Loganberries

freshly picked loganberries
freshly picked loganberries

Introduction

Loganberries are a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry, providing large red fruit that is arguably best enjoyed cooked. Loganberries combine the vigour of blackberry plants with the colour and taste of raspberries.

There are both spine and spineless varieties of loganberries. On my allotment, I have a variety with spines, and it is a vigorous plant that has caused me pain over the years when attempting to prune and tie in the plant. For this reason, I would suggest opting for a spine free variety.

Planting

  • Plant to cover the root ball, at the same depth as the plant pot
  • Allow a minimum of 2.5 m between each plant

Harvesting

  • Enjoy fresh
  • Loganberries are particularly good when used in cooked desserts or jam
Sow
(inside)
Sow
(outside)
Harvest
(fresh)
Harvest
(stored)
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
= jar, = freeze, = store

Varieties

There is seldom a range of loganberry varieties to purchase in shops. Typically, a shop will stock one variety. For more choice, you may like to consider planting a loganberry alongside other cane fruit including blackberries, boysenberries, tayberries, and raspberries.

Like tayberries, loganberries are a cross between blackberry and raspberry. Loganberry feels closer to a blackberry plant than does tayberry. The loganberry plant on my plot has terrific spines (you may want to look for the spineless variety LY654) and the canes grow out in rainbow arcs that I tie down to horizontal wire supports. The plant is hardy, reliably produces fruit every year, and does not seem to attract the birds.

For my palette, I prefer the taste of tayberries (that also are a little larger), but both tayberries and loganberries are at their best cooked or turned into jam.

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Growing

Loganberry canes are whippy, and are most easily grown by tying to supports. I use wire strung between stakes, and tie the canes to the wire to create a fan shape. Both the wire and stakes need to be strong, as when the plants are in leaf, a strong wind risks both the plants and supports being blown over.

Loganberries fruit on one year old canes. At the end of summer, canes that have fruited should be cut to the ground. New canes that have grown in the summer are tied onto the support for the start of winter (or latest by early spring).

Newly planted loganberries will fruit in their first year, but will provide a much bigger harvest from year two onwards, once the plants have become established and produced new canes.

To propagate loganberries, bury the tips of canes into compost. When new growth appears above the surface, the old cane can be cut away, and the new plant relocated to its final growing position.

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