Tayberries are a delightful cross between a raspberry and a blackberry that grows vigorously and fruits abundantly with the right care. They can be eaten fresh, cooked into compotes and desserts, or turned into jam. If there are any left over, they freeze fairly well.
Why Grow Tayberries?
Last year, when the veg patch was feeling chaotic, one gardener decided to make a big change by devoting one of five annual beds to perennial fruit. The idea was that it would be less effort, more bang-for-your-buck, and less water- and resource-intensive once plants settled in. Giving up the sunniest bed in a relatively small space felt daring, but now that the tayberries are here, the bold decision has paid off.
Planting and Propagation
Tayberries are best grown in a sunny bed free of perennial weeds and liberally mulched with compost. Water generously while plants are rooting down; once established, they shouldn't need much supplementary watering. Plants can be purchased as small potted plants or as bare root stock in winter (cheaper). If you know someone with an established tayberry, plants can be readily propagated through tip layering—rooting long branches when they touch the ground.
Pruning and Training
Tayberries fruit on second-year wood. If space allows, train each year's stems in different directions. If space is limited, you'll have the prickly job of identifying and cutting back stems after they've fruited. Wear thorn-proof gloves and long sleeves. All blackberry hybrids are self-fertile, but planting companion plants that attract pollinators can improve yields.
Harvesting and Uses
Tayberries are ready to harvest when fruits turn deep red and come away from the stem easily. As with other soft fruit, they must be picked with care to retain shape. This and the difficulty of transporting them is why soft fruit is expensive to buy and worth growing. Tayberries can be eaten fresh, cooked into compotes and desserts, turned into jam, and frozen if any are left over.
Comparison with Loganberries
When choosing which fruit to plant, it was a toss-up between the sweetly floral tayberry and the more tart but similarly delicious loganberry, which requires the same care as they both descend from blackberries. All the advice here can also be applied to growing cultivated blackberries, which were bred to produce larger, juicier, and sweeter fruit than wild ones.
