fruit on both primocane (1st year) and floricanes (2nd year). Floricane fruit is ready in early-June, primocane fruit is ready from August to frost (Nov1) and is smaller.
    • Prime-Ark Horizon - semi thornless.
    • Prime-Ark Freedom - first thornless produced in Arkansas. Requires "tipping" to achieve the highest yields and performance.
    • Primar-Ark Traveler -
  • Varieties:
    • Arapaho - thornless, harvest June 3, upright
    • Columbia Giant - large fruit
    • Kiowa - thorny, harvest June 13, lasting six weeks, largest fruit, very productive (7-12 lb per plant), heat tolerant
    • Navaho - thornless, harvest June 20, smallest fruit, harvest mid-June, upright (does not need a trellis), hardy to -9F, fruit is medium sized, less tart than others. Generally considered the sweetest of the thornless. Orange rust susceptible.
    • Polar Berry White - upright, hardy to -10F, harvest in July.
    • Triple Crown - thornless, harvest time early-August, duration from 5 weeks to 2 months, sturdy cane system
    • Von - harvest late-June, peaking in 2nd week of July and ending 1st week of August. New one from NC State.
  • Order of ripening (in Arkansas);
    • June 5: Natchez
    • June 10: Osage
    • June 12: Ouachita
    • Navaho: June 20
    • Apache: June 25
  • My selection: succession planting varieties for Tennessee (June to October)
    • (Early) Most varieties fruit in June. For example, Arapaho (June 3), Caddo (June 8), Natchez (June 3), Osage (June 10), Ouachita (June 12)
    • (Mid) Triple Crown (August to September), Von (late June thru August)
    • (Late) Prime Ark Freedom, Prime Ark 45 (August to frost on primocanes).

Bladdernut

  • Description: See NC State Extension. Shrub grows to 10-15' tall and wide. White flowers are highly decorative in early summer. The blooms are followed in fall unusual inflated seed capsules, giving it the name bladdernut. The seeds inside are edible, the size of corn kernels, some sources report them to taste like pistachios! The trifolia/trifoliate variety is native to southeast North America.
  • Planting: Plant in a well-drained soil, evenly moist, humusy ground, partial to full shade, cooler summer weather. Grows fast and develops into a thicket. Open and irregular when grown at the edge of the woods; compact and regular when grown in the open. Produces suckers to reproduce. Undergound runners can form offsets making this plant spread in the landscape.
  • Edibility: Seeds can be eaten raw or cooked. The seed can be used in place of walnuts in making chocolate-chip cookies. A sweet edible oil is obtained from the seed used for cooking purposes.
  • Sellers:
    • HobbySeeds - Staphylea trifoliate. 5 seeds for $2.35.
    • ForestFarm - Staphylea pinnata (European)
    • PossibilityPlace - Staphylea trifolia. 1-10 quantity of 5-gallon units for $20 each.

