Late summer blueberry growth

The blueberry plants have put on a lot of new growth this season and are now generating flower buds for next summer's crop. 

Mechanical tiller insead of herbicide

Here's a closer view of the tiller keeping the blueberry middles neat and clean.

weeding the blueberry middles

Here comes the tractor down one of many blueberry middles, doing its bi-weekly job of weed and grass control.  No damaging herbicides are used on the farm here at New Dawn.  Instead, we use shallow tillage to keep invasive grasses and weeds in check.

the symbiotic circle

The 'Apache' blackberry plants have been in the ground now for only four months, but they are already establishing an interconnected system of thornless vines which are known as 'primocanes'.  These primocanes in Sept. '12 will flower in the Spring of 2013 and be transformed into what is known as 'floricanes'.  The flowers in May '13 will be pollinated by bees to produce berries in June.  The symbiosis between plant itself (primo-to-flori), insect and fruit is one of the main reasons why I farm organically.  This balance between each relationship is truely miraculous and makes me feel fortunate just to be a small part of it.

Apache and me

The 'Apache' blackberry seem to be well adapted to the loamy soil here in the coastal plain of southeastern NC.  This picture was taken on Sept. 4th and by the looks of these 6-8ft primocanes, my trellis will have to be installed sooner than I had anticipated.

New Dawn Organics will have a small crop of blackberries to compliment the 2013 blueberry season.

These blackberry primocanes are taller than me in just four short months!  Check out the beautiful Carolina blue sky...Go Heels!!

September blackberry growth

Incredible primocane growth in just four months on Ouachita blackberry plant!  Photo taken September 4th.