Best CO. for mail order Elderberry and Blackberry plants???

Which is the best company, in your opinion, to mail order Elderberry and Blackberry plants from?

None of the top 30 on the Garden Watchdog sell them.

I live in Zone 5, and need some hardy plants to get started this spring.

Thanks, Janice.

Janice, I got my Blackberries from www.millernurseries.com about 12 years ago. I just got a catalog (second one) today and they have 3 to choose from. They also have Elderberries.
I've ordered many times from them and only had one problem, mislabeled Strawberries.
Andy P

Thank you! I appreciate the info, and I will check out their site. Janice.

It just dawned on me that I have a pic of their Chester Thornfree Blackberry. It's the one that won in the 'Fruit and Veggie' category in last years photo contest here.
I'm so proud!!!!
This is a pic of the first ripe berries, the clusters and berries got larger as the season progressed.
Andy P

Congratulations!

Great picture, those berries are making me hungry!

I wonder if Chester can hack it in Zone 5? I will check him out, he looks sooooo tasty.

Thanks, Janice.

The catalog says Zone 5 to 8 for the 'Chester' and zone 4 - 8 on the thorny 'Illini'.
There are many different varieties to choose from so look around.
This Chester sprawls out more than most and often needs support to keep the berries off the ground. They are tasty but the thorny 'Illini' are better, I have both.
The thorny type is also good for clippings as a cat deterrent strategically placed in the garden.
They both stay in their place and not sucker much.
The canes can reach 15 - 18 feet long on the Chester and they will root at the very tip.
Andy P

What a great idea to use the clippings to keep the cats out of my mulch!

There are so many kitties running around my neighborhood. I have two cats, but they are strickly indoor kitties, no getting hit by cars, or cat fights for them!

I looked at the "Illini" on the Millers website, and it looks very good. I think I will go with that for blackberries. Janice

I got small potted blackberries from Stark Bros. Nursery in Missouri. They took off and didn't look back.

Lets not get into the feral cat issue. A neighbor feeds 8 (last count). The thorny canes work great.
Don't put any part of them in the compost because they will stick you next season.
Andy P

Thanks Indy, I will take a look at Stark Bros. also.
They may be close enough for me to drive over and pick up!

I think they are located near St. Louis. May be a long drive.....;o)

Haleysaunt, I bought my Triiple Crown Thornless blackberry vines from Raintree Nursery, they list 9 or 10 varieties, as does One Green World. They both also list several varieties of Sambucus, Elderberries. I have 6 or 7 varieties of Elderberries, planted for the birds, and it is a good thing I didn't plan to eat any as birds gobble them up as fast as they ripen. Had to build a bird netting cage over the blackberries, or they would eat all of those too. Both companies are located on west coast.

r aintreenursery.com and onegreenworld.com

Raintree is in Wash, about 5 hours from here, but I have only ordered by mail. I am getting ready to place an order with them for spring delivery.

Am planning to order the following:
Chilliwack raspberry
Gooseberry BlackVelvet
Gooseberry Captivator
Jostaberry
and my favorite fruit a 4 in1 combo Pluot.

DonnaS

Nourse Farms has great blackberries.

Elderberries

www.wellsweep.com sells elderberry bushes. Can't vouch for the quality of the berry bushes...but their herb selection and quality have always been good. I visit in person...check Gardenwatchdog perhaps for mail order results?

HM

My order from Raintree arrived yesterday, well packed. Will try to get them planted today. Haven't completely unwrapped as don't want to expose roots to air. But I can see that the Pluot is a good sized tree. Each grafted limb is labled. Have any of you tasted Pluots. To me they are the best soft fruit on the market.

DonnaS

I had never even heard of pluots, but I googled them and the articles I found said they do taste fantastic. I really want to taste one now.

Has anyone made raised beds to establish new blackberrie canes in? I have such poor drainage, I am afraid I will need a bed and I have never tried to raise blackberries.

I would like to try a couple of ILLINI type, I have heard so many good things about them.

Thanks, in advance, for any info on raised beds for blackberries.

I found an expensive Pluot (aka Plumcot) in the grocery store a few years ago, took it home to try because I'd just been looking at the tree in my Stark's catalog... It was *fabulous*, super sweet & bursting with flavor. Unfortunately, my first tree didn't take... the replacement is leafing out already this spring, but I think it will be a couple more years before I get fruit from it... looking forward to it!

BTW, there's also an opposite crossed variety called an Aprium... I haven't tasted that one, but am growing it also. I have an apricot and a japanese plum for pollination (and for harvesting in their own right of course). Boy, are we looking forward to fruit from our mini orchard! :-)

aacritterologist, sounds like you have a great mini orchard going there. I planted an Aprium several years ago, it grew for a couple of years and had blooms, but they always got frosted. The tree is gone now but the suckers??? whatever they are called that keep sprouting up from the old roots are still in the area trying to grow.

Got my new 4 x1 pluot planted and tage tied to the four grafts. But I am not very happy with the root system, very sparse and 2 of the main roots were broken near the trunk on arrival. So I am going to write to Raintree.

DonnaS

Sorry yours came in that shape! I have been wanting pluots and apriums too... I want the complete orchard!! Good Luck with yours Critter!

Blackberries - I started some a couple yrs ago. They are sharing the space with the crab apple tree and proliferating despite the roots and the leaves/shade! Ate lots last yr and realized that need lots more space btw the fence and the berries... and it would have been much better for them to be further from the flower bed too!!

~ Suzi :)

I have not been on DG much since May 1, Had to have unexpected major surgery and am still slowly recuperating. Had bought a few plants April 29, and they are still in their little pots waiting for me to plant. We in this area had 5 straight days of 95 degrees or hotter, so not good weather for planting if I had felt like it. Thankgoodness this morning woke up to th wonderful sound of rain. Has been raining lightly eversince.

I did lose a few plants in the gh while in the hosp. I was at a friends home trying to play bridge and got to feeling so sick I asked her to take me to ER and they sent me by ambulance to hosp. 25 miles away. I don't remember much of next four days. I was in ICU for almost 4 days and in the hosp. for 8 days. They wanted to send me to nursing home for a week or 10 days since I live alone, but I persuaded the powers-that-be that I would get better faster at home and in my own bed.

MY for years troublesome diverticulitus area ruptured-perforated or whatever and Poison spread in my colon, Surgeon removed whatever was necessary at the time and installed temp. colostomy. He says that in 3 months after some healing I will have to go back to hosp. and they will remove rest of diverticulitis problem area and reverse the colostomy. Doctor also told me I was much sicker than I had thought and if had waited another day would likely not have made it. So I guess I am lucky to be here, which above really has nothing to do with fruit.

MY Pluot looks quite healthy . Raintree said to watch and if any problem shows up they would replace.

DonnaS