Blueberries

  • Description: Blueberry plants are native plants that grow extensively in the wild state throughout Tennessee, but the new hybrid, Rabbiteye blueberry plants are being planted in commercial pick-your-own orchards, and the large clusters of berries are loaded with huge berries, sometimes that grow as large as a quarter. Rabbiteye blueberry plants are now being grown on a huge and profitable commercial scale in hundreds of acres in some States.
  • Videos: OSU (Oregon State University) Master Gardener: Growing Blueberries (duration: 26:44).
  • Growth: A healthy, well-maintained plant grows 10-12 inches per year and produces 10-15 pounds of berries (in 3rd year and beyond). Productivity declines in the 6th through 8th year.
  • Before Planting: Set to pH 4.5 - 5.5. Add elemental sulfur to lower pH *before* planting. Plant in raised mounds
  • Planting: Need to plant same season varieties to get double the yield and size of fruit.
  • Watering:
    • Young plants - 1 inch per week
    • Mature plants - 1.5 - 3 inches per week
    • Next years fruit buds form at the end of summer, so don't forget to water in the fall.
    • Best if watered from base.
  • Fertilizing: Nitrogen is all they need (synthetic or blood meal or feather meal).
    • Young plants - 0.2 oz of actual Nitrogen. Apply three times: (1) late April, (2) early June and (3) late July
    • Mature plants (years 2+) - Apply April, May and June, but none after July 1st.
    • Year 2 - 0.25 oz of actual Nitrogen
    • Year 3 - 0.8 oz of actual Nitrogen
    • Year 4 - 1.0 oz of actual Nitrogen
    • Slowly increase to maximum 2.5 oz of actual Nitrogen (3 times per years)
  • Mulching: Mulch in March to smother any possible fungus than has survived the winter. Mulch with fir sawdust or bark. No compost or manure because they are high in salt and pH. Start with 2 inches of mulch in the first and subsequent years until 6 inches is reached and maintained.
  • Pruning: Prune in late winter (early spring) while the plants are dormant. Blueberries are born on one-year-old side-shoots that grow off two- to four-year-old upright canes in the upper half of the bush. Three-year-old blueberry canes tend to be the most productive. Canes that are more than four-years-old begin declining in productivity, and after seven years are pretty much sterile. Thus, remove older (than 7 years) canes and encourage the growth of new, upright canes. A rule of thumb is to completely remove at least the two oldest canes each winter. Canes larger than one inch in diameter are not as productive as younger canes, and eventually should be removed. Longe canes are more productive than smaller, so prune the smaller ones.
  • Harvesting: Wait a few days after the berries turn blue. They will become sweeter, have better flavor, and grow about 20% larger.
  • Seasonality:
    • Early-season: Alapha (poll: Brightwell, Bonita, Climax, Premier, Vernon), Brightwell, Duke, Premier (Austin, Brightwell)
    • Mid-season: Pink Lemonade, Bluecrop, Chandler, PowderBlue, Sweetheart, TopHat.
    • Late-season: TifBlue, Elliott, Legacy, Ochlockonee (poll: Brightwell, Delite, PowderBlue)
  • Varieties:
    • Lowbush Blueberries: Sold by: Tennessee Wholesale Nursery. Here is information on: How to grow lowbush blueberries. Grows between 6 inches and 2 feet. Use as low-maintenance groundcover. Plant 8 inches apart. Prune every other year or mow them down in the fall after they shed their leaves. Hardy to -45F. Yields range from 1 to 7 lb per bush. Varieties: Polaris, Chippewa, Northcountry, Northsky, Northblue.
    • Rabbiteye varieties: Self-fruiting but do better when more than one variety is planted. Are native to the southeastern U.S. and grow between 6-10' in height. They were created to thrive in areas with long, hot summers. They are more susceptible to winter cold damage than northern highbush blueberries.Varieties include: Brightwell, Climax, PowderBlue, Premier, Tifblue.
    • Northern highbush varieties: Are native to the eastern and northeastern U.S. and grow 5-9' feet in height. They require the most consistent pruning. Varieties include: BlueCrop, Duke, Elliott, Legacy.
    • Climax - 6-8' tall. Blooms in February/March. May require frost protection for the blooms. Has a poor cropping history due to late spring freeze damage and poor leafing.
  • Varieties purchased:
    • Pink Lemonade (4ea) - self-fertile, 5-6' tall, mid-late season. Pollinators: Any. Brightwell, PowderBlue, TifBlue.
    • Tifblue (Rabbiteye family, 3ea) - 6-8' tall, medium-sized fruit, harvest late-June - July. In year 7-8 will produce 15 pounds of berries. Pollinators: Brightwell, Climax, Premier, PowderBlue.
    • Front row:
    • Chandler - 4-5' tall, large fruit, harvest late July - mid August, 4-5 week ripening season.
    • Jersey - 5-6' tall, large, light-blue, cold hardy, harvest August, self-pollinating.
    • Legacy - 4-5' tall, sweet fruit (top 10%), harvest mid-late August, needs annual pruning.
    • Bluecrop - 4-6' tall, large fruit, harvest late July. Pollinators: Any.
    • Duke - 4-6' tall, large fruit, harvest late May. Pollinators: Bluecrop, Elliott.
    • Brightwell (Rabbiteye family) - 6-8' tall, harvest early June - early July, medium to large fruit. Pollinators: Climax, Premier, Tifblue, Powderblue. Ripens over a short period.
    • Powerblue (Rabbiteye family) - 6-8' tall, harvest late June - July, yield 3-8 quarts. Pollinators: Tifblue, Brightwell, Climax, Premier, Alapaha, Delite, Ochlockonee.

