If you like raspberries and blackberries, you will love the tayberry. It is a cross between the two fruits and is also very easy to plant.
The tayberry does not come from Thailand, as is commonly assumed, it has far fewer exotic roots. A hybrid of raspberries and blackberries, the fruit was purposefully bred in Scotland in the 1970s and named after the Scottish River Tay. In our latitudes, the tayberry is wrongly still a real exotic plant in the home garden. The plants are robust and defy wind and frost. The Tayberry produces bountiful yields.
Get creative and create a wide variety of fruit mixes. Below we have summarized what you need to consider when planting the Tayberry.
Select the right location
The tayberry does not make any explicit demands on its location. The plants can also develop in the shade or semi-shade. However, if you are aiming for a rich harvest, you should give the tayberry as much sun as possible. It's no secret that plants develop better and produce more fruit in a sunny location. A wind-protected location is also advantageous. When choosing a location, it is also important to take into account the joy of growth and the related expansion of the tayberries. The shrubs grow more than two meters in height and want to be able to expand in width.
In short:
- light
- sunny
- wind protected
- detached
Select the right substrate
The tayberry does not make any demands when it comes to the substrate. However, the biggest enemy of the fruit is waterlogging. To avoid this, the soil should be permeable and deep. Appropriate soil preparation is essential. The soil must be loosened before planting. This is supported by adding sand or clay. If compost is mixed under the soil, the plant receives all the important nutrients immediately upon planting and no further fertilizer is required for the first year after planting.
» Tip: A drainage made of potsherds and gravel helps against waterlogging.
In short:
- loose
- profound
- no waterlogging
Planting tayberries - explained step by step
❶ Best planting time - Spring
❷ Select location
❸ Dig a planting hole twice the size of the root ball
❹ Loosen up the substrate and add compost
❺ Possibly Lay drainage to prevent waterlogging
❻ Insert plant
❼ Close planting hole
❽ Firmly trodden soil
❾ Water tayberry thoroughly
Spring is a good time for planting the tayberry. But there is nothing wrong with year-round planting. In any case, there should be no frost when the tayberry is placed outdoors. While you are digging the planting hole and preparing the soil, the tayberry should be placed in a bucket of water. The root ball should be able to soak up enough water before planting. If the plant is placed in the planting hole, ensure that the root ball is completely covered with substrate.
» Tip: After planting, the shoots should be cut back to a length of about 40 centimetres. Then the sprouting takes place directly above the ground and the plant grows bushy and dense.
Tayberries in company
If you want to place several plants next to each other, you should give them enough space. The tayberries not only grow up to 2.5 meters in height, they also want to expand in width. You should therefore keep a planting distance of at least two meters.
Find suitable plant neighbors
So that the harmony in the house garden is not disturbed, you can look for suitable plant neighbors.
Like the related raspberry, tayberries get along well with the following plants:
- Ferns
- marigolds
- Yarrow
- Garlic
A location that was previously populated by the following cultures is less favorable:
- Tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Strawberries
- pepper
Raising tayberries on a trellis
So that no wild growth develops in your orchard over time, but the tayberries continue to look good, trellis management is a good idea. You don't have to make any expensive purchases, because this growth aid can be assembled in just a few simple steps.
The Vertical Education
For this purpose, two sticks are inserted into the ground on the right and left at the height of the plant. In order for the shoots to find support, wires are placed between the sticksstretched and guided the shoots along there. The vertical upbringing has the advantage of a simple construction and you will have little maintenance.
Education on the Staff
You need several sticks, which should be about two meters high and rammed into the ground at a distance of half a meter. The existing rods are tied to every second rod. The new shoots produced the next year can then be attached to the free sticks.
Education in the V-System
If you only have little space available, training in the V system after planting is a good idea. For this you need two congruent constructions. First, a stake about two meters high is driven into the ground to the left and right of the plant. There you attach two more rods. The lower bar should be slightly shorter than the upper one. Both constructions are to be connected with wire. The sprouts of the tayberry are now fixed to the framework.
» Tip: Tayberries have no adhesive organs and cannot smolder on a trellis on their own, but must be tied.
The methods of espalier training with their advantages and disadvantages
| Method | Advantages | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Baton Draw | The rod training can also be carried out on a small area and is suitable for potted plants, for example. This is a simple system that even inexperienced hobby gardeners can understand. Caring for and harvesting the tayberries is made easier by raising the staff. | Staff training is less suitable for very large and bulky plants. Bamboo sticks are required that are as stable as possible. |
| Upright Parenting | The system is easy to make yourself. Grooming is also made easier by this method. | The new shoots get in the way when harvesting. |
| V-System | This system has proven itself particularly for upbringing in small spaces. | Two congruent constructions are required. Some effort is required to complete this system. |
Tayberries as a container plant
If you don't have an orchard, you don't necessarily have to do without the tayberry. Cultivation is also possible in a bucket. Choose a large enough planter to allow the berry to spread. A capacity of 15 to 20 liters is recommended. AroundTo protect the tayberry from its biggest enemy, waterlogging, drainage made of clay or gravel can be laid.
» Attention: The plant pot should always have drainage holes so that the liquid does not accumulate. The tayberries also need a climbing aid in the bucket. Rod training is ideal for potted plants.