Here's an update on my Prime Ark Freedom and Ponca blackberries. The cane growth and the huge crop of berries amazing! All these berries are in Wicking Tubs and are doing fantastic. Wicking Tubs: Here's how to get them: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SlAOl995SaQ.html Here's how to make them: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9guNoWP8_ls.html Here's how I made my "Hybrid" tub: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-radHBan7-BI.html Here's my Container Blackberry Playlist: ru-vid.com/group/PLutBw50GI1zw9M4UxWAN3n9yeJ_WYS8TD Thanks for Watching! alan homesteadadvisor.com/
Just bought 6 of prime ark freedoms and have been watching your playlist this week. Your knowledgeable videos encouraged me to try them, I appreciate your content. I also got a couple elderberry and a raspberry. I'll be watching your jelly video next. Bet it makes good juice too. Looking forward to more, thank you! God bless.
I purchased two Prime Ark Freedom blackberries this spring as plugs and planted them in 15 gallon pots, they now have primacanes four feet tall in Victoria, BC
My PAFs are on their 2nd year in containers (blue food grade barrels cut in half). They are wicking tubs and have the watering tube, but I ran a water line across the tops and put a 2gph emitter over each tub. That is hooked to a timer set to run 90 minutes every day. I am picking at least 1/2 gallon a day right now and have a ton of new canes up. These make my day much happier. I go out each morning and pick my blackberries and gather the cackleberries.😃 Thank you for teaching me how to.!!!
My berries are just about complete. I have 10 plants of the Prime Ark Freedom planted in wicking tubs. The canes that survived hurricane Ida, did very well. I guess we have picked a little over 5 gallons at this point. I lost about 1/2 of the canes for the storm. There is a lot of new canes coming up, so I hope we will have a very good season next year. Yours are doing great!!! It looks like you will have a huge harvest. Thanks for all of the tips you pass on to everyone.
Those are the same 3 we have... ot them the day you did the fantastic teaching at Bob Wells Nursery... Thanks again for sharing... was sure wanting an update. They look great! Blessings 🌞
Love the blackberry production, mine are doing okish, they are surviving the heat, i water every single night since it gets near 100 degrees, but i didnt furtilize this year, but i am getting a nice amount, but i need to remember to pinch off those tops to start that lateral growth. thanks for the tour and the growing tips :)
Hey TP2 send me some poncas!!!! Looks like I will be on the 3 year plan for my ponca canes. Got them as plugs and only 2 survived my long harsh winter here in my zone 6. I may get a few this year but the new primocane coming up is looking sturdy and pencil size caliper; unlike the twig that grew last year. After 20 times seeing those wicking tubs I finally surrender. I am going to trial 2 tubs with a cutting of one of my poncas and ill try and find a prime ark freedom you keep pushing on this channel. I have a prime ark traveler I had for years but its not been productive like my other varieties. On a side note, ill be seeing what performed the best this year from early visual inspection caddo vs ouachita. Keep up the great content my friend!
Sources have Ponca in zone 6, sometimes 5. It's been my experience in my Z6 garden that we get enough really cold weather to knock down (or out) some things that are supposed to be fine in Z6. Since they're floricanes, they're more susceptible to cold damage than something that dies back to the ground. YMMV, but for anything that needs to live above ground I only buy solid Z5 plants as a buffer. Your area may not have this problem but I've lost fruit trees and other plants to cold snaps which are not uncommon in my part of the country. We used to be Z5 and got 'upgraded' and while that may be true for summer heat, we still get enough of the winter Z5 cold for my more tender plants to take a hit and I don't have the energy or inclination to put a lot of effort into protecting them.
I have the Prime Arc Freedom plants (6). I got bare root plants and they are starting to develop berries (zone 7 B) Little Rock area. Nothing like your first year. I think I will tip them even though they are not 4 feet tall yet. Thanks for sharing your videos and knowledge.
I'm in zone 5 around Chicago area. All my Freedom last year canes died. 100% of them. They are all growing back from the ground. My Traveler variety survived and are sprouting leaves from last year canes. Looks like the Freedom like warmer climates. I love the Primocanes!
Great video! Growing blackberries, blueberries and strawberries in wicking tubs out here in California. My 2 year old son loves finding and eating the newly ripe berries every day. Going to try prime ark and a raspberry bush in tubs next.
I read that if a root hits air it stops growing that direction and thus fabric pots prevent root circling that can kill some bushes and trees. Not sure how it could be made to self-water, but if you could, that would protect from some of the worst root binding.
