Berry question- any suggestions?

I recently purchased raspberries and black berries online. They came to me as sticks with roots or a single cane I suppose. They are planted in raised beds with 5-6 hours of sun a day. They are planted in a soil, compost and peat moss mixture and recieve daily watering. They are just sitting there doing nothing after about 30 days. The grapes I received at the same time are doing the same thing- nothing. The information that came with them when they were shipped said they were "dormant" but I am wondering if I should be concerned or if I am just impatient? Is there any way of checking them to see if anything is happening with out digging them up or do I just need to chill out? Thanks in advance any and all advice.

Hi, Jfredt.

One thing I can suggest, IF the canes are large enough for this:

If the canes are still plump and healthy-looking, then there is a decent chance they will leaf out at some point.

But if the canes begin to shrivel, then there is a real problem.

But even now it would not be a bad idea to phone or email the company to tell them the canes have not leafed out yet, so that there can be a record of the problem, if there is a problem.

Another thought is: how hot is it there in Plano? If it is in the 90's, the plants may just be waiting for it to cool off some before they start to leaf out.

If you are watering them daily, be sure they need that much water, as you do not want to over-water and rot the roots.

Some rose companies that sell bare root roses suggest piling soil up around the bare canes, leaving about 2 inches of cane exposed, so as not to let the canes dry out. You might ask the company if they recommend doing that.

Personally, I do not mound the soil up around the canes of bare root roses I plant. Instead, I make sure they have good drainage, and I water them once or even twice a day. I have had good success doing that.

But roses are water-loving plants. Many plants can't take such frequent watering. I killed a young fruit tree by over-watering it. So I do suggest checking on how much water you can safely give your berries without doing them more harm than good.

Hope some of that is helpful.

CJ

Thank you so much for the info. I have emailed the company to get "on the record" but have not heard back from them. The weather here is awful- 102- 105 everyday. They may just be in heat shock. The soil is real well drained but I will be careful on the watering. Thanks again

Jfredt,
I'm not an expert by any stretch, however I would definitely cut back on the water. As mentioned, if the cains are healthy looking you are probably OK. The plants should start to really leaf out and probably send up some new cains when the weather cools.

I have been growing blackberries in Collin County for several years now. I rarely supplement water in the summer and my berries do fine, however be careful not to let them get too dry in the spring when they are actively growing and setting fruit.

Good luck.

Dawn