Wild black raspberries can be found in woodland clearings or along roadsides and abandoned fields, but they can also grow in your garden if you offer them the same wild growing conditions. Being wild, this fruit doesn`t ask for much care, so you can cultivate wild black raspberries and enjoy their wonderful taste without bothering a lot about them.
With 6 feet in height, wild black raspberries grow on an arching shrub. They have reddish purple stems with thorns and they start producing fruit after they are 2 years old. You can cultivate wild black raspberries either in their natural environment or in your garden. One thing is for sure, they are tasty and make a great ingredient for pies, jams and snacks.
If you have a red raspberry bush, plant the wild black raspberry bush should be planted at least 300 feet away from it. The explanation lies in the fact that the wild variety can store latent viral infections, so you shouldn`t take the risk of infecting other plants.
Select a sunny location for the wild black raspberry bush, as it prefers all-day sunlight. Pruning should be done in the spring by removing old and dead canes, but also those that bore fruit because they will not so do again. Do not forget to wear gloves while pruning in order to avoid the sharp thorns.
When new growth appears later during spring, pinch 1 inch from it because this will encourage the bush to grow new branches.
The wild black raspberry bush must be checked periodically for any sign of disease. The mosaic virus is the most frequent disease and its symptoms depends upon with part of the virus complex is involved. Among the symptoms there are short, weak canes and yellow or green spots on foliage that appear while the it`s still cold outside. If the tips of canes are infected, they drop down, become black and die. The ones responsible for the mosaic virus are the raspberry aphids, so spray the bush with insecticide to kill the aphids.
