Planting Tayberry

[veg4681]

Just received a small pot of Tayberry about 4-5 inches tall. Indecisive on whether to grow this in my garden or a friend's farm field. Like Loganberry (a hybrid of blackberry and raspberry), I'm thinking it's quite messy looking like blackberry bush and take over the garden like jungle and that you don't need to get a few canes that you would with raspberry. Also propagation from cuttings are probably always possible later?

I would like an idea on the eventual size (height & spread) of Tayberry in its fruit bearing stage to see if I can allocate space on the sunny part of my garden. I gather there is no special soil requirements.

[Alison]

A tayberry plant is very much like a blackberry in terms of spread and aren't canes like raspberries. They fruit on last years growth so the best way with them is to train all the growth one direction one year and the other the following year - makes pruning much easier. They can get pretty big although don't crop up everywhere to the same extent as bramble. Ideally you need to allocate a few meters of fence space with a series of parallel wires to train it on. As to cuttings, very easy, where do you thnk mine came from! Oh yes, any special soil requirements, ours is in somewhat acidic as that's our natural soil type and it seems happy. My dad used to have one in alkaline and that was fine too so they seem pretty easy to please.

[Flummery]

Ours is on alkaline soil and does very well. If you cut it down at this time of the year (the canes that fruited this year, that is) - handily, they are thornless and bendy - ideal to make a cane ring for the door to which you can add oasis and greenery/berries. They don't get out of hand like blackberry thickets because they are reasonably easy to sort at the end of the year. Or so I reckon.

[veg4681]

They can get pretty big although don't crop up everywhere to the same extent as bramble. Ideally you need to allocate a few meters of fence space with a series of parallel wires to train it on.

Thanks Alison, it sounds like my garden is probably not suitable . Would you reckon it's a feasible idea to grow it against barb wire fencing (it's only up to hip height) and behind the fencing are hedges much higher like in any typical farm fields. Given the choice, I'd throw in loganberry, wineberry, raspberry etc (of cuttings I can get my hands on) into a hedge although probably not practical for maintaining each plant variety.

Thanks Flummery, alkaline or acid soil, Tayberries are flexible alright.

[Alison]

If you cut it down at this time of the year (the canes that fruited this year, that is) - handily, they are thornless and bendy - ideal to make a cane ring for the door to which you can add oasis and greenery/berries.

Oooooh, like that idea, found out some old wire earlier on which I was going to use as a frame, however like the tayberry idea better. Will be down the bottom of the garden if it ever stops raining! Am been given a load of oranges (don't ask!) and was thinking of slicing them and drying them out, can then add oranges and cinamon and it'll look lovely (honest!) - any idea how long it takes to dry out the orange slices in the oven on low heat - don't have a dehydrator.....

Would you reckon it's a feasible idea to grow it against barb wire fencing (it's only up to hip height)

Got to be worth a try if you can lay your hands on a cheap / free tayberry, they really are a great fruit - which reminds me, have some in the freezer which I can defrost and take into work tomorrow to eat with some yoghurt.

Tayberries are flexible alright.

Oh yes, perfectly.

[Flummery]

You need the lowest heat possible - overnight should do it.

[Alison]

You need the lowest heat possible - overnight should do it.

Ta Flum - you're always a good source of info for things like this.

[TonyF]

Got another idea.

This year I've been growing thornless blackberries in the fruit cage but I need to move them plus the 10 or so well layered shoots that I've managed to obtain already.

So, when I put the new lot of raised beds in, I'm going to put in arches between the beds, covering the paths, a la Joy Larkham and grow the blackberries up them, a la Joy Larkham.

And on the other side of the potager, I'm doing a similar thing with the tayberries that I bought a few months ago and which are still in their pots.

I gardening chumlette here has done something similar in the UK and she swears by it as a good growing sustem.

[Flummery]

Using tayberry and clematis prunings

I've changed my avatar to the Christmas Wreath I made from my tayberry prunings. Bigger pic below if you click. A bit rustic but free and suitable for a village setting I thought. Waste Management?

[veg4681]

So, when I put the new lot of raised beds in, I'm going to put in arches between the beds, covering the paths, a la Joy Larkham and grow the blackberries up them, a la Joy Larkham.

And on the other side of the potager, I'm doing a similar thing with the tayberries that I bought a few months ago and which are still in their pots.

Splendid idea with the arches, such glorious way of picking the berries (practicality with beauty)...pls delight us with a picture one day!

[veg4681]

I've changed my avatar to the Christmas Wreath I made from my tayberry prunings. Bigger pic below if you click. A bit rustic but free and suitable for a village setting I thought. Waste Management?

Thanks for the picture for our viewing pleasure. I was going to ask if you had a picture taken .