Select the planting site one to two years before the plants are actually established. This will allow time for the site to be properly prepared.
Add large amounts of organic matter or humus to the soil. This can be in the form of strawy animal manures, green vegetation, or compost. Ten to 20 tons per acre of these materials should be added and spread over the entire area to increase the water-holding capacity of loam soils and to increase soil structure, drainage, and aeration of soils that contain more clay. The breakdown of this amount of organic matter by soil microbes will take supplemental nitrogen unless the organic matter plowed down was legumes. About 15 pounds of actual nitrogen (N) should be plowed down for each ton of strawy manure. Thirty pounds of actual N per acre should be added to non-legume crops to aid decomposition. Ideally, the organic matter should be incorporated into the top four to six inches some six to 18 months prior to planting.
Compost, as composted yard waste (CYW), can be used and applied to the row or raised bed and lightly incorporated into the top four inches of the soil. In the soil, compost increases nutrient availability, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and micronutrients. Apply CYW up to two inches deep and three to four feet in width any time before or after plants have grown three or more inches. Compost containing poultry or animal manures should be assessed for high soluble salts (below 4 EC) and applied six to 12 months before planting. Composted manures may contain high amounts of nitrogen or other salts, and high rates may not be desirable. Contact your local county OSU Extension office for additional information. Applications of raw municipal sewage sludge or composted sewage sludge or composted municipal waste are not recommended due to bacteria and the presence of heavy metals.
Complete a soil test of the site one year in advance of the planting. Contact your local county OSU Extension office for the address of a public or a private soil laboratory. Brambles are deep rooted, so core samples should be 12 inches deep. Plant nutrients, such as calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium, are slow moving in the soil. If the soil test calls for these nutrients to be applied prior to planting, incorporate them into the soil six to 12 months before setting plants. The desirable range of pH, organic matter, and elements from a soil test are shown in the Midwest Small Fruit Pest Management Handbook, Bulletin 861.
To rid the field of weeds and insects, such as wireworm and white grub, plant the site to corn or wheat the year prior to planting the brambles. This is highly recommended if the site has been in sod or forage legume in previous years. If corn is planted in the proposed bramble site, do not use persistent triazine herbicides such as Atrazine or Simazine1 for weed control in corn. If perennial weeds are a problem, wheat or sweet corn are excellent choices. An application of a contact herbicide can be made anytime after the July wheat harvest, up until fall temperatures stop the growth of the weed. Repeated applications can be made as needed. Refer to Midwest Small Fruit Pest Management Handbook, Bulletin 861, for more information.
If subsoils have been found to be somewhat impervious, subsoiling in the fall, prior to plowing and fumigation, will increase permeability. Subsoiling is completed by using a subsoiling tool that cultivates a narrow channel 18 to 36 inches deep in the soil. Subsoiling should be done two times across the site at 90-degree angles. Soil conditions must be right for subsoiling. If soil is too wet, more compaction damage will be done than benefit derived.
If you have determined that your site needs drain tile, contact your county Extension agent or soil conservationist to help you determine the most economical spacing of the tile for the planting. Drainage is essential for bramble crops, and the site may need to be abandoned if the tile is too costly for the site. Tiling should be completed after the subsoiling process. Generally, tiling for high-value crops is suggested at narrow spacings of 20 to 40 feet apart.
In the fall prior to planting, plow the field and consider fumigation. Fumigation of the site is advisable where populations of nematodes are high or where pathogenic fungi or persistent weeds are known to exist. Soil samples can be sent to The Ohio State University Plant Diagnostic Clinic (Kottman Hall, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210) to determine nematode infestation. Contact your county agriculture agent for details on pulling soil samples for nematode analysis. Fumigation is expensive but, if done correctly, will increase yields and longevity of the planting. Fumigation should be completed before the soil becomes cool in the fall and the moisture content of the soil retards volatilization throughout the soil.
After fumigation has been completed, seed the site to rye for winter erosion control.
Plow under or kill the rye with contact herbicides prior to planting.
Plant row middles to fescue. This grass is tolerant of traffic, heat stress, drought, and is very competitive with weeds. The grass will prevent erosion and give a solid base for equipment and pick-your-own customers.
Fine-leaf fescues (hard, chewings, or creeping red) and tall or dwarf tall fescues are long-lived grasses and are suggested as a sod cover between rows of brambles, particularly for pick-your-own systems. Creeping red is tolerant of low-fertility soils (pH 4.5 to 6.5). The fine-leaf fescues should be drilled at 25 pounds per acre. Since they are slow to establish, five pounds per acre of dwarf perennial ryegrass should be mixed with the fescue. Perennial ryegrass is very quick to germinate, but it dies out after a few years of drought and need for high amounts of nitrogen. It requires two to three mowings. Do not mow closer than 2.5 inches. Optimum pH is 5.5 to 6.5
Tall or dwarf tall fescue will establish quickly on its own at 30 pounds per acre and is successful at crowding out weeds. Dwarf tall fescues contain endophytes that are toxic to grazing animals and insects. These fescues are good for heavy traffic, such as farm equipment, and are very deep rooted for good drought tolerance. They can be damaged by systemic grass herbicides. Optimum pH should be 6.5 to 7.0. These fescues require five mowings per year and perform best if allowed to grow five inches tall before mowing. Remove no more than one inch. Mowing high produces strong, healthy covers; however, if rodents are a problem, mow lower, especially in September and October.
Grasses can be sown in early spring, but late summer (early September) favors establishment over winter when field equipment (traffic) is low and soil moisture is high. Apply lime and nitrogen (40 lbs. actual) and till the fertilizer into the soil until you have a smooth seed bed. A firm seed bed (no more than 1/2 inch sinking in soil when walking) is best. Drill the seed shallow at only 1/4 inch and roll the ground afterwards. About 10% of the seed may be visible on the soil surface. Annually maintain the cover with 20 to 40 pounds per acre of nitrogen in September.