Wow! Your blackberries look great! I've got two beds of Natchez and Arapahos and one bed with one Ponca in it. The Ponca has grown from one raggedy stick to nearly fill the space where I originally had three plants!
Been watching your videos for the last several weeks and rounded up some molasses buckets, found me some prime ark freedom plants and here we go! Plants are doing just fine and I have some 3year old plants in the ground and are absolutely loaded. I had some blueberry plants in the ground and I thought I could control the pH in the buckets a little easier. I'm in Tennessee and our dirt for blueberries is not the best. I have a little chlorosis going on with my blueberries and you can read 4011 different suggestions but I thought I would pick your brain to see what you recommend. BTW, I enjoy your videos. Very interesting and informative.
Wow.. those berries look yummy .. very nice .. big bushes.. thanx for sharing.. I enjoyed this video 🙏 I definitely need an out door set up like this 🙌 🥷
First year for my Prime Arks- so far I have picked 1.5 pounds. Pretty happy with that. Sending off a bunch of new canes- can’t wait!! I’ve asked before, what is your source for the 10-20-10 fertilizer?? Can’t find anywhere and don’t think there is such a thing. Help would be appreciated!
I get mine from my local "feed store" Big Box stores might have it too. If you can't find, use 13-13-13 and supplement with extra phosphorus. Like this: amzn.to/3Mx1oGr
@TexasPrepper2 I'm curious to see what the root system looks like in the blackberry wicking tubs that would be a great video to show maybe during the dormant stage in fall or winter.
I live in lindale not far from you. I put some prime ark freedoms in tubs this fall so they aren’t mature. Should I bring them in with the cold front coming in this next week /weekend ?
If you can do that, without too much trouble and yes, that would be best. If you can’t, just try wrapping them in plastic or blankets or something to try to hold the heat in. If the low temperatures don’t last very long… Just a few hours.… That may not be a problem. It’s when they go down and stay down that I think there’s a problem. At least, that’s my theory.
Took me a while but I have found me some tubs. Ready to try this. How far apart are you spacing your tubs? And I am going to do some raspberries as well…I will let you know how they do!
My first year I had them side to side but had some fungus problems Now the tubs are about 20" apart I would say Seems to work a lot better. More sunlight and airflow, and less funguses
@@BIGALTX I thought you were basically skipping about a container distance. I’ll try that. I know you got rid of your thorned varieties but I don’t think I can give up the massive Kiowa berries. I may give them about 36” between containers.
I know your blackberries are doing great in your wicking tub system and I plan to set up something similar this winter for early spring planting. You have me fired up! I love blackberries. My question is concerning raspberries. I know they don't typically do well in Texas (zone 8b near San Antonio) because our soil is too alkaline. Is it possible to do them similarly to the blackberries by using an acidic mix? I'm asking because my husband only likes raspberries, and If I can get him interested in something he might help out more.
Hahaha... This is Texas... it's HOT...! A typical summer has several days over 100F and many, many days in the mid to high 90's 2011 we had 82 straight days at or over 100F. THAT was brutal. Blackberries love the heat. They will stop production when it gets 95 or so, but the canes still grow like crazy! Hope that helps
I love sweet blackberry and just started growing 1 tree. I hope it will produce some blackberry soon. 😊. Can you please help advise which blackberry variety are very sweet to grow? Thanks so much. 🥰🙏
The sweetest I've found is Ponca, but there are so many varieties that I have not tried ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-m7UsG4ST5Jk.html
I have access to some bare root Ponca plants. Is it a bad time to plant them? I’m in central Louisiana, zone B. These will be going into containers. I picked up several 58 gallon plastic olive drums that I will cut in half to make wicking tubs.
Hi Texas Prepper I am dying to know if you have problems with the containers that your blackberry plants are in drying and turning brittle in the sun? And if so how you deal with the problem
Not yet, but is IS something I am watching closely. Mr Leon says the containers should last 5 to 7 years. Applying 303 Protectant on the outside of the tubs might give them longer life, but not sure. 303 Protectant: amzn.to/3sVJlSp I haven't used it yet on MY tubs, but probably need to do it.
Hello. Love your channel! Do you use products for pest/disease control? This year we got “stamen blight” on our blackberries and was told we should have used a fungicide. (Never had trouble before, but this year we have misshapen blooms and berries). Looks like no berries this year, sadly. We have not done anything up to this point and wondered what you recommend. Could you do a video on pest and disease control?
