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Steve Cummins: 
 
 
or call   
607.227.6147
 
 
 

 Cummins Nursery Blog (Check weekly )

 
 

Dr. James N. Cummins
(Jim)
 
Office Phone: 
 865. 681.8423
 
Verizon Cell phone:
607.227.6172
after 9 p.m. or weekends 
 
  
SMALL FRUITS and FLOWERING TREES

 
 

 

We've selected these varieties primarily for flavor, cold hardiness and disease resistance. Basically, the varieties that we have chosen are for the home gardener or the roadside stand.

Raised Beds.--We strongly recommend raised beds on all these berry crops, even on the best soils.  On marginal soils, raised bed culture makes difference between having berry crops and having none. 

Blackberries
APACHE.--THORNLESS.We think this trailing blackberry is the best yet released by University of Arkansas breeders.  Berries are very large, glossy black, excellent flavor.  Can be raised on trellis, but the canes are very sturdy and if topped at about 3-1/2 ft will be self supporting.  Very productive. One odd problem:  Apache stems are very attractive to rabbits in winter.   $3.95 EACH
RED RASPBERRIES 
 
 
$3.35 Apiece any variety.  Price includes any royalties.
 
 

AUTUMN BLISS    A recent introduction from England that has been performing well here.  An "everbearer" like Heritage, but the fall crop begins ripening 10 to 15 days earlier than Heritage and fruits are somewhat larger. Considerable heat tolerance.  Complex pedigree. Plant patent #6597. 

BOYNE
Extremely winter hardy ; consistently productive. Early ripening; flavor even better than the old Latham. Excellent freezer. Fruit medium size.   Chief x Indian Summer, from the Morden, Manitoba research station.     

CANBY
Excellent quality, large fruit . Moderately winter hardy. Canes nearly without prickles . Long fruiting season, beginning midseason.  Viking x Lloyd George, from Oregon State breeders. 
 

ENCORE ®  PLANT PATENT #11746
Just introduced by Cornell breeders at Geneva;  Canby x Cherokee.  Very large berries.  Firm, dry skin makes handling easier.  Very good flavor.  Long harvest begins just after Titan.  Canes almost without spines.  

HERITAGE:
Still the standard for fall-cropping raspberries. High quality fruit, heavy production. Many growers aim for both June and autumn crops, but we think the better route is to mow down Heritage in late winter, forget the June crop, and depend on Boyne, Canby and Taylor for a succession of summer raspberries.  

KILLARNEY.--Good companion variety for Boyne.  These two are the most winter hardy we grow.  Killarney ripens about a week or 10 days after Boyne.  Fruit slightly larger than Boyne, and lighter red;  excellent flavor.  Canes sturdy, medium high.   A sister to Boyne:  Chief x Indian Summer, from the Morden, Manitoba research station.
 

LAUREN®:
We're quite excited about this fine new variety -- it's very large, excellent flavor, adequate winter hardiness; picking begins early in the season and extends through late midseason.     Plant Patent #10610.      

PRELUDE ®  PLANT PATENT #11747
A different sort of everbearer. Prelude ís summer crop is larger than the autumn harvest.  Just introduced by breeders at Cornell-Geneva.  Ripens very, very early.  Good flavor; medium size.  Vigorous and productive; suckers freely.  

TAYLOR  Highest eating quality. Medium-sized berries. Vigorous and productive. Season after Canby.  

Black Raspberries

 

JEWEL: 
No other blackcap comes close to Jewel for quality, production, and thriftiness in the berry patch. Fruits are large, glossy black. Good winter hardiness.
$4.95 EACH
 HighbushBlueberriesBlueberries must have acid soil, pH 4.5 to 5.5.  More alkaline than pH 5.5 will result in iron deficiency, with severely reduced production.  Sulfur or aluminum sulfate can be used to make soil more acid.   Raised beds are very helpful on good soils, essential on heavier soils. 
Heavy 20-30 inch plants:  1 to 2 @ $12,   3+  $9.75 EACH
Bluetta.--Very early ripening.  Berries dark blue, medium size, tangy blueberry flavor.  Good winter hardiness.  Compact bush.  Brilliant scarlett fall colors. 

Patriot.--Early ripening, just before BlueRay.  Very hardy.  Berries large, bright blue, small scar, very good flavor.  Bush is vigorous, upright.    

Spartan.--High quality, perhaps best of our varieties;   early season, ripening just before Patriot.  Fruit is firm, large, light blue.  Bush is productive, upright, good vigor. Requires nearly ideal soil -- very well drained, preferably sandy.  Some disease tolerance.  Fine PYO variety.    

BlueRay.--Early midseason, ripening just after Spartan and before BlueCrop.  Very large berries in small clusters;  very sweet;  aromatic.  Bush vigorous and very productive. Considerable disease tolerance. 

BlueJay.--Midseason, ripening just after Blueray.  Medium-sized fruit. Vigorous, upright bush.  Introduced by Michigan State. 

BlueCrop.--Most important variety in mid-Atlantic region.  Large, bright light-blue berries with very good flavor.  Very productive; long harvest.  Considerable tolerance of frost and drought.  Winter-hardy.