What Berries Can You Plant on a Hill in the Sun?

Strawberries

• Strawberry plants produce new growth every year from their crowns and roots, live roughly four to five years and do best in well-drained soil that is in full sun all day. June-bearing varieties send out runners that produce new smaller plants that establish themselves between the plant rows. Additional watering assures a more productive bed and should be done before and during the harvest, and later in the season when the flower buds develop.

Brambles

• Raspberries, black raspberries and blackberries, also known as brambles, are defined as plants that, left to their own devices, produce long prickly canes that eventually grow into dense, tangled, impenetrable thickets. However, with proper planting, correct spacing and care, they produce an abundance of sweet, juicy berries. Native to the northern hemisphere, wild masses of brambles are often found growing on sunny hillsides or along sloped roadsides. They produce best in full sunlight which allows for maximum blossoming and fruit development.

Blueberries

• Reaching a maximum height and circumference of 5 to 6 feet, highbush blueberries bloom from late April to early May and produce berries from early July to the middle of September. The plants are extremely cold hardy, tolerating temperatures to -25 degrees Fahrenheit. Growing these berries on a sunny hill with good air circulation minimizes spring frost injury to the blossoms that can result in lower yields. It takes four to five years for young plants to start bearing fruit, but once established, they can produce for many years.

Considerations

• Before planting berries on a sun-drenched hill, the soil should be tilled deeply and cleared of all weeds as young plants cannot compete with other uninvited growth especially during the first year. The site should be enriched with generous amounts of organic material such as aged manure or compost. Brambles need some type of support to keep their heavy clusters of ripe fruit off the ground and make them easier to harvest. Highbush blueberry shrubs do not need any additional support.