When our first batch came, I watched my wife stand there and graze. She loves to do that. And then there were none.
I prolly shouldn't share this, BUT: Between my three dogs and the bears and other critters, my 4 acres+ of prime berries have gotten hammered! My Two Newfies and the Malinator are near constantly hogging out on my Raspberries, Black Berries, and even the Blue Berries, enough that they all come back up the the house covered in berry juice and always need ether a good bath or a swim in the creek! Then there are the Bears, they flat out OWN my lower fields with all the best Black Berries and Salmon berries, and will camp out for a month or more whilst pigging out every day, Thankfully, the Wife and I got smart ( It took a while, Don't Laugh) and we fenced off a good sized chunk for ourselves, otherwise there would be NONE for us! This years Raspberries are EPIC, with a small number of bushes, we already have WAY more then we have ever had, enough to keep the wife happily in the shed canning preserves to last us YEARS! THen there are all the apples, pears, plumbs and grapes, don't get me started on that hot mess, it's a fight to the death every year, and one I only just barely win against the bears, those buggers really get after it, especially with a couple Sows and there Cubs, We get cleaned out real good!
Wild huckleberries here, but the birds and critters get them before I can collect much more than a handful...
Out this way if it isn't lawn, pasture, or field it's covered by wild Himalayan blackberries. When I was a kid we used sheets of plywood and ladders to harvest the ones that bordered my dad's property. Yep they will grow quite high if you let them. Vicious thorns that will wrap the canes around you if you aren't careful, but they have amazing flavor.
Toss a net over the berry bushes and the birds will stay away. NOTE--They can see the netting and will not become trapped in it.
They sell them in garden centers. However I had trouble finding them this year, so I used a net that was sold as a trellis for plants and it seems to be working.
Yellow strawberry guavas that tastes like candy are coming! Have to beat the birds (and wife) to them. IMG_1645 by Hanzo posted Jun 16, 2024 at 12:26 Sad that lychee season is ending though. IMG_1593 by Hanzo posted Jun 16, 2024 at 12:26