Cherry, Nanking

  • Description: This cherry bush is a tough flowering shrub that it will even grow under semi-arid conditions and still endure a snowless winter of -40°F. Generally, these cherry plants grow about 8-10 feet tall and equally wide producing grape size fruit between sweet and tart in flavor. Plant 4 to 8 feet apart for hedges or windbreaks. Birds tend to leave them alone. They hold their fruit well on the bush. Not always self-fertile; thus, plant two or more bushes. No thorns. High-yielding and stay fresh on the tree for 2 to 3 weeks after ripening. Ripen in July. Live 6-8 years, so need to succession plant.
  • Images/Videos:
  • Maintenance: Need little to no care. For reliable fruit production, the canes need to be regularly pruned. Nanking cherries should be pruned before bloom, and since they are one of the first shrubs to bloom in the spring, they should be pruned in late March or early April.
  • Nanking White Cherry Bush: This variety is the sweetest of all the Nankings.
  • Cherry Pitter: If you are going to process a large quantity, then get a cherry pitter. Sellers: Amazon: Leifheit
  • Sellers:

Cinnamon vine (Dioscorea alata/batatas/opposita/polystachya/etc)

  • Description: Aggressive vine which produces a small, 'potato' on the vine. Belongs to the yam family. The 'Ube' yields huge purple yams. The bright purple edible tubers have a mildly sweet, earthy and nutty taste, reminiscent of sweet potatoes or taro. They turn dishes distinctively vivid violet due to the high amount of anthocyanins.
  • Varieties:
    • Dioscorea alata - Ube (aka Ubi), Purple Yam, Winged Yam. Vine grows to 50 feet or more. Will grow in zones 6 through 8 as an annual. In zones 9 to 11 will grow as perennials. Can grow as perennial in zone 8 with lots of mulching. Full to partial sunlight, prefers warmer weather (>70F is ideal); freezing weather will damage plant and roots. Drought-tolerant but thrives with consistent moisture.
    • Dioscorea bulbifera- Air potato, invasive, bitter taste.
    • Dioscorea dodecaneura, Dioscorea discolor - Yam
    • Dioscorea elephantipes, Dioscorea macrostachya, Dioscorea mexicana, Testudinaria elephantipes - Elephant foot, Turtle shell, Hottentot-Bread
    • Dioscorea polystachya, Dioscorea batatas - Chinese yam, Cinnamon vine. Zones 4 to 8.
    • Dioscorea sp. - Yam
  • Planting: Should plant the bulb in late winter or early spring. Must have high trellises since it is a climbing vine. In zones 9-11, its a perenial and can be harvested in one year or over multiple years. It can be propagated via root cuttings or aerial tubers. Let the cut ends dry (in a few days) or dip in wood ash to dry before planting in a pot of soil. Once they sprout, you can transplant.
  • Articles/Videos:
  • Sellers:

Goji berry (Lycium barbarum) [don't plant! – tastes like a bad tomato]

  • Characteristics: Thorny bush with suckers, 8-10' tall. If you start from seed it will take 7 years to produce fruit. Tastes like a spicy pepper with bitter after taste. Most people prefer to eat them dry like raisins. It takes awhile to dry; better/cheaper to sun dry them. Nutrient dense (superfood). Deer and birds don't like them. Bush plant looks scraggly. Pruning will help reduce the amount of thorns that appear on older stems. Pinch the top branch(es) so fruit-bearing laterals can grow out. Remove branches lower than 15" from the ground. Prune unproductive branches. Thin branches after the berry season. The plant will fruit and flower all through the summer.
  • Maintenance: You need to prune and heavily mulch. Top off, since this bushes can grow as much as 13'. Will benefit from a simple (but firm) trellis. Use clips or tape to hold branches to the trellis. Very hardy plant--can handle drought and heavy rain, and heavy pruning and still survive.
  • Runners: Will pop up several feet from the plant.
  • Growing Goji Plants: Do's and Don'ts. Plants grow tall and need support--i.e. use a trellis.
  • Sold by: Willis Orchard, TyTyGa.com (varities: Crimson Star, Dynamite, and Firecracker), StarkBros (varieties: Big Lifeberry, Sweet Lifeberry, and Vermilion Sunset), BambooPlants.ca (varieties: Dynamite)

