Planting berries on dry, windy, full sun site

Hello everyone!
 I am having trouble with some of my plantings. I’ve always read that blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries love full sun. The blackberries are getting white drupe/sun scald. The raspberry plants are getting shriveled dried leaves at the tips. The blueberries seem to be heading down that path. All three are growing fast and vigorous, but they just seem like they are uncomfortable with our weather here on the hill. Do i need to use shade cloth, plant where they escape afternoon sun, water more often or add more organic soil. We are in zone 6b in Virginia on top of a windy, dry, sunny hill. Thanks to anyone for taking the time to respond!

Hi Daniel,
Welcome to Permies!

I am not a plant expert, but I have grown my fair share of cane fruit. If it is dry, windy, and full sun, then they will need more water than being in a place that is not so dry, windy, and sunny. My first thoughts are to mulch and water more. We want the soil to hold on to the water better, and not evaporate so fast. Some woodchip mulch would help accomplish this. Raspberries (and I believe blackberries) have fairly shallow roots, so they can dry out pretty easily.

I think all of those plants would benefit from some afternoon shade. That said, deep deep mulch and watering during dry spells can help. You need to increase the moisture holding capacity of your soil, and the fungal diversity that will come with large additions of woodsy biomass. Even rotting logs as mulch will work. Brambles will just crawl over and through them. It might be more work than it’s worth to move your plants, but perhaps you could take divisions or root runners and try some other locations. It’s been pretty dry and hot this year, and many beings are having trouble without good rains. Wind is also intensely desiccating, and might be the first thing to address if it’s relatively consistent. If you want to grow other things you should get that windbreak planted now! Fast growing shrubby willows and poplars, conifers like white or Virginia pine if you want protection year round. There are lots of edible plants that can be a part of a windbreak as well, but hard to know which to recommend without knowing your land.

Thanks everyone for the responses so far! I’m realizing some things:
The two blueberries (Oneal and legacy) were  planted in a 5x5x12 raised bed with peat, pine fines and top soil and are only a year or two old.  The raspberries are in a 4x8x10 bed with 50/50 compost and topsoil. The blackberry is in mostly clay soil.

Here’s where I’m going:
I’m complaining about the dry, windy, full sun conditions without mentioning they are in 1.a raised bed that dries out quicker than the ground and 2. Soil isn’t amended for the blackberry.

I have spots in mind to keep them from the afternoon sun and heavy winds. I think I’ll move them all in the fall so i can prep the soil and conditions for them better.

Daniel,

In my opinion "sun-loving" labels are east/midwest-centric, which is understandable, because of population centers there. If something is sun hungry in Illinois, it will need at least half shade where I am.
My conditions are very hot, dry and windy and the blackberries could potentially thrive in full shade. In my case they are in full sun and the fruits dry before ripening. Mulching and ample irrigation do not help, the air is just too hot and dry. I think overhead sprinkling could help to cool the leaves and maybe I will try it next year, but would prefer to plant them in shaded areas that I have to create first.