tayberries

I planted a tayberry recently and did some research into it which I can pass on - if I can remember it all.

I dug a trench about two feet wide and nine feet long, put quite a bit of well-rotted compost in the bottom of the trench and planted the tayberry in the middle.

They are supposed to prefer acid soil but apparently do well in alkaline as well.

I've yet to do it but I'm going to put a fence stake at each end and run wires between them to train the tayberry on. They can be trained along fences and used as screens.

The fruit grows on last year's canes so apparently it is best to train all the growth one year in one direction and the next year in the other so it is easy to keep track - makes sense to me. After the canes have cropped, they are cut out to make room for next year's crop.

They are basically brambles and although the shoots don't come up everywhere like blackberries, that do get pretty big and sprawling apparently.

I'm really looking forward to my first crop - it will be great to plant something that you can't buy in the shops.