High Tunnel Bramble Production

High tunnels are polyethylene covered shelters being used in the vegetable industry to advance or extend the harvest season for many high value crops. Unlike traditional greenhouses, no supplemental heating is used in high tunnels. In 2006, a study was initiated at the ISU Armstrong Research Farm (ARF) and the Horticulture Research Station (HRS) to evaluate the potential for growing highvalue floricane and primocane type raspberries and blackberries in a high tunnel. The objectives were to determine if a high tunnel could be used to improve over-wintering of cold sensitive floricane types, and if the harvest season of primocane types could be advanced enough that they could replace the floricane types in such a production system. A second objective was to determine if these crops could be grown in a high tunnel without pesticides or minimum pesticide usage. This report summarizes the results for the 2008 growing season