rasberry plants

by brigitte Tue Feb 10, 2015 11:47 am

Which nursery has rasberry plants in the area? We have blueish black berries in Chiapas that look like rasberries but have no taste. Several indigenous from different communities have asked me to get them plants so they can grown rasberries which would be a welcome extra income for the, Several women tasted rasberries when they were here last year and are asking me to take them plants.

by Trailrunner Tue Feb 10, 2015 12:53 pm

That would be a good thing for them, but not sure the Chiapas climate would be willing. Worth trying thougb.

Come to the Ajijic Organic Veg Growers meeting tomorrow ar 10 at Tabarka, the speaker will be someone from the berry farms in Joco and you can ask them or other members. Seems to me someone brought some plants once.

by brigitte Tue Feb 10, 2015 2:33 pm

Thanks. I would think it would be the perfect climate in some communities like Panthelo where thy have just about every climate they want: all they have to do is go uo or down on the mountain to change he climate.
Some people from San Andres also asked and the climate in Amatenango or in Comian is not that differnt from here. It all depends o teh altitude. They do have a type of berry very similar to rasberries already but it has no taste..
The guy selling berries in Chapala told me to go to him but I cannot find him again.
I will ask thanks.

by Pedro Tue Feb 10, 2015 2:35 pm

what about the berry sellers in front of paz every day.

by brigitte Tue Feb 10, 2015 2:37 pm

Thanks Pedro I will ask these guys too.

by slainte39 Tue Feb 10, 2015 8:42 pm

The soil content (PH), is as important as the climate.

by motherofburros Wed Feb 11, 2015 8:13 am

raspberries are notorious for multiplying themselves. From one raspberry plant it will send out all sorts of underground runners and start new baby offshoots all over the place. Therefore from a few come many. So not hard to get a community started with them. They just need a few to start and then collect all the offshoots and re-plant them in rows. As far as I know, raspberries will grow in a wide variety of climates, and well into the USDA zone 10. Worth trying, I would say.

by CHILLIN Wed Feb 11, 2015 8:37 am

The raspberries grown locally for Driscol would be very tightly controlled as to variety. They ship all over the world, and consumers expect consistency. In the announcement of the Organic Vegetable meeting, our President says the local berry farmers are now allowed to ship to China - and this will be a huge increase in production.

You can grow raspberries from seed, but they will not be true to type, which the tissue cultured and cane cuttings will be. Sometimes, you end up with an improved variety, sometimes with a lot of weak performing bushes or small fruit. There so many exotic fruits which would thrive in the Tropical Highlands. Anyways, here is a link to growing from fresh fruit.
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/grow-raspberries-seeds-26247.html

by brigitte Wed Feb 11, 2015 8:47 am

So far no luck but I will keep trying. I am leaving MOnday so I do not have too much time to look and yes it probably is not esy to get them from Driscoll .
They will grow in Chiapas as they are already growing som black greyish ones in some area.
I do not believe they hard to grow as my sister in France has them in her garden and they grow like weeds without much care since the plce is only a week-end place where she goes occasionally, if yu have the right climate and soil they seem very easy to grow. The people I am speaking with in Chiapas are farmers and already grown black or purple one and also grow blackberries, s well as cotton , coffe , corn etc.. They are just about self sufficiant and the land of the tribe is varied and has many different micro climate. Seeing their reaction to the taste of the berry it will be tough for them to grown enough for their consumtion as well as for sellig, they went crazy..

by CHILLIN Wed Feb 11, 2015 9:22 am

It is too soon to help. I have a number of sub-tropical fruits I am experimenting with, but do not yet have results (Chilean Cranberry, Rumberry, Sugar Apples, a few more). I am not going to the meeting today because I am setting up the 2015 seed germination tables!

One plant that I think has great potential here, and probably Chiapas, is the "Saskatoon Berry". I think it is tastier than blueberries and much easier to grow. One it is established it require very little water. When I get some seeds (next month) I will email you and ask for an address to send them too.

Juneberry, Saskatoon Serviceberry ( Amelanchier alnifolia )
Low water requirements, grows as high as 10,000 feet. A deciduous shrub that seldom exceeds 15 feet in height and occasionally suckering to form a slowly spreading clump. An easily grown plant, it prefers a rich loamy soil and thrives in any soil that is not too dry or water-logged. The largest yields, and best quality fruits, are produced when the plant is grown in a sunny position, though it should also do reasonably well in semi-shade. The plants are fairly lime tolerant and they will also grow well in heavy clay soils. They are very cold-hardy and will tolerate temperatures down to at least -20°c and probably much lower. Flowers in Early Spring, these white flowers are produced before the plants come into leaf, and are usually produced so abundantly that the whole plant turns white. They look particularly beautiful at this time. By late June, or more commonly early to mid July, the plants will usually be carrying large crops of fruits. These fruits are about 15mm in diameter, they are soft, sweet and juicy with a taste that reminds us of apples. Small enough to be eaten without problems, though they can add a slightly bitter almond-like flavor to the fruit if they are crushed whilst eating. The fruit can also be cooked in pies etc., when dried it is quite sweet and can be used in the same ways as raisins.

In the North - this is the only food which Black Bears will fight you for (they usually run away). The communities could dry the berries making them much more valuable. There are plans for simple, large scale, solar driers.