I very seldom spray for pests (although I need to do that right now) For fungus, here's what I do: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SwGG-Zb1RyE.html
My Prim ark freedom are finishing up berries...when I tip the new growth..can I prune out the old spent canes after all the fruit is picked???? Love your vids..cheers!!!!
I like to wait till the canes are absolutely dead before I prune them out. That way you don't make any mistakes. It should only be a week or 2. They will get brown and brittle
I’m really not certain. But, I think I would leave them alone. It depends on what variety you have, and how cold tolerant they are, as to how they will do in your cold winter months. Find out what your local nurseries do with their potted blackberry plants. If they leave them out, exposed to the weather, then I don’t see any reason why you would have to protect yours. Makes sense, right? 🤔
Hi, me again 😂 How far apart do you space your pots? I am wanting to replicate the hedge you have. Maybe there is a video but so far I haven't come across it. Thanks so much!
Dear Mr. TexasPrepper2, I am not a subscriber, but I do watch a lot of your videos. I bought a prime ark freedom plant from Burpee. I have had it in a container (unfortunately not a wicking tub) for about 3 weeks. It is not dying, but it is also not growing. Do you have any helpful suggestions? I would really appreciate the help. Thank you, Amanda from South Alabama
Without knowing what potting mix, fertilizer, lime, drainage of container, etc you used... it's hard to say Make sure your PH is about 6 to7. I use 1 LB of 10-20-10 fertilizer when I plant them
I would just make sure that they have a really, really good root system. If you’re in the south, you could probably plant now, or in the next month or two. If you’re in the north, I would wait till spring.
i have a 5ish "maybe older" established patch of prime ark but they where never trellised and are over run with weeds and saplings i keep trying to clean it up since i moved here this is my second summer here but i am wanting to grow them like you do, could i transplant them to buckets?
Probably, but wait till winter when they are dormant. Get as much root with them as you can and you might have to prune them a little to help with the "shock"
You need to look at my playlist on growing blackberries I’ve done tons of videos, showing how to plant, prune, fertilize… Etc. Just about every aspect of growing blackberries. Hope that helps
I also love to put kitchen peelings in my pots and then I put my plants so that they have natural fertilizer as they grow.. is it ok to put cocopeat at thrd part of my pot I'm planning to put my prime ark freedom blackberry
Ok, help me out--which way are you suggesting tip pruning your Primeicane fruiting varieties---tipping them BEFORE getting fruit on the ends--or waiting until after the tips produce berries and then cut them back??? Which way and why...thanks.
Tip the cane at about 3 to 4 feet. Then let the laterals grow and fruit in early summer Here's what I started doing last year: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yRy41bYQGOw.html
I just planted 2 blackberries I waited to plant them until we finally got a little rain and they are growing should I fertilizer them or wait until spring.
My BB aren’t a designer brand. They are on their 2nd yr & flowers are still not quite popped yet (almost). Healthy bush though; not a single blemish on my 4footer here in Zone 7 :)
@@BIGALTX You’re so lucky! They can decimate berries. They are fruit flies and they lay an egg in the berry and it collapses, gets all juicy and crawling with little tiny white worms. Bleh!
Just a thought, but it seems to me that your tubs would last much longer if you located a UV rated paint, and painted them before planting anything in them. Without the UV rated paint, the plastic would break down much faster and become brittle.
Just picked out first Prime Ark Freedom berries. They are large, juicy and seem fully ripe. However, they are bland. Not sure if this is because it's the first year?
What ended up happening with the prime ark traveler? I’m trying to find some plants and it’s tough to source right now, I can only find the traveler and not the freedom..
Wicking Tubs: Here's how to get them: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SlAOl995SaQ.html Here's how to make them: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9guNoWP8_ls.html Here's my "Hybrid" tub: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-radHBan7-BI.html
Many nurseries are sold out, and summer is not a good time to plant anyway. I mainly use bobwellsnursery.com/ He also gives a 10% discount for using the code TP2 at checkout
He's got a whole bunch of videos on snakes but this one always makes my hair stand on end. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qKk6TfFaSOk.html
I've only seen 1 snake in 10 years of growing berries (garter snake) These containers might help. Snakes are attracted by mice and rabbits and growing in containers might keep the mice and rabbits off more, so no snakes
I don't give out my location, but I'm in East Texas Here's my Facebook Page, but I admit.. I don't monitor it very closely: facebook.com/TexasPrepper2/ I look at these comments every day, so it's the best way to contact me.
