Blackberry picking tips

[Insnesnakos]

Hello, I have a big blackberry bush in my yard. It's got mostly red blackberries, but a few are blackish-purple. What are some tips you all can recommend for blackberry picking? Most of the berries are close to the ground where the chickens can easily reach them. How can I keep them away without having a huge net around the whole thing?

 

[Acre4Me]

A fence. Electric poultry wire.

 

[nao57]

Electric poultry wire is good. Plus it will keep dogs off your chickens if its high enough and done right.

It may be good practice to try with electric fencing in case you have to do it later for dogs anyway... because now with economic conditions being bad the first thing that has to go for cut backs on a family budget is the family dog. So people go set them loose on the edge of town. Then they get into chickens.

So its sometimes more humane to use the charged fencing than to not use it.

With many berry bushes don't be surprised if you see berries clustered on the underside or in the shade under the plant because the blossoms are preserved better when flowering there. So just remember to always check there for the berries and to areas where you can't see very well. Sometimes berries around the top there can be less because the sun is harder on that part of the plant and less protection.

You can also do root propagation for berry plants when you want to make more of them, but its best to do this in spring. Not in the high heat of the summer.

 

[Insnesnakos]

A fence. Electric poultry wire.

A fence sounds like a good idea