There is Belgian man in Puerto Vallarta who (I think) has one the world's largest collections of tropical and exotic fruits and flowers. He only sells live cuttings - which no shipper in Mexico will handle. This is his facebook page, but to really get a grip of what he has, email him and ask for his plant list. It is mind boggling and a heck of a lot of work researching what these plants are.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vivero-el-5to-Sol/185316601553887

by Trailrunner Wed Feb 11, 2015 12:47 pm

Hi Brigitte, apparently you can't buy the canes. Many people asked at the meeting today and I asked the gentleman twice - and each time he said no. Driscoll supplies the growers with the canes and replaces them as needed. He said they came from Guad and I think he said Zacatecas. They are tightly controlled for quality control purposes, and of course competition.

The woman who owns Ferretería Jara was his translator and is his sister-in-law. If you want confirmation, you could go chat with her as she used to work for Berry Mex and is very knowledgeable.

It's a great idea though, and I hope you find a solution it would be wonderful to see Chiapas thriving economically with farming and export.

by Pedro Wed Feb 11, 2015 1:09 pm

i'm sure driscoll would be in oaxaca in a flash if they thought it was economically feasible.

by brigitte Wed Feb 11, 2015 2:23 pm

What is feasable for Chiapas farmers is very different than for an international company like Driscoll anyways it is Chiapas not Oaxaca, we ave much more rin in Chiapas and we have lots of wonerful strawberries, blackberries and purplish black rasberries. They are already growing berries there but Driscoll would not be welcomes on Indian land so that is not feasable for sure when they have nice flat land here.

Oaxaca is pretty arid and in the sierra there is not much flat land availabe, I would not think it would be a great area for berries for a large place ike Driscoll.
Eventually I will get some, it is just a question of time. I will dig out some from my sister´s before I leave and see if I can bring them back...

Thank you for asking at the meeting, I was not able to make it but several nurseries I have looking for me told me they could not get it but that the nursery in San Antonio and another one sometimes get them so we will see.

The Driscoll berries are not nearly as good as what we have in France in the gardens but they seem to keep better so they probably have develop their own variety for export and do not want to share..it is ok they do not have exclusivity on raspberries only on their own variety.

by CHILLIN Wed Feb 11, 2015 2:49 pm

Brigitte, I am sure you are aware that live plants and cuttings are a big NO at the Mexican border. They do not fine you, but they will immediately confiscate and destroy. There is a way, called phyto certificates, but is is a complicated and expensive process. The most common way now is a tissue culture - which I do not totally understand - it is like a test tube filled with sterile nutrient gel

Raspberries are extremely fragile and time sensitive. Also Driscoll requires fruit going directly to those clear plastic containers - ideally there would be no humans in the process at all. Now there are machines here which could vacuum form the custom containers (they are customized to the Driscoll packing and labeling machines, but there very, very few people in Mexico who can make molds for these machines. I know - because I am one of them!

Big agriculture rules the world - if you have any doubt watch the German documentary "Our Daily Bread". Interesting - there is no dialog or comments, only the processes and the sound they make. Awe inspiring food processing robots.

Another seed/plant to check out is the Cape Gooseberry or Peruvian Ground Cherry. They keep at least a couple of weeks and just keep growing, and growing in popularity, especially to restaurants. They would be extra good dipped in dark chocolate.

by brigitte Thu Feb 12, 2015 8:58 am

yes I am aware they will confiscate if the find them so they confiscate no big deal.

Thanks for the info re other berries but the women I spoke with want raspberries because they loved them and they will eat them to start or may sell them in their village.

I do not care if I get Driscol any other variety is fine so I wil keep looking.

by lobita Thu Feb 12, 2015 9:34 am

Chillin, have you ever tasted a Peruvian groundcherry, and if so, how would you describe it?

by CHILLIN Thu Feb 12, 2015 2:47 pm

Regrettably, I have not tried them. I know they were a favorite of Queen Victoria. If you want more information, look up the Poha berry of Hawaii - same thing. A pack of seeds under $3 or a cutting from Luc in Puerto Vallarta.

I live just down the road from Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos. Membrillos are Quince, and they have a weekend Quince festival in July. In Chile they mix the Chilean Cranberries with the Quince to make a very unusual, but very popular dessert. I can't wait to try that. Last year the seeds did not germinate - this year I am going to oxygenate them first and then a different germination method. I was waiting to take a trip to see Luc, but I think I will order seeds instead, for the Black Sapote - the chocolate pudding tree! That is a lot of fun, look it up, especially the youtubes from Australia.

by brigitte Thu Feb 12, 2015 3:10 pm

Zapote Negro is all over Chiapas at the market it is called tauchin Maya and it is used for medecine as wel as mixed with other fruit. I would think that nurseries in Mexico have no probem getting it. The trees are pretty tall.

by Sponsored content

rasberry plants

rasberry plants

Re: rasberry plants

Re: rasberry plants

Re: rasberry plants

Re: rasberry plants

Re: rasberry plants

multiplying raspberry plants

Re: rasberry plants

Re: rasberry plants

Re: rasberry plants

Re: rasberry plants

Re: rasberry plants

Re: rasberry plants

Re: rasberry plants

Re: rasberry plants

Re: rasberry plants

Re: rasberry plants

Re: rasberry plants

Re: rasberry plants