Gooseberries (Ribes genus), not Indian Gooseberry (Phyllanthus genus)

  • Characteristics: Low bush (3-6' tall), has thorns, fruit tastes like a grape, tart/sour, harvest end of June - July, ripen over a 2-3 week period, pH of 6 - 6.5, drop leaves in winter. (Grapes generally harvest in August, so a good way succession plant with grapes. That is, harvest gooseberries in July, then grapes in August.)
  • Root system: Shallow-rooted with the roots primarily located in the top eight to 16" of the soil. The spread of the root system does not usually extend beyond the canopy of the plant. Require a well-drained, deep loamed soil with soil organic levels greater than one percent.
  • Shady area. Cooler climate bush, so best to plant in shady area in Tennessee.
  • Planting: Planting guide by Norse Farms. Plant 3-4' between plants, 6-8' between rows.
  • Sellers: NourseFarms
  • Varieties: Two varieties I'm interested in: Invicta and Hinnomaki Red. Tixia (Ribes Rafzvicta) is not as sweet.
    • Hinnomaki Red - This superior Gooseberry cultivar, unlike other Gooseberries, will bear fruit for you the very first year, and tends to produce heavily. Where other Gooseberries require sugar to sweeten them up a bit, Hinnomaki is naturally sweeter. Cute little white flowers, bright-red foliage in the fall, hardy and disease resistant.
    • Invicta - Biggest gooseberry (the size of a small plum), best tasting of the green varieties. Twice the production of other green gooseberries. Bears abundant crops of large berries. Mildew-resistant and cold-hardy. Ripens in July. Self-pollinating.

Goumi berries (Elaeagnus multiflora)

  • Characteristics: Native to the Russian Far East, China and Japan, Goumi is a very popular fruit in these regions and is now widely planted in many European and American gardens. Goumi forms a medium size shrub growing to 6-8 ft in height with attractive, silvery green foliage. It’s white flowers bloom in the middle to the end of May and are very fragrant and loved by bees making it a fantastic pollinator. The juicy, scarlet-red fruit is speckled with silver and ripens in July. Aromatic with a flavor reminiscent of pie cherries, it is very good eaten fresh and also makes tasty preserves. The seed itself is in a woody seed coat which is not tasty; the seed itself tastes like a sweet nut. Hardy to -25F. Needs two varieties to produce fruit. Flowers on last season's growth so do any pruning only after fruiting has finished. Both the flesh and seed are edible. Can put in a blender and make a smoothie with the entire seed. Fruit comes from last year's growth.
  • Maintenance: Young plants have thorns; unripe fruit is astringent; excellent from planting around trees since it's a nitrogen fixer. Not an invasive plant, but you should remove suckers. Fruit can dry on the vine and taste like a gummy bear.
  • Videos: You CAN’T Buy These In The Stores GOUMI BERRIES! (Duration 10:22)
  • Varieties: Red Gem, Sweet Scarlet (small berries), Carmine Jewel, Tillamook (big berries)
  • Carmine Jewel - slightly sweeter than Sweet Scarlet and twice the size, but berries are softer. Purchased on 6/29/2021 from BurntRidgeNursery.
  • Sellers: BurntRidgeNursery ($23, Red Gem and Sweet Scarlet), OneGreenWorld ($25, Tillamook).

