Hybrid berry recommendations

[TrixC]

I am considering adding a couple of hybrid berries to my allotment, but I’ve never tried them and I’m not sure which ones to get. Interested in what people think of tayberries, tummelberries, loganberries, vetchberries, boysenberries, in terms of flavour, yield, manageability and whether they’re targeted by birds. At the moment I’m leaning towards a boysenberry and either a tayberry or a tummelberry. I want to use the fruit for both fresh eating and preserving and I’d prefer not to have something that’s going to try to take over my plot.

[Thelma Sanders]

Boysenberries here, don't give as good a harvest as either my Loganberry or my Tayberry (the thornless one) but it is a bit sweeter for fresh eating.
I actually prefer the slightly sharper tasting and heavier yielding Loganberry, it also makes a superb jam without adding any pectin or apple

[TrixC]

Interesting, thanks. How would you compare the flavour of the loganberry and the tayberry?

[nickdub]

Interesting, thanks. How would you compare the flavour of the loganberry and the tayberry?

I'd say the loganberries are like a rather sharp raspberry in taste and best when extremely ripe, where as the tayberries are quite sweet, but for me at least they don't crop as well. BTW unless you can put up with wearing gloves when handling the canes, its best to go for the thorn-less types.

[Thelma Sanders]

In my innocence I thought all Loganberries were thornless, it's a bit of luck that I managed to pick up the right sort then
Tastewise IMO Loganberry is the sharpest, and as nick says have to change colour to show they are fully ripe for eating fresh.

[sparrow100]

I love tayberries. They are my plot snack and I am taking cuttings every year to increase my stock and eventually have loads. They don't crop hugely IME, but the taste is divine. None go home.

[TrixC]

I love tayberries. They are my plot snack and I am taking cuttings every year to increase my stock and eventually have loads. They don't crop hugely IME, but the taste is divine. None go home.

How do you support them Sparrow? I thought they take up lots of space? I’m allowing 3m between plants so will only be able to fit a couple.

[Kirk]

Found Loganberries and Tayberries fairly similar, both sharp. Get thornless. If I recall Tayberries have thorns everywhere, Loganberries have thorns everywhere and the thorns have thorns on them. Evil whatsits. Harvesting them usually results in blood loss.

Taste good, nice sharp and different to the normal fruits we generally see.

[swaine]

Try looking at sunberry that’s a real good hybrid if you find the true type
Dark purple blackberries with a rich flavour

The veitchberry is an old one doesn’t always form what I would call perfect formed berries
Grows like a beast

Tummelberry and Logan ( thorny and thornless very good )

Boysenberry ( I have 3 , thorny , thornless and 1 in between ) ok but not
As good croppers or shaped berries as loganberry or Tayberry

Tayberry thorny and thornless are great
I find the thorny shorter canes easily managed

Also look at silvanberry, Marion berry
Kings acre berry if you can find it
Also Hilda berry , boatsberry

Also look at Japanese wineberry not a hybrid but a nice looking and tasting rubus

Stew

[TrixC]

Thorny vs thornless is interesting. I’ve heard that the thornless tayberry is a weaker plant with lower yields - certainly that was the conclusion of the relevant RHS plant trials. Sunberry I had discounted because I heard it’s extremely vigorous. I have a Japanese wineberry already and I’ve been a bit disappointed in it - the fruits are small and the flavour only average.

[nickdub]

I may be able to come up with a little info on the "Thorny vs thornless tayberry " this year, as I have planted both sorts, one is 2 years old the other one.

[Snadger]

I have seeds for Wonderberry to be planted soon. This is a hybrid of the Garden Huckleberry and I know not what!

[jonahjonah]

Very interesting. I've been poised with boysenberries in my online shopping wheelbarrow for a couple of weeks. I grew up eating them and rather miss them. I'm not familiar with the taste of the other berries, so I appreciate the descriptions!

[TrixC]

I may be able to come up with a little info on the "Thorny vs thornless tayberry " this year, as I have planted both sorts, one is 2 years old the other one.

It would be really interesting to hear how they go for you Nick.

[TrixC]

I also grew up with boysenberries. I believe NZ is one of the few places they’re grown commercially, they were quite widely available and I miss them, much nicer to eat than blackberries. I didn’t realise there were thorny and thornless varieties of those as well, now I’m really confused!