Rubus phoenicolasius Japanese Wineberry
30 seeds per packet.
An extremely decorative bush, native to China, Japan and Korea, with arching canes clothed in soft, red bristles and silvery undersides to the foliage. Produces delicious, sweet tasting, orange red to dark red berries, which can be eaten straight from the bush when they ripen in August, or used to make jams and jellies in the same way as raspberries. Height 2 metres. Moist but well-drained soil in a sunny, sheltered spot. It can be trained against a south-facing wall.
GROWING INSTRUCTIONS:
Sow from autumn to early spring. Cover seed thinly, press in gently and keep top of compost from drying out. Keep pot outdoors or in cold frame over winter. Seeds germinate in spring.
Alternatively, if seeds can’t be sown in autumn or early spring use the following method: mix seeds with damp vermiculite and place inside a ziplock bag, keep bag somewhere warm for 3 weeks, then place in fridge (not freezer) for 8 weeks. Next spread mixture on top of a pot, thinly cover with compost or grit and keep warm at 15 to 20°C until germination, then move to somewhere cooler.
Carefully prick out seedlings when they have developed true leaves and are large enough to transplant to individual pots for growing on.