Ground Cherries (Physalis peruviana, Physalis pruinosa) [aka Cape Gooseberry or Golden Berry]

  • Description: Cherry-sized fruit wrapped in a papery husk. Tastes like a raspberry and sweet tomato. Stores for up to 3 months in the husk. Seeds are tiny. The "pruinosa" varieties taste better than the "peruviana" varieties.
  • Planting: Plant after all danger of frost, 1-2 feet apart in 5-7 gallon grow bags on landscape cloth, seed germinates in 1-2 weeks, fruits in 70 days after transplant. Fruit is ready to eat when it falls to the ground. Plant on surface of the soil since they "light germinate".
  • Varieties:
    • Aunt Molly's: Super-sweet, prolific. Sellers: SeedSavers ($3.25 for 50 seeds)
    • New Hanover: Considered one of the best tasting. However, more tangy than sweet. Sellers: RareSeeds ($4.00 for 50 seeds)
    • Pineapple: It really tastes like pineapple and a hint of tomato, spreads 3 feet across, hundreds of fruit per plant. Shelf-life of 3-4 weeks. Sellers: SuperSeeds ($1.95 for 40 seeds)

Hardy Kiwi Vine (Actinidia species)

  • Description: Very vigorous vine (needs heavy pruning), most varieties require male and female plants (one male to 6-7 females), heavy trellis, sweeter than regular kiwi. The arguta variety may take 8-10 years before fruiting. However, some varieties, like 'Issai' and 'Silver Lining', will fruit 1-2 years. The vine loses its leaves in the fall, so not useful for year-round privacy screening. The shade tolerance of kiwi plants makes them an option for shady areas where many other vines would not perform well.
  • How to grow: Remember to leave some vining stems because flowers form on last year's growth.
  • Pruning: It's best to prune hardy kiwi vines in winter, to promote fruit production. The first year after planting, select the most vigorous shoot that is straight, designating it as the permanent trunk. Cut back other shoots so as to concentrate vigor in the trunk. In subsequent winters, cut back each stem to 8 to 10 buds. In addition, prune as needed during summer to remove any excessively long shoots.
  • Harvesting: Normally harvested in early fall, September to October, when the fruit is still hard to the touch but the seeds are black. They should be eaten immediately or can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks. All kiwi should be picked before the first frost.
  • Videos:
    • A look at our Hardy Kiwi Project (duration 4:33). At least two (2) years of training the vines: four (4) vertical "trunks" per vine (each vine planted minimum 16' apart), select two "trunks" for each side and guide them horizontally down the center wire (of the 5 total wires), then guide the laterals (12-18" apart) across the two (2) wires on each side. Accompanying article: Kiwifruit and Hardy Kiwi (Kiwiberries). The T-bar trellis should use minimum 8-foot posts with 6-foot (2"x6") cross bars. Use 12-gauge wire (or thicker if you can handle it).
    • Meet the Kiwiberry
    • How to grow Hardy Kiwi
  • Varieties:
    • Hardy Kiwi (Actinidia arguta)
    • Anna (or 'Anananzaya'): vigorous grower with very sweet fruit
    • Issai (Actinidia arguta): self-fertile, more compact vine than some of the others.
    • Ken's Red (Actinidia purpurea x melanandra): fruit has reddish-purple skin and flesh.
    • Silver Lining (Actinidia arguta): self-fertile, but cross-pollination with a hardy male kiwi will increase yields.
    • Tri-color Kiwi (Actinidia kolomikta, 'Arctic Beauty'): Fragrant white flowers in May followed by small, gooseberry-like fruit. Best grown in light shade. Distinctive foliage that is variegated with attractive patches of white.
  • Sellers: BurntRidgeNursery (sells a variety at reasonable prices), Logees (sells 'Silver Lining', 'Issai')
  • My seed selection: Issai (self-fertile), Tri-color (may need a male plant, if the seeds are all female!)

