Growing Blackberries, Loganberries and Tayberries

The location

Cultivated brambles thrive in sunny spots (without scorching sun) or lightly shaded areas, sheltered from strong winds. It’s essential to provide a support structure for training: wire mesh, a trellis, a fence or a wall with horizontally stretched wires. Indeed, the canes, whether trailing or upright, can reach about 5m in length. Rest assured, cultivated brambles produce numerous suckers at the base but are far less invasive than wild brambles. Moreover, some varieties are thornless, making harvesting much easier.

Fruiting brambles can be planted in various spots around the garden. Training them along a shallow depth allows for creating a small edible hedge or growing them as standalone plants along the vegetable patch, orchard or ornamental garden. Although the varieties are self-fertile, it’s advisable to plant at least two bushes spaced 2m apart to improve fruit production.

Planting: When and How

The fruit-bearing bramble can be planted from autumn to spring, avoiding frost periods. It thrives in all types of soil, though it prefers rich, non-calcareous ground without excessive moisture. Soak the root ball in water for a few moments before planting. Dig a hole and enrich the soil with compost or potting mix. Place the plant, cover with soil and firm down well. Water thoroughly.

During cultivation: the care required

The cultivated blackberry requires little maintenance. Watering is mainly necessary during periods of intense heat and drought. Mulch around the base to retain moisture in summer. Every autumn, add a layer of compost on the surface. Mound up the soil around the plants, especially if your soil is very damp. The fruiting blackberry is rarely affected by diseases and pests.

The size

It is carried out in autumn/winter. Cut back the canes that have already fruited to ground level as they will no longer produce fruit. Fruiting occurs on the previous year’s stems. If there are too many remaining shoots, remove some at the base to keep just 5 or 6, which can be trained as they grow.

Training

The upright-stemmed varieties should be trained in a fan shape, while the trailing varieties should be trained horizontally. Train the canes as they grow, tying them to the support without pulling too tight. If you need to build a fence, install posts 1.80 to 2 metres high, then fix three rows of branches or wire horizontally, spaced 40 cm apart. Secure the branches of the fruit-bearing bramble along this fence without tightening the ties too much.