Jostaberries

  • Characteristics: Bush size 3-6' tall, zone 3-8, fruit ripens in July, self-fertile, pH 6-6.5. A gooseberry and currant cross! The best of both. Thornless, disease resistant. Vigorous, productive and disease resistant, can be easily propagated from cuttings, drought tolerant, wet foot tolerant, not bothered much by deer, prefers full sun but can handle partial shade. Fruit looks like an oversized black currant.
  • Hybrid: Cross of black currant (Ribes Nigrum), the North American coastal black gooseberry (Ribes Divaricatum) and the European gooseberry (Ribes Uva-Crispa).
  • Harvest/Flavor: Tastes between a gooseberry and a black currant. Like blackcurrants, jostaberry fruits freeze well. Ripens early summer. Fruit can keep on the bush in good condition through entire late summer. However, since birds love them, you will need to protect with netting.
  • Disease: Leaves are susceptible to Jostaberry Leaf Netting disease which is unique to Jostaberry plants. Resistant to diseases like blackcurrant leaf spot, American gooseberry mildew, white pine blister rust, and big bud gall mite.
  • Propagation: Propagate via cuttings or seeds. Use 8-10 inch cuttings and plant in flower pots, can use rooting hormone but not required. Can propagate any time, but late winter and early spring are best.
  • Growing/Pruning: Space 5 feet minimum. Produce fruit 10-15+ years. Late spring frosts can damage the flowers. Use balanced, slow release NPK fertilizer in late autumn, winter. Do *not* use excess nitrogen. Will produce fruit on 1-2 year canes but also on older canes. Prune in late winter. Prune half of young shoots to 6 inches. Prune 1/3 of older canes to 1 inch to allow room for the new shoots. A less crowded bush will let more light in and produce better fruit.
  • Sellers: PenseBerryFarm ($7 per plant), Isons ($11 per plant), many others.

Magnolia vine (Schisandra chinensis, aka Five Flavor Fruit, Chinese Magnolia Vine)

  • Description: Vine that produces berries which have a unique taste that is sweet, sour, bitter, spicy and salty. Vine requires partial shade, does well in an arbor, growing zones 4-8, grows 15-30', cold hardy to -20F, prefers acidic soil, very sensitive to salts in the water. Pleasant aroma from all parts of the plant. 'Eastern Prince' variety is self-fertile, otherwise get a male and female plant.
  • Grow from seeds: Can grow from seeds but difficult to successfully germinate; may need multiple tries. Sow seeds in a cold frame or cold stratify for 90-120 days. Scarify and soak for 24 hours for best results.
  • Seed germination instructions: The seeds for this species significantly improve their germination when scarified and stratified, following a better explanation of how to proceed:
    • 1. Scarification: Lightly sand the seeds and immerse them in warm water for 24 - 48 hours.
    • 2. Stratification: Put the seeds in moist medium in the refrigerator for 60 days. You can use wet vermiculite or another medium of your choice.
  • The above two processes must be done to achieve a better and higher germination rate in seeds of this species. Sow in good quality substrate suitable for seed germination, maintain the moisture and heat necessary for germination. Ideal temperature for germination is around 22º c - 26º c (70 to 80F). The seeds need constant moisture to germinate, be careful not to soak the substrate, just keep it moist. Small seedlings should be acclimatized for a minimum of 12 weeks before planting in a permanent location.
  • Videos: Schisandra chinensis - Avena Botanicals (good information, a little bit "New Age").
  • Sellers:
  • My seed selection: generic seeds (may need a male plant, if the seeds are all female!)

Maypop vine (Passiflora Incarnata)

  • Description: A fast growing perennial vine, zones 5-9, hardy to -20F, produces beautiful flower and passion-like fruit. Blooms throughout summer with subsequent fruit which appear in July and mature to a yellowish color in the fall. Need to control growth, since it aggressively propogates underground (i.e. it's a runner). Need two plants or more (from seed) to produce fruit. Good history here: EatTheWeeds.com. Better to grow from seed.
  • Please note: Passiflora edulis is the tropical variety which will not tolerant winter frost.
  • Climate notes: Woody in warm winter climates and herbaceous (dies to the ground) in cold winter climates.
  • Videos: Growing, Harvesting and Eating Maypop (Hardy Passion Fruit)
  • Sellers:

Raspberries

  • Description: Red Raspberry plants are very successfully grown in all parts of TN and are the most important commercial raspberry plants, and the black Cumberland Raspberry plant came from the researchers in the Cumberland Valley area of TN. Yellow raspberries and Purple raspberry plants are less known, but are more fragile berries and very delicious to eat.
  • Grow from seeds: RarexoticSeeds.com (blackcap variety, $1.90)
  • How to grow: How to Start Growing Raspberries [Compilation]. Shows varieties and how to grow. Published 11/1/2015. Duration 21:15. Planted varieties: Boyne, Niwot, Heritage, Nova, Royalty, Joan J, Taylor, and Fall Gold. Orders from: IndianaBerry.com. Uses Green Screen Deer and Rabbit Repellent bags (on wrdist.com). hanging on the wires.
  • Varieties (Summer Bearing - June/July only):
    • Blackcap - have the best flavor
    • Boyne
    • Cascade Delight
    • Emerald Carpet - Very tart, small fruit. Fairly fast growing evergreen groundcover raspberry native to the mountains of Taiwan. Yellow/orange berries are ripe in mid summer and taste good. Grows in sun or shade. It's tough and drought tolerant once established. The broad leathery dark green evergreen leaves of Emerald Carpet Raspberry make a good ground cover for weed suppression and soil stabilization. Sometimes called 'Orangeberry'. Zone 6-10.
    • Raspberry Shortcake
    • Royalty
  • Varieties (Everbearing - June/July then thru to first frost):
    • Anne - Light yellow, fruity, mild, almost tropical, pineapple taste, firm.
    • Brandywine - Large fruit, purple, deep-magenta, tangy, fruity.
    • Caroline - Large fruit, high yield, long berries, heat tolerant, root rot resistant.
    • Crimson Night - Sweet and juicy.
    • Dorman Red
    • Double Gold - Peach to orange-red tone, tender, sweet, fruity.
    • Fall Gold - Sweet, soft, gold colored.
    • Fall Red - Larg, firm fruit, rich taste and juicy.
    • Heritage - Medium, mild, sweet, tart flavor, good yield.
    • Himbo-Top Ever Bearing Red - Extremely large, firm red fruit, good flavor, root rot resistant, extremely vigorous, requires less fertilizer.
    • Jewel
    • Joan J Ever-Bearing Red- Thornless, high yield, large, firm berries, very good flavor.
    • Polka Red - Nearly thornless, large fruit and very sweet, productive, ripens in July and again in September to frost.
    • September
  • Sellers:
  • Raspberry plants (sold at Turner's):
    • Heritage (red, self-fertile, everbearing, pH 6-6.8, 4-5' tall, 3-4' wide)
    • Canby (red, self-fertile, June-bearing, thornless!, 4-6' tall, 3' wide)
    • Coho (red, 6' tall)
    • Fall Gold (yellow, everbearing)

Strawberries

  • How to grow: How to Grow and Harvest The Best Strawberries | Gardening Tips and Tricks. Come as bareroot and need to be soaked before planting.
  • Fertilizing: For every 100 square feet, a pound of 10-10-10 fertilizer worked into the soil one month after first planting. Then in second and subsequent years in late August add 1.5 pounds of ammonium nitrate fertlizer per 100 square feet or 0.5 pound of 10-10-10 for everbearing and one pound for June bearing varieties.
  • Varieties:
  • Albion Everbearing - Resembles Tristar strawberry in long fruiting season, but with a much larger fruit. Best flavored of the large fruited everbearing types. Sellers: BurntRidgeNursery ($11.50 for 25 bareroot)
  • Beach Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis, aka Sand, Chilean or Coastal Strawberry) - great as a ground cover. Sellers: Gardenia.net
  • Mara Des Bois - everbearing, small to medium fruit, and contains the highest flavor and fragrance of any everbearer. Sellers: NourseFarms.com (25 count bareroot, $19)
  • Seascape - everbearing, reliable producer in the fall, produces fewer runners than June-bearers, red inside and out. Sellers: BurntRidgeNursery ($11.50 for 25 bareroot)
  • Shuksan - late June-bearing, large, odd shaped, but very sweet. Sellers: BurntRidgeNursery ($11.50 for 25 bareroot)
  • White Carolina Pineberry - Like an everbearer. Strawberries that taste like pineapples! White Carolina is a naturally hybridized selection from crossing two different strawberry species. The result is a plant that bears a smaller pale pink berry that has a unique pineapple flavor to it. The plants generally bear in the spring and then later in the summer like an everbearer. Grows 6-8'' tall and 18'' wide. Zones 4-8. Sellers: DirectGardening.com (6 plants for $8). Cannot grow from seed since it's a hybrid plant.